Despite the fact that Canada is one of the largest countries in the world, it has a population of just over 38 million people, which is not much compared to its neighbor, the USA (which has about 330 million people) or Russia (146 million people). This is linked to Canada’s harsh climate. The country has few areas suitable for comfortable living: nearly 85% of the population lives within 160 km of the US border.
The majority of Canada's population lives in three provinces: Ontario (about 40%), Quebec (25%), and British Columbia (15%). The least populated areas are Yukon, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories. This is again connected to the harsh climate. Most Canadians—about 77%—live in urban areas, while 23% live in rural areas.
Canada is a multicultural country, with thousands of people immigrating from different countries every year. Therefore, it is not surprising that there are currently 34 ethnic groups residing in Canada, the largest of which identify as "Canadians."
The largest ethnic groups in Canada are: Canadians (32%), English (18%), Scottish (14%), French (14%), Irish (13%), German (10%), Chinese (5%), Italian (5%), Indigenous peoples of Canada (4%), Ukrainians (4%).
Each year, approximately 150,000 people become Canadian citizens, arriving from other countries. This is due to the country’s reputation: Canada has established itself as a highly developed, tolerant nation with a high standard of living and healthcare.
Canada plans to accept more and more immigrants, gradually increasing the number of newcomers, which should, in general, lead to an overall "refreshing" of the population and strengthening the middle class in the country.
Canada has two official languages: French and English. These are the languages spoken by the first settlers.
Religiously, about 70% of the population identifies as Christian, about 3% are Muslims, 24% consider themselves atheists, and the remaining 3% are distributed among representatives of other faiths.
According to WHO data from 2020, Canada ranked 15th in the world for life expectancy, with the average life expectancy for women being 84 years and for men, 84 years.
As of early 2021, the distribution of Canada’s population by age groups was as follows: under 15 years – 15.7%, 15-65 years – 68.8%, over 64 years – 15.5%.
