2 Demographics and Diversity of Black Populations

Understanding the demographic make-up and diversity of Black populations in Canada is important when considering engagement with the criminal justice system. According to Statistics Canada, Black people

… represent a growing proportion of the racialized populations in Canada and their sociodemographic profiles have evolved over the last 25 years. The diversity of these populations has been influenced by the pre-Confederation transatlantic settlement of Black peoples in Canada [slavery] and migration flows to Canada from the Caribbean and Africa, starting in the 1960s. Black populations in Canada differ in terms of their histories, ethnocultural origins, places of birth, mother tongues, and religious affiliations.Footnote 10

In 2021 (the year of the most recent national Census), Black people numbered over 1.5 million individuals, representing 4.3 percent of the total Canadian population. The Black population is currently the third largest racialized group, after South Asians and Chinese. Black populations have a long historical presence in Canada. Forty-one percent of Black people were born in Canada and represented the largest share (35.8 percent) of all racialized individuals in the third generation or more (born in Canada with all parents born in Canada).Footnote 11 According to recent population projections, the Black populations could reach over 3 million people in 2041, making them the second largest racialized group in Canada after the South Asian populations.Footnote 12

Black people reported the highest number of mother tongues (approximately 250) among all racialized groups in Canada in 2021, which demonstrates the significant linguistic diversity of the Black population. Over 25 percent of Black respondents to the 2021 Census reported more than one ethnic or cultural origin, most frequently African, Jamaican or Haitian. Black people also expressed the highest rate of religious affiliation (primarily with Christianity) compared with other racialized groups and non-racialized populations.Footnote 13

The areas of the country in which Black people settle have been changing, although according to Statistics Canada, “In 2021, 97.8% of Black people in Canada resided in urban areas. The three most populous census metropolitan areas with the largest Black populations were Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa-Gatineau.”Footnote 14 However, Black communities are becoming more geographically dispersed in Canada with Black populations decreasing in Ontario and Quebec and increasing in the Prairie provinces, particularly in Alberta.Footnote 15

It is also important to understand the age distribution of Canada’s Black population. Children and youth (aged 0 to 25 years) made up 41.9 percent of Black populations in 2021. Seventy-two percent of the total Black population was younger than forty-five, compared to 54.9 percent of the total Canadian population.Footnote 16 Again, this is significant, as discussed later in the report.