Back

February 26, 2025

A Portrait of Black Families in Canada

A brief overview of statistics related to Black families in Canada

Jeff Graham

Black families in Canada are a dynamic part of the country’s social fabric. In 2021, Statistics Canada reported there are nearly 1.5 million people in the country who identified as Black, representing 4.3% of the population.¹ Although most are recent immigrants from African and Caribbean nations, Black families have lived in what is now Canada for more than 400 years, with fugitive slaves, Black loyalists, and refugees from the War of 1812 making their way north to settle primarily in Nova Scotia and Southern Ontario.

Since then, immigration has played a substantial role in the makeup of Black families in Canada. Black families have lived in Canada since the first waves of settlement by non-Indigenous groups.² Historically, the United States was the main source of new Black immigrants. In the 1960s, changes to the Immigration Act removed the bias against non-white immigrants and permitted large numbers of West Indians and Africans with the requisite education, employment qualifications, and language skills to enter the country.^{3, 4}

Since the 1990s, the Black community in Canada has grown by 2.7 times, from 573,860 in 1996 to 1,547,870 in 2021.⁵ First generation immigrants from the Caribbean, Africa, and Haiti are the largest group representing 59% of the Black population in Canada. The second-generation group (born in Canada with at least one parent born outside Canada) makes up 32.4%, followed by the third-generation group, who were born in Canada with parents also born in Canada, making up 8.6%.⁶

The Black population in Canada is relatively young, with 26.1% being under the age of 15, compared with 15.3% of the non-racialized population. The percentage of Black people that were aged 65 or older (7.4%) was approximately one-third that of non-racialized people (21.1%).⁷

The diverse origins of Black families in Canada are reflected in the languages they speak at home. Many Black households are multilingual, speaking French, English, or other languages such as Swahili, Yoruba, and Creole.⁸ The Black population in Canada speaks more than 250 languages as mother tongues. This rich linguistic diversity within the community can foster strong cultural connections across multiple generations.

Among the population aged 15 and older who were part of a couple in 2021, Black people were much more likely than the non-racialized population to be living with children (80.8% vs. 52.3%).⁹ Those in a couple were also more likely than the non-racialized population to be married (83.8% vs. 73.4%).¹⁰ Data from the 2021 Census shows that Black families were more likely to live in one-parent families than the non-racialized population, with one-quarter or more for each Black group (30% of Caribbean-origin, 15% of Canadian-origin, and 43% of African-origin), compared with 11% for non-racialized populations.¹¹ In these Black one-parent families, the majority (70%) are led by women, and are more likely to be living in a low-income situation when compared with lone-parent families in the rest of the population.¹²

Living with parents was more common among African-origin and Caribbean-origin Black populations.¹³ For example, at age 30, 44% of African-origin and 38% of Caribbean-origin Black people were living with their parents, compared with 15% of the Canadian-origin Black population.¹⁴ The younger demographic of these Black populations did not account for the entire difference. These living patterns may be influenced by financial considerations as well as personal preferences. Black adults aged 65 and older (15.2%) were more than four times as likely as the non-racialized population in this age group (3.3%) to live in a multigenerational household.¹⁵

Black families in Canada face ongoing challenges.¹⁶ In 2020, Black Canadians who were surveyed reported experiencing higher rates of unemployment and income inequality compared with the national average. Discrimination in housing, employment, and education further inflame these issues for Black families.¹⁷ Among all racialized groups, Black people had the highest rate of food insecurity in 2021 (38%).¹⁸

The resilience of Black families in Canada is evident, with 44% reporting that they are more able to bounce back after hard times, compared with 33% of the rest of the population.¹⁹ By fostering strong community ties and advocating for equity and inclusion, they continue to support future generations.

Jeff Graham is a Communications Officer at the Vanier Institute of the Family.

---

1 Statistics Canada. (2024, October 25). The diversity of the Black populations in Canada, 2021: A sociodemographic portrait. Ethnicity, Language and Immigration Thematic Series. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-657-x/89-657-x2024005-eng.htm

2 Statistics Canada. (2024, October 25). The diversity of the Black populations in Canada, 2021: A sociodemographic portrait. Ethnicity, Language and Immigration Thematic Series. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-657-x/89-657-x2024005-eng.htm

3 Government of Canada. (2022). Cultural diversity in Canada: The social construction of racial difference. https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/csj-sjc/jsp-sjp/rp02_8-dr02_8/p3.html

4 Foster, C. (2019). They call me George: The untold story of black train porters and the birth of modern Canada. Windsor, ON: Biblioasis.

5 Statistics Canada. (2019, February 27). Diversity of the Black population in Canada: An overview. Ethnicity, Language and Immigration Thematic Series. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-657-x/89-657-x2019002-eng.htm

6 Statistics Canada. (2024, October 25). Diversity of the Black populations in Canada, 2021: A sociodemographic portrait. Ethnicity, Language and Immigration Thematic Series. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-657-x/89-657-x2024005-eng.htm

7 Statistics Canada. (2024, December 4). Table 98-10-0657-01 Household type of person by visible minority, religion and selected characteristics: Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts. https://doi.org/10.25318/9810065701-eng

8 Statistics Canada. (2024, December 24). The diversity of families in Canada. StatsCAN Plus. https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/7574-diversity-families-canada

9 Statistics Canada. (2024, December 4). Table 98-10-0657-01 Household type of person by visible minority, religion and selected characteristics: Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts. https://doi.org/10.25318/9810065701-eng

10 Statistics Canada. (2024, December 4). Table 98-10-0657-01 Household type of person by visible minority, religion and selected characteristics: Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts. https://doi.org/10.25318/9810065701-eng.

11 Statistics Canada. (2020, February 25). Canada’s Black population: Education, labour and resilience. Ethnicity, Language and Immigration Thematic Series. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-657-x/89-657-x2020002-eng.htm

12 Statistics Canada. (2020, February 25). Canada’s Black population: Education, labour and resilience. Ethnicity, Language and Immigration Thematic Series. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-657-x/89-657-x2020002-eng.htm

13 Statistics Canada. (2023, August 22). Education and earnings of Canadian-born Black populations. Insights on Canadian Society. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2023001/article/00009-eng.htm

14 Statistics Canada. (2023, August 22). Education and earnings of Canadian-born Black populations. Insights on Canadian Society. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2023001/article/00009-eng.htm

15 Statistics Canada. (2024, December 4). Table 98-10-0657-01 Household type of person by visible minority, religion and selected characteristics: Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts.https://doi.org/10.25318/9810065701-eng

16 Government of Canada. (2020, September 8). Social determinants and inequities in health for Black Canadians: A Snapshot. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/population-health/what-determines-health/social-determinants-inequities-black-canadians-snapshot.html

17 Government of Canada. (2020, September 8). Social determinants and inequities in health for Black Canadians: A Snapshot. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/population-health/what-determines-health/social-determinants-inequities-black-canadians-snapshot.html

18 Statistics Canada. (2023, November 14). Food insecurity among Canadian families. Insights on Canadian Society. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2023001/article/00013-eng.htm

19 Government of Canada. (2020, September 8). Social determinants and inequities in health for Black Canadians: A Snapshot. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/population-health/what-determines-health/social-determinants-inequities-black-canadians-snapshot.html