Archived - A Profile of Blacks in Canada

Blacks in the Canadian Population

The Black population of approximately 662,215 represented 2.2% of the total population and 16.6% of the visible minority population in 2001. Blacks were most frequently living in Ontario and Quebec. These two provinces accounted for 85% of the Black population, compared to only 61% of the non-visible minority population and 67% of the overall visible minority population (67%) (See chart 1). In contrast to other visible minority subgroups, the concentration of Blacks in British Columbia was exceptionally low, at only 4%.

Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) were definitely favoured amongst Blacks, as 94% of their total population lived in one of the 27 CMAs. Reflective of the provincial data, Toronto and Montreal were the two most popular CMAs amongst Blacks, making up 68% of their total population.

Blacks were younger than the non-visible minority population and the overall visible minority population. Close to 29% of Blacks were below age 15 and only 5% were older than 65. The prime working age group, 25-54, represented approximately 42% of the total Black population(See chart 2).

Educational Attainment

Close to 26% of Blacks 15 years and over had earned a bachelor’s degree or higher compared to 14% of the non-visible minority population and 24% of the overall visible minority population(See chart 3). Like many of the other visible minorities, the percentage of the South Asian men (28%) with a university degree exceeded that of South Asian women (23%).

The favoured fields of study among Blacks were very similar to those among the overall visible minority population. The three most popular fields of study for the Blacks were Commerce Management & Business Administration (23%), Engineering & Applied Sciences Technologies & Trades (14%) and Social Sciences & Related Fields (11%) (See chart 4). These three fields made up 49% of the South Asian population that went beyond secondary school compared to 48% of the overall visible minority population and 54% of the nonvisible minority population respectively.

Blacks in the Canadian Labour Market

In 2001 there were 345,355 Blacks in the workforce. They represented 2.0% of the total workforce and 16.1% of the overall visible minority workforce.

Approximately 67% of Blacks in the workforce were working in one of the following Employment Equity Occupational Groups (EEOGs): Professionals (14%), Clerical Personnel (13%), Semi-Skilled Manual Workers (13%), Intermediate Sales & Service Personnel (13%) and Other Sales & Service Personnel (13%). These five occupations meanwhile made up 55% of the nonvisible minority workforce and 63% of the overall visible minority workforce(See chart 5).

Blacks had the second highest participation rate among all visible minority subgroups, at 70.5%, exceeding the participation rate of the non-visible minority population (66.5%). However, Blacks were having difficulty finding jobs. In fact, Blacks had the third highest unemployment rate among all visible minority subgroups, at 11.5%, compared to a much lower 7.1% in the case of the non-visible minority population.

Income

Among all visible minority subgroups, Blacks had the fourth lowest average income for full-time, full-year employment in 2000, at $35,103. Their income was equivalent to 80% of the non-visible minority income ($43,989) and 92% of the overall visible minority income ($37,957). Black women on average had an income of $31,358, which was equivalent to 82% of what the Black men earned (See chart 6). The income differential faced by Black females and males was smaller than in any other visible minority subgroup.

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Fact Sheet and Charts on Blacks in Canada
(Source: Adapted from Statistics Canada, special tabulation, unpublished data, 2001 Census)

Fact Sheet on Blacks in Canada, 2001
Non-Visible Minority Population	Both	Male	Female
Population	25,655,185	12,618,765	13,036,420
Unemployment Rate	7.1%	7.4%	6.8%
Labour Force	13,865,770	7,399,050	6,466,725
Participation Rate	66.5%	72.8%	60.5%
Income (Full-time, Full Year)	$43,989	$50,080	$35,266
Wage Gap	N/A	N/A	70.4%
Education (BA. or Higher)	14.2%	14.6%	13.9%
Visible Minorities
Population	3,983,845	1,945,505	2,038,340
Unemployment Rate	9.5%	9.0%	10.0%
Labour Force	2,006,300	1,052,965	953,330
Participation Rate	66.0%	71.9%	60.5%
Income (Full-time, Full Year)	$37,957	$42,377	$32,143
Wage Gap	N/A	N/A	75.9%
Education (BA. or Higher)	23.6%	26.0%	21.3%
Blacks
Population	662,215	316,065	346,145
Unemployment Rate	11.5%	11.3%	11.7%
Labour Force	329,405	161,680	167,725
Participation Rate	70.5%	74.4%	67.2%
Income (Full-time, Full Year)	$35,103	$38,381	$31,358
Wage Gap	N/A	N/A	81.7%
Education (BA. or Higher)	12.7%	14.4%	11.2%