Explore and discover accessible data about Ontario youth!
The Data Stories in this section highlight some of the shifting demographic patterns of Ontario youth (from 2006 to 2021), and include an exploration by age group, gender, place of birth, racial and Indigenous identities, as well as immigration status. From the growth in the overall youth population to knowledge of Canada’s two official languages, each chart provides a unique lens through which we can understand the changing face of Ontario's young people.
Youth as a Proportion of the Overall Population
of Canada and Ontario
There are over 6.5 million young people aged 15-29 in Canada, and over one-third of them – 2.5 million young people – live in Ontario! However, youth as a proportion of the total population is declining. The chart below describes the breakdown of the population by youth and non-youth.
Key Takeaway: The youth population trends underscore the broader demographic evolution toward an aging population across both Canada and Ontario. The median age in Ontario also rose from 39 years in 2006 to 41.6 years in 2021, mirroring the gradual aging of the overall population.
Canadian and Ontario Youth Population Trends ↓
Youth in Canada: The number of youth in Canada aged 15-29 increased by 6.9%, from 6,206,455 to 6,636,740 over the past 15 years (2006 to 2021). The non-youth population increased by 19.5%, from 25,406,440 to 30,355,241.
As a proportion of the overall population, Canadian youth aged 15-29 made up 19.6% of the population in 2006 but only 17% of the population in 2021.
Youth in Ontario: The youth population in Ontario grew by 12.7%, from 2,356,970 to 2,657,060 over the past 15 years (2006 to 2021), whereas the non-youth population grew by 18%, from 9,803,312 to 11,566,882.
As a proportion of the total Ontario population, youth aged 15-29 made up 19.4% of the Ontario population in 2006 but only 18.7% of the population in 2021.
Where in Ontario Youth Live
While the overall number of youth in Ontario has increased over the past 15 years, this is not the case for some census divisions. Explore this map to see which experienced a growth or decline in youth population between the 2016 and 2021 census.
Key Takeaway: With the exceptions of Ottawa and Middlesex, all of the top 10 census divisions with the largest youth populations are located in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario.
Check out the Data Dashboard to explore youth data for all 49 census divisions in Ontario.
Where Ontario Youth Live ↓
The census divisions in Ontario with the greatest growth in youth population include those in Halton, Peel, and York, which have seen their youth populations increase by around one fifth between 2006 and 2016. Dufferin, Ottawa, Durham, and Toronto have also experienced notable growth in their youth populations.
The census divisions with the greatest decline in youth population over the same time period are Chatham-Kent, Prince Edward, Nipissing, and Bruce.
Age Characteristics of Ontario Youth (15-29)
Between 2006 and 2021, there has been a notable increase in the number of youth aged 25-29, who are the largest youth age group, making up 36% of Ontario youth. The chart below describes the breakdown of Ontario youth by age group.
There has also been a slight growth in youth aged 20-24.
Since 2011, there has been a decline in youth aged 15-19.
Ontario Youth by Gender and Age (15-29)
Between 2006 and 2021, there has been a notable increase in the number of male youth aged 25-29 and a sharp decline in female youth aged 15-19. The chart below shows the breakdown of Ontario youth by gender* and age group.
*The Data Hub only examines data on youth identified as ‘male’ or ‘female’ because of the way data is collected by Statistics Canada in the Canadian census. YouthREX acknowledges that this does not capture the full spectrum of gender identity among youth in Ontario. The chart includes data from the sex at birth category (learn more below).
Statistics Canada explains the Canadian census approach to gender ... ↓
The 2021 census introduced the concept of gender for the first time and makes the distinction between sex at birth and gender.
Gender refers to an individual's personal and social identity as a man, woman or non-binary person (a person who is not exclusively a man or a woman). A person’s gender may differ from their sex at birth, and from what is indicated on their current identification or legal documents such as their birth certificate, passport or driver’s licence. A person's gender may change over time. Some people may not identify with a specific gender.
Given that the non-binary population is small, data aggregation to a two-category gender variable is sometimes necessary to protect the confidentiality of responses provided. In these cases, individuals in the category ‘non-binary persons’ are distributed into the other two gender categories and are denoted by the ‘＋’ symbol.
Men＋ includes men (and/or boys), as well as some non-binary persons. Women＋ includes women (and/or girls), as well as some non-binary persons.
Place of Birth for Ontario Youth
An increasing proportion of Ontario youth were born outside of Canada. In 2006, 22.8% of Ontario youth were born outside of Canada, while 27.7% were born outside of Canada in 2021. This chart describes Ontario youth by place of birth.
Between 2016 and 2021, Ontario youth aged 25-29 consistently had the highest proportion of youth born outside of Canada, compared to the other two age groups, 15-19 and 20-24.
In 2016, 29.5% of youth aged 25-29 were born outside of Canada, while 33.4% of Ontario youth in this age group were born outside of Canada in 2021.
In 2016, 23.1% of youth aged 20-24 were born outside of Canada, while 29.6% were born outside of Canada in 2021.
The lowest percentage of Ontario youth born outside of Canada are youth aged 15-19.
Ontario Youth Born Outside of Canada
In 2021, one in three youth in Ontario aged 25-29 were born outside of Canada. This chart describes percentages of Ontario youth born outside of Canada.
Indigenous Youth in Ontario
Of the total youth population, the rate of growth among Indigenous youth has been higher compared to non-Indigenous youth. The table below tracks this growth in Ontario.
Indigenous youth (referred to as ‘Aboriginal youth’ by Statistics Canada*) constitute a relatively small but growing proportion of all youth – approximately 2.5% in 2006 and 3.6% in 2021.
From 2006 to 2021, there was an increase of 36,805 Indigenous youth in Ontario, rising from 57,775 to 94,580. This represents a growth rate of approximately 63.7%.
In contrast, the non-Indigenous youth population increased by 263,290 during the same period, moving from 2,299,195 to 2,562,485, which corresponds to a growth rate of about 11.5%.
*Learn More ↓
“Indigenous identity” refers to whether a person identifies with the Indigenous peoples of Canada. This includes those who are First Nation (North American Indian), Métis or Inuk (Inuit), and/or those who are Registered or Treaty Indians (that is, registered under the Indian Act of Canada), and/or those who have membership in a First Nation or Indian band.
Knowledge of Official Languages — English as Only Official Language
The percentage of youth who report English as their only Official Language has remained at 86% since 2011. This chart shows the number of Ontario youth who reported English as their only Official Language.
Youth between the ages of 25-29 are most likely to report English as their only Official Language.
Knowledge of Official Languages — French as Only Official Language
Less than 1% of youth in Ontario reported their only Official Language as French between 2011 and 2021. This chart shows the number of Ontario youth who reported French as their only Official Language.
Knowledge of Official Languages — Both English and French
Between 2011 and 2021, 13% of youth reported speaking both Official Languages. This was particularly evident among youth aged 15-19. This chart shows the number of Ontario youth who reported speaking both English and French.
Knowledge of Official Languages — Neither English Nor French
Less than 1% of youth in Ontario reported having knowledge of neither Official Language. This chart shows the number of Ontario youth who reported speaking neither English nor French.
The highest proportion of youth who are unable to communicate in either Official Language is found among youth aged 25-29.
Knowledge of Official Languages — Ontario Youth (15-29)
Key Takeaway: Knowledge of the official languages has remained relatively constant over the years, with a decline in the total number of French-only speakers, bilingual speakers, and those who speak neither English nor French, and growth in the total number of English-only speakers.
As a proportion of all youth, there has been a slight decline in bilingual youth (15.2% in 2006 compared to 13.4% in 2021) and a slight increase in youth who only speak English (84.2% in 2006 to 86.1% in 2021).
Visible Minority Youth as Proportion of All Ontario Youth
Statistics Canada defines 'visible minority' as persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour. The proportion of Ontario youth who identify as a visible minority has increased over time, from 26.5% in 2006 to 42.5% in 2021. The chart below shows this increase from 2006 to 2021.
All age groups experienced growth in the proportion of racialized youth during this period.
Ontario Youth who Identify as
Visible Minority by Census Division (2021)
The map below shows the geographic distribution of youth who identify as a visible minority across Ontario. In places like Toronto and Peel, over three quarters of the youth population identify as a visible minority.
Visible Minority Groups of Ontario Youth
South Asian youth make up over one third of all youth in Ontario who identify as visible minority youth, increasing from 28.6% of the visible minority population in 2016 to 34.8% in 2021.
While the actual number of visible minority youth for the various groups has increased or stayed relatively even from 2016 to 2021, there has been a decrease in the number of Chinese and Korean youth.
Between 2011 and 2021, the numbers of Black youth surpassed the numbers of Chinese youth.
Visible Minority Youth in Ontario (2016)
Visible Minority Youth in Ontario (2021)
The chart below shows the breakdown of visible
minority youth in the largest eight cities in Ontario (2016 and 2021).
Key Takeaway: Ontario is home to one of the most multicultural and diverse youth populations in the world. In 2021, over 40% of Ontario youth identified as a visible minority. South Asian youth make up over one third of all youth in Ontario that identify as visible minority youth.
We can see the growth of the proportion of South Asian youth in all of the cities, and especially in Waterloo and Peel, where these youth made up 41.9% and 57.3%, respectively, of all youth identifying as visible minority youth in those cities in 2021.
Mobility and Place of Residence of Ontario Youth
The Canadian census provides insights into the mobility of individuals by categorizing their residence status five years before the survey date. Participants are classified into two main categories: movers* and non-movers*. From 2006 to 2021, the Ontario youth population reveals a balanced distribution between movers and non-movers, with each group making up about half of the youth population.
*Learn More ↓
Non-movers are defined as individuals who, on the day of the census, resided at the same address where they lived five years prior.
Movers are categorized based on the nature of their relocation. There are three types of movers:
- Non-Migrants: These individuals have relocated within the same city or town.
- Internal Migrants: These are people who have moved to a different city, town or census division within Canada.
- External Migrants: These participants have moved to Canada from another country.
Breakdown of Movers by Migration Status
The chart below shows how the composition of movers has seen significant shifts over the years.
Internal Migrants: The share of movers who are internal migrants increased from 35% in 2006 to 41.2% in 2021.
Youth between the ages of 25-29 were more likely to report moving within Canada between 2011 and 2021.
External Migrants: The proportion of movers originating from outside Canada increased from 13.6% in 2006 to 20.6% in 2021, highlighting an increase in international migration to Ontario.
Non-Migrants: The percentage of movers who relocated within the same city or town decreased from 51.4% in 2006 to 37.9% in 2021, reflecting a decrease in local moves within the same census division.
Ontario Youth Immigration Status
The chart below shows that the percentage of youth who are immigrants has stayed relatively constant between 2016 and 2021 at approximately 18%. However, non-permanent residents* have doubled from 4.1% of the youth population to 8% of the youth population in the same years.
*Non-permanent residents are youth who have been authorized to enter Canada for temporary residence purposes, such as those on study or work permits.
Non-permanent resident youth are the driving force behind the growing number of young people in Ontario between 2016 and 2021. The chart below outlines the percentage change among Ontario youth aged 15-29 by immigration status.
The proportion of youth who are non-permanent residents (e.g. international students) increased from roughly 5% in 2016 to close to 10% in 2021.
The non-immigrant (Canadian-born) youth population declined by 0.75% and the immigrant population increased by 0.04%. This would have led to an overall decrease in the youth population were it not for the increase from 104,865 to 212,035 of non-permanent residents, which resulted in a net positive increase of 3.61% of the total youth population.
Immigration Status of Ontario Youth by Age Group (2021)
In 2021, the largest age group of immigrants were youth 25-29. The chart below shows immigration status by age group.
Economic immigrants made up the greatest proportion of immigrants at 50.6% of those aged 25-29, 59.8% of those aged 20-24, and 63.3% of those aged 15-19.
Refugee youth account for approximately 4% of all youth and this proportion is similar across age groups.
Refugee Youth in Ontario by Age Group
Refugee youth account for approximately 4% of all youth in 2016 and 2021, and this proportion is similar across age groups. The chart below shows refugee youth by age group.
Prior to the 2016 census, information on immigration categories was not available.
Non-Permanent Resident Youth in Ontario
The proportion of youth who are non-permanent residents increased from roughly 5% in 2016 to close to 10% in 2021. The chart below shows non-permanent resident youth by age group.
Immigration Status of Ontario Youth by Census Division (2021)
The map below shows that the concentration of immigrants across census divisions is varied. In census divisions like Toronto and Peel, nearly 30% of the youth population are classified as immigrants.
Place of Birth of Visible Minority Youth in Ontario (2021)
While the majority, 61.3%, of 'visible minority' youth aged 15-19 were born inside of Canada in 2021, 58.2% of youth aged 20-24 and 66.3% of those aged 25-29 who identify as a visible minority were born outside of Canada. The chart below shows 'visible minority' groups by place of birth.
A greater proportion of Black, Southeast Asian, Multiple Visible Minority, and Visible Minority, n.i.e were born inside of Canada, whereas for all other visible minority identities, a greater proportion was born outside of Canada.
REFLECTIONS AND KEY TAKEAWAYS
The composition of Ontario's youth population is undergoing significant transformation. The proportion of youth within the overall population is on the decline.
From 2016 to 2021, the increase in the total number of youth aged 15-29 was solely attributable to non-permanent resident youth, while the Canadian-born youth population declined.
There is a growing representation of youth identifying as a visible minority, particularly among those identifying as South Asian.
Although Indigenous youth represent a relatively small fraction of the total population, the growth in the number of Indigenous youth from 2006 to 2021 has outpaced that of their non-Indigenous counterparts significantly.
DATA DASHBOARD
Curious about how youth in your census division are doing on various indicators? The Data Dashboard is an interactive tool that lets you explore, create, and download tables and visualizations on how Ontario youth are doing along different dimensions at the provincial and local levels (census levels).