Aboriginals younger, but getting old, census finds

OTTAWA — A high fertility rate and a growing sense of self are fuelling an explosion in the ranks of Indigenous Peoples, according to fresh census numbers that lay bare the demographic challenges facing one of the most vulnerable and poverty-stricken segments in Canada.

Nearly 1.7 million people identified as Aboriginal in the 2016 census, Statistics Canada says — a 4.9 per cent share of the total population and a breathtaking 42.5 per cent increase since 2006, a growth rate more than four times that of their non-Indigenous counterparts.

The agency attributes the spike to both natural growth — increased life expectancy and a high fertility rate — and the fact that Indigenous people appear to be more willing to identify themselves on the census as either First Nations, Métis or Inuit.

“Sometimes it could be in specific provinces, where more and more people are emphasizing the importance of reporting ourselves as Aboriginal Peoples,” said Jean-Pierre Corbet, the assistant director of the agency’s social and Aboriginal division.

“Some people might discover that they have ancestries so they identify themselves as being a member of the Aboriginal population.”

Those claiming Métis heritage are behind the biggest chunk of growth, numbering 587,545 last year, an increase of 51.2 per cent since 2006, followed by First Nations at 977,230 people, a 39.3 per cent spike, and 65,025 Inuit, an increase of 29.1 per cent.

Paradoxically, the Aboriginal population in Canada is both young — 32.1 years old, on average, compared to 40.9 years old for non-Aboriginals — and aging: 7.3 per cent of Indigenous Peoples were 65 or older in 2016, compared with 4.8 per cent in 2006.

It’s a demographic doublewhammy of sorts, considering that median personal income for Aboriginal people is just $25,526, compared with $34,604 for the rest of the country, while nearly one-quarter live below Statistics Canada’s poverty threshold.

Wednesday’s release was chock full of similarly sobering economic indicators.

One in five Indigenous people lived in a dwelling in need of “major repairs,” compared with six per cent of the non-Indigenous population. In the case of First Nations and Inuit, the ratio is closer to one in four, particularly for those living on reserves.

One in 10 lived in a home too small for their family.