Immigration in Canada: A Portrait of the Foreign-born Population, 2006 Census: Portraits of major metropolitan centres

Edmonton: Attracted a larger share of newcomers in 2006

Edmonton is the census metropolitan area (CMA) where the sixth-largest share of newcomers settled. Among the estimated 1.1 million recent immigrants in Canada, 2.9% settled in Edmonton, up from 2.2% in 2001.

Edmonton has the second-largest foreign-born population in Alberta. In 2006, 189,800 foreign-born were living in the Edmonton CMA, who represented 36% of all Albertans born outside of Canada.

The foreign-born population in Edmonton grew by 14.9% between 2001 and 2006, outpacing the total growth of the CMA (10.6%) and the national growth rate of the foreign-born population (13.6%).

Among the Edmontonians who were born outside Canada, 16.8% arrived in Canada between 2001 and 2006. In total, the 2006 Census enumerated 31,900 newcomers. 

The majority of newcomers (92.6%) resided in the City of Edmonton in 2006, as was the case in 2001 (91.9%). And, surrounding municipality of Strathcona County saw an increased share of newcomers.

Most of the newcomers to Edmonton (62.1%) were born in Asia and the Middle East. The Philippines (13.4% of newcomers), India (13%) and the People's Republic of China (12.2%) were the leading countries of birth of recent immigrants who settled in Edmonton in 2006, followed by Pakistan (5.4%) and the United States of America (3.2%).

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