StatsCan: Portrait of the Latin American populations in Canada

Another useful profile or portrait by StatsCan:

In 2021, 2% of the Canadian population reported being Latin American 

Latin American populations in Canada reached 726,820 people in 2021, almost triple the 251,585 people reported in 2001. Consequently, their proportion of the total population increased from 0.9% in 2001 to 2.0% in 2021. 

The most common places of birth of individuals in Canada who report being Latin American are Canada, Mexico and Colombia

In 2021, more than one-quarter (27.8%) of the Latin American populations in Canada were born in Canada, and 13.2% were born in Mexico. Of the 38.6% of people who were born in South America, Colombia was the most common country of birth (12.9%), followed by Brazil (7.4%). A further 13.8% of Latin Americans were born in Central America (excluding Mexico), and roughly half of them were born in El Salvador (7.0%). Among Latin Americans born in the Caribbean, most were from Cuba (2.0%) or the Dominican Republic (1.6%).

The main admission category of Latin American immigrants has shifted over time, and economic immigration is the most common since the 2000s 

From 1983 to 1992, most Latin American immigrants arrived to Canada as refugees, while, from 2008 to 2021, most arrived as economic immigrants. 

In 2021, among Latin Americans who immigrated during the period from 1980 to 2021, the largest proportion was economic immigrants (37.5%), followed by family-sponsored immigrants (31.1%) and refugees (28.8%). 

Most Latin American immigrants born in Brazil (72.0%) and Venezuela (60.6%) who immigrated during the same period were economic immigrants, while most immigrants born in Mexico were either economic immigrants (41.6%) or sponsored by family (36.9%). 

Most Latin Americans born in Central America who arrived during the 1980s and early 1990s (71.3%) were refugees. From 1994 to 2021, admission categories were more varied: 44.1% were sponsored by family, 27.9% were refugees and 23.1% were economic immigrants….

Source: Study: Portrait of the Latin American populations in Canada