Demand for Indigenous language, cultural programming growing along with population

The population of Indigenous people in Canada continues to increase at a faster rate than non-Indigenous people, but the pace of the growth has slowed, the 2021 Census reveals.

The population of Indigenous people in Canada continues to increase at a faster rate than non-Indigenous people, but the pace of the growth has slowed, the 2021 Census reveals.

There were 1.8 million Indigenous people – First Nations, Métis and Inuit – living in Canada in 2021, an increase of 9.4 per cent between 2016 and 2021 which outpaced the growth of the non-Indigenous population over the same period which increased by 5.3 per cent.

The pace of growth of the Indigenous population slowed from 18.9 per cent between 2011 and 2016, the census said.

In Manitoba, there were 237,190 Indigenous people living in the province in 2021, up 9.9 per cent from 2016.

The census said higher birth rates and increasing lifespans are factors. It also said more people are responding differently to Indigenous identity questions on the census questionnaire.

“Over time, respondents who had previously not identified as Indigenous have become more likely to do so,” the census said. “This may be related to personal reflection, social factors or external factors such as changes to legislation or court rulings.”

Winnipeg has the largest urban Indigenous population with 102,080 people, followed by Edmonton at 87,600 and Vancouver at 63,345.