Recent Immigrants in Metropolitan Areas: Saskatoon—A Comparative Profile Based on the 2001 Census

Part A: Immigrants and Recent Immigrants

16,900 immigrants in the Saskatoon Census Metropolitan Area

According to the 2001 Census, there were 16,900 immigrants living in the Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) of Saskatoon (that is, the Saskatoon Census Metropolitan Area or Saskatoon for short) in 2001. The immigrant population in Saskatoon has decreased over the 15 years ending in 2001, while the Canadian-born population within the CMA has grown. Over the period 1986 to 2001, the number of immigrants living in Saskatoon decreased by 1,900 or 10%. In comparison, Saskatoon’s Canadian-born population increased by 24,800 or 14%.

Table A-1: Immigrants, Canadian-born and total population, Saskatoon Census Metropolitan Area, Saskatchewan, and Canada, 1986, 1996 and 2001
  Census of Population
  1986 1996 2001
Saskatoon
Immigrants 18,820 16,450 16,870
Canadian-born 179,570 198,850 204,390
Population 198,390 216,450 222,630
Saskatchewan
Immigrants 71,990 52,300 47,830
Canadian-born 924,710 921,690 912,220
Population 996,700 976,620 963,150
Canada
Immigrants 3,908,150 4,971,060 5,448,490
Canadian-born 21,113,860 23,390,330 23,991,910
Population 25,022,010 28,528,130 29,639,040
  Change
  1986-1996 1996-2001 1986-2001
Saskatoon
Immigrants -2,370 -13% 420 3% -1,950 -10%
Canadian-born 19,280 11% 5,540 3% 24,820 14%
Population 18,060 9% 6,180 3% 24,240 12%
Saskatchewan
Immigrants -19,690 -27% -4,470 -9% -24,160 -34%
Canadian-born -3,020 0% -9,470 -1% -12,490 -1%
Population -20,080 -2% -13,470 -1% -33,550 -3%
Canada
Immigrants 1,062,910 27% 477,430 10% 1,540,340 39%
Canadian-born 2,276,470 11% 601,580 3% 2,878,050 14%
Population 3,506,120 14% 1,110,910 4% 4,617,030 18%

Note: In Table A-1, population totals for 1996 and 2001 include non-permanent residents as well as immigrants and the Canadian-born. Non-permanent residents are not included in Table A-1 for 1986 nor are they included in any population figures elsewhere in this report.

Over the fifteen-year period from 1986 to 2001, Saskatoon's immigrant population has decreased at a slower rate than the immigrant population in Saskatchewan. In fact, the number of immigrants in the Saskatoon CMA in 2001 increased by slightly more than 400 in comparison to 1996 while the total number of immigrants living in Saskatchewan decreased by 4,500 or 9%. During this period, Canada’s immigrant population increased by 477,400 or 10%.

In 2001, Saskatoon’s share of Canada’s five million immigrants was 0.3%, down from 0.5% in 1986. The city was the place of residence of 0.8% of the total population of Canada and 0.9% of the country’s Canadian-born population. These shares were virtually the same as in 1986.

Saskatoon's share of the immigrant population of Saskatchewan has increased to 35% in 2001 compared to 26% in 1986. Its share of Saskatchewan’s Canadian-born population increased from 20% in 1986 to 22% in 2001. Saskatoon’s share of the total population of Saskatchewan increased from 20% in 1986 to 23% in 2001.

Immigrant share of the population stable

The immigrant share of Saskatoon’s population has remained stable at 8% of the population since 1996, after declining from 9% in 1986. The proportion of immigrants in Saskatoon’s population is only slightly higher than the proportion in Saskatchewan and both are much lower than that of the country overall. The immigrant share of the Saskatchewan’s population has remained at 5% since 1996, a decrease from 7% in 1986 while Canada’s immigrant population has increased from 16% to 18% during this same period.

Figure A-1: Immigrants as a percentage of the population, Saskatoon Census Metropolitan Area, Saskatchewan, and Canada, 1986, 1996 and 2001

Figure A-1

Four in ten immigrants landed after 1985

Approximately 40% of Saskatoon’s 16,900 immigrants landed in Canada in the 15 years before the 2001 Census compared to 32% of Saskatchewan’s immigrants and 46% of Canada’s immigrant population. Almost 20% of Saskatoon’s immigrants landed in Canada in the five years between 1996 and 2001, compared to 18% of Canada’s immigrants and 14% of Saskatchewan’s immigrant population.

Table A-2: Immigrants by period of immigration, Saskatoon Census Metropolitan Area, Saskatchewan and Canada, 2001
Period of immigration Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada
Before 1961 3,470 21% 14,330 30% 894,470 16%
 1961-1970 2,420 14% 6,730 14% 745,570 14%
 1971-1980 2,860 17% 7,840 16% 936,280 17%
 1981-1985 1,500 9% 3,590 7% 380,330 7%
Earlier immigrants 10,250 61% 32,480 68% 2,956,630 54%
 1986-1990 1,510 9% 3,990 8% 661,180 12%
 1991-1995 1,970 12% 4,750 10% 867,360 16%
 1996-2001 3,150 19% 6,620 14% 963,320 18%
Recent immigrants 6,620 39% 15,350 32% 2,491,850 46%
Total 16,870 100% 47,830 100% 5,448,490 100%

An increasing share of Saskatchewan’s immigrant population

In 2001, 0.3% of Canada's five million immigrants were living in Saskatoon. Very recent immigrants to Canada were as likely to be living in Saskatoon as earlier immigrants—0.3% of Canada’s 963,300 immigrants who landed between 1996 and 2001 were living in Saskatoon. Of the population of immigrants who landed before 1961, 0.4% resided in Saskatoon.

Figure A-2: Immigrants residing in Saskatoon Census Metropolitan Area as a percentage of Canada’s and Saskatchewan’s immigrants by period of immigration, 2001

Figure A-2

Recent immigrants to Saskatchewan are more likely to be living in Saskatoon than earlier generations of immigrants to the province. Nearly one-half of immigrants living in Saskatchewan who landed between 1996 and 2001 resided in Saskatoon. One-quarter of Saskatchewan’s immigrants who landed before 1961 lived in Saskatoon in 2001.

6,600 recent immigrants—3% of the population

In 2001, there were 6,600 recent immigrants (defined as those who landed in Canada after 1985) living in Saskatoon, representing 3% of Saskatoon’s total population. The share of recent immigrants in Saskatoon’s population is smaller than the proportion of recent immigrants in the national population (8%) but about the same as the proportion in the population of Saskatchewan (2%).

In Saskatoon, very recent immigrants—those who came to Canada in the 1996 to 2001 period—numbered 3,200, representing 1% of the total population of Saskatoon. In Canada as a whole, very recent immigrants numbered close to one million, representing 3% of the population.

Table A-3: Immigrants as a percentage of the population, Saskatoon Census Metropolitan Area, Saskatchewan and Canada, 2001
Period of immigration Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada
 1986-1990 1,510 0.7% 3,990 0.4% 661,180 2.2%
 1991-1995 1,970 0.9% 4,750 0.5% 867,360 2.9%
 1996-2001 3,150 1.4% 6,620 0.7% 963,320 3.3%
Immigrated 1986-2001 6,620 3.0% 15,350 1.6% 2,491,850 8.5%
Immigrated before 1986 10,250 4.6% 32,480 3.4% 2,956,640 10.0%
All immigrants 16,870 7.6% 47,830 5.0% 5,448,490 18.5%

More than four out of five recent immigrants have become Canadian citizens

By 2001, a large majority of Saskatoon’s immigrants who landed in Canada during the 1986 to 1995 period—85%—had become Canadian citizens. Immigrants from most countries who landed between 1986 and 1995 are becoming Canadians in high proportions, from 70% to close to 100%. More than 90% of Saskatoon’s immigrants from El Salvador, Yugoslavia, Hong Kong, and Bosnia and Herzegovina who landed during the 1986 to 1995 period had obtained Canadian citizenship by 2001. Between 70% and 90% from other top ten source countries— China, the Philippines, Poland and India—had done the same. (See Table B-1 for the top ten countries of birth.)

A significant share of immigrants from the United States and the United Kingdom are postponing or forgoing Canadian citizenship. The rate of acquisition of Canadian citizenship by persons who immigrated to Canada from these countries between 1986 and 1995 is less than 70%, the lowest being 58% for the United States.

Overall, the large majority of immigrants clearly continue to opt for Canadian citizenship. Eighty-five percent of immigrants who landed six to fifteen years before May 2001 had become Canadian citizens by that date, compared to 82% of the comparable cohort at the time of the 1996 Census.

Fourteen percent of immigrants who landed during the 1986 to 1995 period had acquired Canadian citizenship while retaining the citizenship of another country. Dual citizenship is more common among recent than earlier immigrants. Among Saskatoon’s immigrants who landed in Canada before 1986, one in ten reported dual citizenship in 2001. The incidence of dual citizenship among immigrants who landed six to fifteen years before the census was lower in 2001 than in 1996 (21%).

Table A-4: Acquisition of Canadian citizenship by country of birth, Saskatoon Census Metropolitan Area, 2001
More than 90 percent of Saskatoon's immigrants who landed in Canada during 1986-1995 and were born in these countries have become Canadian citizens: Less than 70 percent of Saskatoon's immigrants who landed in Canada during 1986-1995 and were born in these countries have become Canadian citizens: More than one-quarter of Saskatoon's immigrants who landed in Canada during 1986-1995 and were born in these countries have dual citizenship:
Yugoslavia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
El Salvador
Hong Kong
United States
United Kingdom
United States
Yugoslavia
Percent of immigrants with Canadian citizenship (including those with dual citizenship) Percent of immigrants with dual citizenship
Immigrated before 1986 88% Immigrated before 1986 10%
Immigrated 1986-1995 85% Immigrated 1986-1995 14%

Note: Countries of birth are listed from highest to lowest rate of Canadian citizenship in column 1, lowest to highest citizenship rate in column 2, and highest to lowest rate of dual citizenship in column 3. Citizenship refers to a person’s legal citizenship status, as reported in the 2001 Census. In Canada, there is a residence requirement of three years before Canadian citizenship can be acquired. As a result, many immigrants who landed in Canada between 1996 and 2001 were not yet eligible for Canadian citizenship at the time the census was carried out in 2001. For this reason, this group is not considered here. Instead, the table focuses on persons who immigrated between 1986 and 1995.

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