According to the 2021 Canadian census, over 450 "ethnic or cultural origins" were self-reported by Canadians. The major panethnic groups chosen were: European (), North American (), Asian (), North American Indigenous (), African (), Latin, Central and South American (), Caribbean (), Oceanian (), and other (). Over 60 percent of Canadians reported a single origin, and 36 percent reported having multiple ethnic origins, thus the overall total is greater than 100 percent.

The country's ten largest self-reported ethnic or cultural origins in 2021 were Canadian (accounting for 15.6 percent of the population), followed by English (14.7 percent), Irish (12.1 percent), Scottish (12.1 percent), French (11.0 percent), German (8.1 percent), Chinese (4.7 percent), Italian (4.3 percent), Indian (3.7 percent), and Ukrainian (3.5 percent).

Of the 36.3million people enumerated in 2021, approximately 25.4million reported being "White", representing 69.8 percent of the population. The Indigenous population representing 5 percent or 1.8million people, grew by 9.4 percent compared to the non-Indigenous population, which grew by 5.3 percent from 2016 to 2021. One out of every four Canadians or 26.5 percent of the population belonged to a non-White and non-Indigenous visible minority, the largest of which in 2021 were South Asian (2.6million people; 7.1 percent), Chinese (1.7million; 4.7 percent), Black (1.5million; 4.3 percent), Filipinos (960,000 2.6 percent), Arabs (690,000; 1.9 percent), Latin Americans (580,000; 1.6 percent), Southeast Asians (390,000; 1.1 percent), West Asians (360,000; 1.0 percent), Koreans (220,000; 0.6 percent) and Japanese (99,000; 0.3 percent).

Between 2011 and 2016, the visible minority population rose by 18.4 percent. In 1961, about 300,000 people, less than two percent of Canada's population, were members of visible minority groups. The 2021 census indicated that 8.3million people, or almost one-quarter (23.0 percent) of the population, reported themselves as being or having been a landed immigrant or permanent resident in Canada—above the 1921 census previous record of 22.3 percent. In 2021, India, China, and the Philippines were the top three countries of origin for immigrants moving to Canada.

Statistics Canada report on race and ethnicity in Canada in 2022 The 2020 General Social Survey revealed that 92% of adult Canadians said that "[ethnic] diversity is a Canadian value". Over 25% of Canadians were "racialized". By 2041, it is estimated that racialized Canadians will comprise 40% of the population. In 2021, 23% of the Canadian population were immigrantsthe "largest proportion since Confederation", according to Statistics Canada. Prior to the early 1970s, most new Canadians came from Europe. Since then, more immigrants have come from Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. In 2021, most immigrants came from Asia, which includes the Middle East.

Data collection method Listed below are the ethnic groups of Canadian residents (citizens, landed immigrants and non-citizen temporary residents) as self-identified in the 2016 census in which approximately 35,151,000 census forms were completed). The relevant census question asked for "the ethnic or cultural origins" of the respondent's ancestors and not the respondents themselves. As data were collected by self-declaration, ethnic groups may not necessarily correspond to the true ancestry of respondents.Source: Additional data: Many respondents acknowledged multiple ancestries. These people were added to the "multiple origin" total for each origin listed. These include responses as varied as a respondent who listed eight different origins and a respondent who answered "French Canadian" (leading to them being counted once for "French" and once for "Canadian"). As with all self-reported data, understanding of the question may have varied from respondent to respondent.

Larger ethnic origins (200,000 or more individuals per group; 2021 census)

Ethnicity Totalresponses As singleresponse One of multipleresponses Canadian5,677,2054,186,8351,490,370 English5,322,8251,350,0504,188,780 Irish4,413,120593,8603,819,255 Scottish4,392,200559,5753,832,630 French3,985,9451,515,0502,470,895 German2,955,695508,1802,447,520 Chinese1,713,8701,372,215341,655 Italian1,546,390671,510874,880 First Nations1,426,950 645,105781,845 Indian1,347,715976,355371,365 Ukrainian1,258,635273,210985,425 Dutch988,585278,830709,760 Polish982,815238,710744,110 British Isles,not otherwise specified938,950417,170521,780 Filipino925,490741,980183,505 French Canadian906,315589,855316,460 Métis600,00091,255508,740 Russian548,145116,605431,540 Norwegian466,49541,280425,215 Welsh455,72535,685420,040 Portuguese448,305238,635209,670 American353,49549,680303,820 Spanish342,04570,030272,010 Swedish334,50523,710310,795 Hungarian (Magyar)320,15575,870244,285 Acadian305,170125,565179,600 Pakistani303,260217,65085,615 African,not otherwise specified301,955177,565124,395 Israeli282,015113,140168,870 Punjabi 279,950164,690115,260 Vietnamese275,530193,58581,945 Arab,not otherwise specified263,710171,40092,310 Greek262,135134,820127,315 Jamaican249,070123,595125,480 Korean217,650191,65525,995 Romanian215,88590,755125,130 Lebanese210,605118,18592,420 Iranian200,465157,47542,985

Smaller ethnic origins (2021 census)

Ethnicity Totalresponses Men Women Christian,not included elsewhere200,34099,800100,540 Danish196,94596,22074,575 North American Indigenous,not otherwise specified194,84094,035100,810 Sikh194,640101,25093,385 Austrian189,53592,74096,800 Belgian182,17590,15092,030 Haitian178,99084,51094,490 Hindu166,16087,66578,495 Mexican155,49977,43578,055 Mennonites155,09577,73577,360 Swiss145,57072,01573,555 Finnish144,05569,27074,785 Sri Lankan132,41065,17067,240 Croatian130,82064,91565,905 Japanese129,42556,85072,580 South Asian,not included elsewhere120,12560,57559,955 Northern European,not otherwise specified110,73554,73056,005 Egyptian105,24555,23050,020 Latin, Central or South American,not included elsewhere104,76551,37553,395 Tamil102,17051,16551,005 Icelandic101,99050,37051,620 Colombian100,55547,99552,560 Moroccan99,98050,83549,150 Czech98,92547,49551,430 Syrian98,25049,38548,865 Guyanese97,21046,27050,940 Afghan96,81048,25548,550 Black,not otherwise specified94,58544,33550,250 Serbian93,36046,94548,865 Ojibwe92,22044,61047,600 Newfoundlander91,67045,66546,005 Hong Kongers81,68039,48542,195 Trinidadian/Tobagonian77,40537,65539,750 Turk76,74539,95536,795 Inuit,not otherwise specified76,67537,31539,365 Bangladeshi75,42539,08536,335 Algerian73,77038,03535,740 Brazilian71,75534,67037,085 Nigerian69,54034,68034,860 Armenian68,85034,10534,745 Slovak68,21033,47534,740 Eastern European, not otherwise specified67,78031,52533,995 Somali65,55531,55533,995 Taiwanese64,02029,28034,740 Iraqi59,30029,86529,435 Salvadorean59,28029,15030,130 Black Caribbean59,05026,38532,670 East and Southeast Asian,not otherwise specified58,87027,84531,025 West or Central Asian or Middle Eastern,not otherwise specified58,84030,56028,280 Caribbean,not otherwise specified57,19525,71531,475 Algonqin56,07027,02529,040 West Indian,not otherwise specified58,84030,56028,280 Lithuanian52,04024,51027,530 South African49,84024,88524,955 Australian46,76524,16522,595 Palestinian45,90523,93021,975 Chilean45,19018,68526,510 Congolese45,26022,00023,260 Nova Scotia44,72021,70023,025 Ethiopian42,54520,67521,875 Peruvian42,29519,92522,370 Cambodian41,95019,83522,115 Berber41,70022,32519,370 Maltese40,67020,21020,455 Slovenian40,47013,69026,78 Macedonian39,44019,50019,940 Yugoslavnot included elsewhere38,4808,57029,91 Barbadian37,77511,60526,170 Gujarati36,97015,72021,245 Albanian36,18528,4257,760 Ghanaian35,49526,5358,960 Bulgarian34,56019,96514,595 Czechoslovak,not otherwise specified33,13515,35517,775 Latvian30,7257,04023,685 Cuban29,06510,04019,030 Israeli28,7406,45022,280 Bosnian26,74015,61011,125 Venezuelan26,34510,30516,040 Guatemalan26,27013,90512,370 Tunisian25,65017,6208,030 Ecuadorian25,41013,92511,485 Eritrean25,25520,6254,630 Cameroonian24,61520,6054,010 Laotian24,58013,37511,205 Estonian24,5306,15518,375 Dominican23,1309,93013,200 Bengali22,90518,4354,470 Aboriginal from Central/South America22,7202,08020,645 Indonesian21,3954,77516,615 Belarusian20,7105,12515,585 Argentinian20,6804,16516,510 Sudanese19,96015,2504,710 Fijian19,3708,27011,105 Thai19,0057,74011,265 Grenadian17,9157,51510,400 Vincentian/Grenadinian17,4257,24510,180 East African17,3057,22010,085 Nepali17,13513,6953,440 Malaysian16,9202,55514,365 Kurdish16,32010,4705,845 New Zealander15,3951,30014,095 Central and West African origins,not included elsewhere15,3807,8007,585 Moldovan14,9157,4157,505 Jordanian14,2507,9556,295 Assyrian13,8308,8704,960 Nicaraguan13,7056,3607,350 Breton11,8453,2308,615 Flemish11,6851,48510,200 Hispanic11,0505,6605,395 Burundian10,9908,9652,025 Ivoirean10,9357,7953,140 Kenyan10,9155,4455,465 Rwandan10,7758,0802,690 Honduran10,6505,3255,325 Senegalese10,1756,4903,685 Yoruba9,5856,8702,715 Burmese9,3354,6604,675 Mauritanian9,3253,5205,805 St. Lucian8,9854,0404,945 Zimbabwean8,0904,9453,140 Tibetan8,0407,0151,030 Libyan7,7455,7551,985 Mongolian7,4802,5554,925 Sinhalese7,2854,3552,930 Guinean7,2404,7052,540 Basque6,9707156,250 Sicilian6,9401,3455,600 Saudi Arabian6,8104,2002,615 Uruguayan6,7951,8104,985 Yemeni6,6402,9403,700 East or Southeast Asian,not included elsewhere6,5054,2352,270 Azerbaijani6,4252,2804,145 Maya6,2901,1805,105 Manx6,1252855,845 North African,not included elsewhere6,1152,9053,210 Goan6,0702,0404,030 Ugandan5,7053,2452,460 Cypriot5,6501,2654,385 Costa Rican5,5352,1403,395 Igbo5,3203,4751,845 Togolese5,3003,0952,205 Bolivian5,0551,8903,160 Beninese4,9902,6502,340 Slavic,not otherwise specified4,8701,4703,400 Tatar4,8258803,940 Pashtun4,8102,2452,565 Georgian4,7751,9002,875 Yakut4,7611,8862,875 Tanzanian4,7101,8352,875 Panamanian4,7001,0903,610 Roma (Gypsy)4,6307453,895 Frisian4,5907953,790 Karen4,5153,835680 Antiguan4,5051,2753,225 Malagasy4,5002,1552,345 Malian4,4852,3102,180 Paraguayan4,3256703,660 Montenegrin4,1659153,245 Bantu,not otherwise specified3,9652,3151,645 Uzbek3,9201,7302,190 Luxembourger3,9154403,475 Bahamian3,6708102,860 Bhutanese3,6002,4401,160 Channel Islander3,5904353,155 Coptic3,5351,4902,040 Puerto Rican3,4104452,960 Western European origins,not included elsewhere3,3708402,530 Oromo3,3552,410945 Kazakh3,3251,4651,860 Hawaiian3,2951203,175 Burkinabe3,1551,9801,165 Kashmiri3,1151,0952,020 Bermudan3,0753102,765 Carib3,0351302,905 Angolan2,9551,1401,820 Kittitian/Nevisian2,9207502,165 Tajik2,9101,2401,665 Kosovar2,8701,7101,160 Singaporean2,8504952,355 Alsatian2,8003752,425 Sierra Leonean2,6201,5801,040 Maori2,5001552,345 Liberian2,4851,520965 Peulh2,4401,4251,015 Pacific Islands origins,not included elsewhere2,3354701,865 Kuwaiti2,2351,0801,155 Southern European origins,not included elsewhere2,1654401,730 Tigrian2,1551,340810 Martinican2,0053701,635 Cornish1,9701201,855 Akan1,9551,235720 Edo1,9451,180765 Other North American origins,not included elsewhere1,8956551,240 Afrikaner1,8702801,595 Zambian1,8651,055805 Chadian1,8451,185655 Belizean1,7552501,505 Corsican1,7501651,590 Djiboutian1,710980730 Ashanti1,585765825 Uighur1,5551,010540 Amhara1,530710820 Samoan1,5301501,375 Hazara1,515585930 Arawak1,440551,385 Gabonese1,405595820 Seychellois1,285575710 Catalan1,2752001,075 Maure1,190400790 Guadeloupean1,130245885 Malinké1,120675455 Polynesian,not otherwise specified1,105901,015 Kyrgyz1,060580475 Turkmen1,040390655 Gambian975580395 Zulu945285660 Bavarian94050890 Montserratian935190745 Dinka900585320 Ewe845320525 Wolof835465375 Hmong810585220 Harari660395265 Chechen 100100100

Evolution from 1871 to 1921