SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC ANALAYSIS OF THE CROATIAN COMMUNITY IN CANADA

Canada has held a census of the population every five years since 1966. Before 1966, a census was held in 10 year intervals. The last available census data is from 2001. The Canadian census includes questions on ethnic background and multiple answers are possible. The census also includes questions on language usage, home language, knowledge of official languages.

There are no exact figures on the number of Croatians in Canada before the year 1921, since the Croatian population was included under “Austrians” and/or “Hungarians”, due to the fact that Croatia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It is estimated that during this period some 4.000 people of Croatian origin came to Canada. From the years 1918 to 1929, some 12.000 Croatians entered Canada. It is also interesting to note that there was a high percentage of re-emigration due to the fact that most immigrants were men who worked in Canada for some years and then returned home to their families.

The census for 1931 identified the Croatians as a separate ethnic group for the first time. Because of this, 10.531 people declared to be of Croatian ethnic background. This number rose to 14.863 people in the census of 1941. The census of 1951 identified 11,031, while the census for the year 1961 identified 28.886 people, the census of 1971 had 20.860, and the census of 1976 had 20.390. The census of 1981 showed a total of 35.120 people of Croatian heritage, while the number climbed to 41.550 in the census of 1991. The census of 1996 identified 84.495 people of Croatian origin.

The most recent census of 2001 identified a total of 97.050 people of Croatian background. From this number 58.170 people reported being entirely Croatian background and the other 38.880 people reported being partly Croatian background on the census form.

The Croatian community resides mostly in the following urban areas: Toronto 30.590, Vancouver 11.225, Hamilton 9.715, Calgary 3.900, Kitchener 3.630, Windsor 3.495, Montreal 3.270, Edmonton 3.230, Ottawa 2.885, London 2.445, Winnipeg 2.410, St. Catherine’s-Niagara 2.000, Thunder Bay 1.060 and Victoria 1.055.

Persons of Croatian ethnick background according to Province/Territory:

According to the 2001 census data, 71.725 people declared that they speak Croatian. From this number 56.840 persons speak Croatian as the mother tongue, of which 54.870 speak it exclusively, while 1.970 speak it in combination with another language.  44.605 people declared that Croatian is their home language, of which 10.645 reported that Croatian is their exclusive home language, 13.635 speak Croatian predominantly in the home, 4.135 equally with another language and 16.190 regularly.

Out of the total of 54.870 people who reported that their mother tongue is Croatian, 27.505 most often speak English at home, 325 French, 55 English and French, 3.250 English and Croatian, 95 French and Croatian and 35 English, French and Croatian.

The question on knowledge of official languages was answered as follows: 48.165 declared that they only speak English, 455 only French and 4.360 speak both official languages and 1.905 speak neither.

Knowledge of Croatian language according to Province/Territory:

The 2001 census also provides a socio-economic picture of the Croatian community in Canada. The data comprises of 76.685 persons of Croatian background who are 15 years of age and older. From this number 25.970 have never been married, 41.895 are married, 1.480 are separated, 3.910 are divorced and 3.430 are widowed.  51.150 people are born in Croatia, while another 45.415 are born outside of Canada, of which 425 were born in the USA, 165 in Central and South America, 10 in the Caribbean, 44.380 in Europe, 40 in Africa, 70 in Asia and 320 in Australia and Oceania.

Of those born outside of Canada 7.680 migrated before 1961, 13.040 between 1961 and 1970, 8.505 between 1971 and 1980, 3.250 between 1981 and 1990, and 12.930 between 1991 and 2001 (of which 6.515 came between 1991 and 1996 and 6.415 between 1996 and 2001). There are a total of 43.265 people of first generation Croatian Canadians, 27.015 of second generation and 6.405 of third generation Croatian Canadians.
Out of a total of 97.050 persons of Croatian background, 89.485 are Canadian citizens and 7.565 are foreign nationals. From this number, 96.260 people are white and 790 belong to a visible minority.

The religious composition of the Croatian community is as follows: 77.025 or 79.4 % are Roman Catholic, 5.870 or 6 % are Protestant, 2.745 or 2.8 % are Orthodox Christians, 1.120 or 1.2 % are other Christians, 490 or 0.5 % are Muslims, 100 or 0.1% are Jewish, 70 or 0.07 % are Buddhist, 20 or 0.02 % are Sikhs and 9.600 0r 9.9 % are without a religious affiliation.

The Embassy of the Republic of Croatia has regular and intense contacts with Croatian associations, as well as individuals during cultural manifestations, consular days, political discussions and economic information.

The Consulate General of the Republic of Croatia in Mississauga has some 63.835 people of Croatian heritage under its jurisdiction, while the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Ottawa looks after the remainder of 33.240 people of Croatian background.