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Moving in Canada - Moving TO Canada
Recently released 2006 census figures analyzed by Statistics Canada show that one in five people living in Canada are foreign-born, the highest proportion in 75 years. Over the five years, from 2001 and 2006, the foreign-born population of Canada increased by 13.6 percent -- four times faster than the population growth rate of 3.3 percent.
Over that period 58% of immigrants were from Asia (including the Middle East), 16% from Europe. 11% from Central & South America and 10% from Africa.
As of 2006, the immigrant population in Canada is estimated at 6,186,950. The United Kingdom is the largest source country by birth at 579,620 people, followed by China (466,940), India (443,690), the Philippines (303,195), and Italy (296,850).
The figures from Statistics Canada also show that 20 percent of the Canadian population is now composed of individuals who do not count English or French as their native language. Chinese languages are now the third most spoken, followed by Italian, German, Punjabi, Spanish, Arabic, Tagalog, and Portuguese.
In 2007, Canada admitted 429,649 permanent residents, temporary foreign workers, and foreign students -- more than 60,000 higher than four years ago, Citizenship and Immigration Canada said in a release.
The large urban centres (like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary) are attracting most of the immigrants, where many can find lots of ex-pats speaking the same language sharing the same customs, religion, sport & cultural interests, and holiday observances.
However, a recent study by Statistics Canada found that migrants have a smaller income gap--compared to native-born Canadians-- outside of large urban areas, with the income gap decreasing over time. In small towns and rural areas, migrants averaged higher earnings than their Canadian counterparts, sometimes after only a year of residence. This suggests immigrants should widen their scope to improve both their earnings and their opporutjnity for integration into the community.
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