Canadian diaspora
Encyclopedia
The Canadian diaspora is the group of Canadians living outside the borders of Canada. As of a 2010 report by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
, there were 2.8 million Canadian citizens abroad (plus an unknown number of former citizens and descendents of citizens). For comparison, that is a larger population than six of the ten Canadian provinces. More than nine percent of all Canadian citizens live outside of Canada. That compares to 1.7% of Americans, 2.6% of Chinese citizens, 3.3% of French citizens, 4.3% of Australians, 9% of British citizens, and 21.9% of New Zealanders.
In past decades, most Canadians leaving the country have moved to the United States. In the 1980s, Los Angeles had the fourth largest Canadian population of any city in the North America, with New York close behind. However, other countries and cities have emerged as major sites of Canadian settlement, notably Hong Kong, London, Beirut, Sydney, Paris, and Dubai.
The largest Canadian populations abroad by country are:
Citizens born in Canada make up about 58% of the diaspora, the other 42% being people born outside Canada who became naturalized as Canadian citizens and then moved out again, often back to their country of origin, or sometimes to a third country. Native-born Canadians had an exit rate of about 1.33% over ten years from 1996 to 2006, compared to 4.5% for naturalized Canadians. Most Canadians in the United States are native-born, while most Canadians in Hong Kong are naturalized Canadians who were born in Hong Kong.
For native-born Canadians, the United States is the primary destination, and the emigration rate varies substantially by ethnicity. It is especially high among Middle Eastern, Eastern European, and South Asian Canadians, indicating that the English-speaking and well-educated children of immigrants
are often highly mobile. French Canadians have the highest rate of return to Canada at 29%. Among naturalized Canadians, exit rates vary by country of origin, being highest among Canadians from typically highly developed countries (Hong Kong, US, Taiwan, France). Exit rates among Canada's two largest immigrant populations, Mainland Chinese and Indians, was very low during 1996 to 2006 but rising.
Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, created by an Act of Parliament in 1984, is an independent, not-for-profit think-tank on Canada's relations with Asia.-Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada:...
, there were 2.8 million Canadian citizens abroad (plus an unknown number of former citizens and descendents of citizens). For comparison, that is a larger population than six of the ten Canadian provinces. More than nine percent of all Canadian citizens live outside of Canada. That compares to 1.7% of Americans, 2.6% of Chinese citizens, 3.3% of French citizens, 4.3% of Australians, 9% of British citizens, and 21.9% of New Zealanders.
In past decades, most Canadians leaving the country have moved to the United States. In the 1980s, Los Angeles had the fourth largest Canadian population of any city in the North America, with New York close behind. However, other countries and cities have emerged as major sites of Canadian settlement, notably Hong Kong, London, Beirut, Sydney, Paris, and Dubai.
The largest Canadian populations abroad by country are:
| Country or Territory | Canadian citizens | Source |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 1,062,640 | Coulombe and DeVoretz, 2009 |
| Hong Kong SAR Canadians in Hong Kong Like their American counterparts, a significant number of people with Canadian citizenship live and work in Hong Kong. Many are former Hong Kong residents that left prior to the 1997 handover and later returned when they had a Canadian passport and had some of the fears allayed. Some are... |
300,000 | Zhang and DeGolyer, 2011 |
| United Kingdom Canadians in the United Kingdom Canadians in the United Kingdom include people from Canada living in the United Kingdom and their descendents. In 2001, some 72,518 people born in Canada were living in the UK according to the UK census. Of the ten census tracts with the highest Canadian-born populations, nine were in London, with... |
73,000 | UK Office of National Statistics Labour Force Survey, 2009 |
| Lebanon | 45,000 | DFAIT |
| Australia | 27,289 | Dumont and Lemaitre, 2005 |
| Mainland China | 19,990 | Chinese Census 2010 |
| South Korea | 14,210 | OECD, International Migration Database, 2008 |
| Germany | 13,390 | OECD, International Migration Database, 2008 |
| UAE | 12,000 | Montreal Gazette, 2007 |
| France | 11,931 | OECD, International Migration Database, 2006 |
| Japan | 11,016 | OECD, International Migration Database, 2008 |
| Egpyt | 10,000 | DFAIT |
| New Zealand | 7,770 | Dumont and Lemaitre, 2005 |
| Philippines | 7,500 | DFAIT |
| Haiti | 6,000 | DFAIT |
| Mexico | 5,768 | Dumont and Lemaitre, 2005 |
| Switzerland | 5,243 | OECD, International Migration Database, 2008 |
| Singapore | 5,140 | Foreign Ministry of Singapore |
| Thailand | 5,000 | DFAIT |
| Trinidad & Tobago | 5,000 | Parasram, 2009 |
| Belgium | 4,145 | Dumont and Lemaitre, 2005 |
Citizens born in Canada make up about 58% of the diaspora, the other 42% being people born outside Canada who became naturalized as Canadian citizens and then moved out again, often back to their country of origin, or sometimes to a third country. Native-born Canadians had an exit rate of about 1.33% over ten years from 1996 to 2006, compared to 4.5% for naturalized Canadians. Most Canadians in the United States are native-born, while most Canadians in Hong Kong are naturalized Canadians who were born in Hong Kong.
For native-born Canadians, the United States is the primary destination, and the emigration rate varies substantially by ethnicity. It is especially high among Middle Eastern, Eastern European, and South Asian Canadians, indicating that the English-speaking and well-educated children of immigrants
Immigrant generations
The term first-generation [citizen of a country], e.g., "first-generation Ruritanian" may have either of two different meanings:*A citizen of the country who is a naturalized immigrant.or*A citizen whose parents are naturalized immigrants....
are often highly mobile. French Canadians have the highest rate of return to Canada at 29%. Among naturalized Canadians, exit rates vary by country of origin, being highest among Canadians from typically highly developed countries (Hong Kong, US, Taiwan, France). Exit rates among Canada's two largest immigrant populations, Mainland Chinese and Indians, was very low during 1996 to 2006 but rising.