National Aboriginal Day… by the numbers

2014

The first day of summer—June 21—marks National Aboriginal Day, a day of celebration for Aboriginal peoples in Canada.

To learn more about National Aboriginal Day, see National Aboriginal Day on the Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada website.

Aboriginal peoples in Canada include First Nations people (North American Indians), Métis and Inuit. These distinct groups have unique heritages, languages and cultures. Statistical information is available for the total Aboriginal population and each of the three groups.

Here are selected facts on Aboriginal peoples in Canada from the 2011 National Household Survey and the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey.

(Last updated: June 17, 2014)

Population

1.4 million — The number of people who reported an Aboriginal identity in the 2011 National Household Survey.

4.3% — The percentage of the total population of Canada who reported an Aboriginal identity in 2011.

23 years — The median age of Inuit in Canada in 2011, the youngest of the three Aboriginal groups. The median age of First Nations people was 26, followed by Métis at 31. The median age of the non-Aboriginal population was 41 years.

Source: 2011 National Household Survey.

Aboriginal languages

14.5% — The percentage of the Aboriginal population who reported an Aboriginal language as mother tongue, defined as the first language learned at home in childhood and still understood by the individual at the time of the survey.

240,815 — The number of Aboriginal people who reported that they were able to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language, while 202,495 Aboriginal people reported an Aboriginal mother tongue. This implies that a number of Aboriginal people have acquired an Aboriginal language as a second language.

Source: 2011 National Household Survey.

Education

14% — The proportion of First Nations people living off-reserve aged 18 to 44 with a high school diploma or its equivalent who had left school at least once before returning to obtain their diploma (9% of Métis, 15% of Inuit).  The main reason cited for returning was that they "realized the value of an education / wanted a diploma."

50% — The proportion of Inuit aged 18 to 44 with a postsecondary education who said that they had moved to complete their education. About 40% of off-reserve First Nations people and 42% of Métis with a postsecondary education had relocated to pursue their schooling.

6 in 10 — The number of off-reserve First Nations people, Métis and Inuit aged 18 to 44 who reported that they planned to go back to school or take further training.

Source: 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey.

Employment and income

37% — The percentage of First Nations people aged 25 to 64 in Canada who did not have a certificate, diploma or degree and who were employed in 2011. The corresponding proportions were 53% for Métis and 45% for Inuit.

78% — The percentage of Métis aged 25 to 64 in Canada with a postsecondary education who were employed in 2011. The corresponding proportions among First Nations people and Inuit aged 25 to 64 were 71% and 73%, respectively.

$22,800 ­— The amount by which median total income rose among Inuit aged 25 to 64 with a postsecondary education compared with those with no postsecondary education.  The increases among Métis and First Nations people in the same age group were $20,100 and $18,400, respectively.

Source: 2011 National Household Survey.

Housing

1 in 4 — The number of First Nations people (26%) who lived in homes in need of major repairs.  The rate for First Nations people living on a reserve was 43% while that for those living off-reserve was 15%.

30% and 13% — The percentages of Inuit and Métis living in homes in need of major repairs, respectively. In comparison, 7% of non-Aboriginal people lived in homes in need of major repairs.

30% — The percentage of Inuit in Canada who lived in crowded homes, that is, with more than one person per room. That percentage was 27% for on-reserve First Nations people, 7% for off-reserve First Nations people and 3% for Métis. Comparatively, 4% of non-Aboriginal people lived in crowded homes.

Source: 2011 National Household Survey.

Health

6 in 10 — The number of off-reserve First Nations people (61%) and Métis (60%) aged 12 and older who reported that they had been diagnosed with at least one chronic condition.  Meanwhile, 42% of Inuit aged 12 and older reported that they had been diagnosed with at least one chronic condition. The corresponding percentage for the non-Aboriginal population was 53%.

52% — The percentage of the Aboriginal population aged 12 and older in Canada (not including those living on reserves) who rated their health as excellent or very good in 2012 (51% of off-reserve First Nations people, 55% of Métis, and 48% of Inuit).

Sources: 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey; Canadian Community Health Survey, 2012.

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