Manitoba - Demography | Technology Trends

Demography

Main article: Demographics of Manitoba See also: List of communities in Manitoba by population

At the 2011 census, Manitoba had a population of 1,208,268, more than half of which is in the Winnipeg Capital Region; Winnipeg is Canada's eighth-largest Census Metropolitan Area, with a population of 730,018 (2011 Census). Although initial colonization of the province revolved mostly around homesteading, the last century has seen a shift towards urbanization; Manitoba is the only Canadian province with over fifty-five percent of its population located in a single city.

Largest cities by population
City	2011	2006
Winnipeg	663,617	633,451
Brandon	46,061	41,511
Steinbach	13,524	11,066
Portage la Prairie	12,996	12,728
Thompson	12,829	13,446
Winkler	10,670	9,106
Selkirk	9,834	9,515
Dauphin	8,251	7,906
Table source: Statistics Canada

Population of Manitoba since 1871

Year	Population	Five Year % change	Ten Year % change	Rank Among Provinces
1871	25,228	n/a	n/a	6
1881	62,260	n/a	146.8	6
1891	152,506	n/a	145	5
1901	255,211	n/a	67.3	5
1911	461,394	n/a	80.8	5
1921	610,118	n/a	32.2	4
1931	700,139	n/a	14.8	5
1941	729,744	n/a	4.2	6
1951	776,541	n/a	6.4	6
1956	850,040	9.5	n/a	6
1961	921,686	8.4	18.7	6
1966	963,066	4.5	13.3	5
1971	988,245	2.3	7.2	5
1976	1,021,505	3.4	6.1	5
1981	1,026,241	0.4	3.8	5
1986	1,063,015	3.6	4.1	5
1991	1,091,942	2.7	6.4	5
1996	1,113,898	2.0	4.8	5
2001	1,119,583	0.5	2.5	5
2006	1,148,401	2.6	3.1	5
2011	1,208,268	5.2	7.9	5

Source: Statistics Canada

According to the 2006 Canadian census, the largest ethnic group in Manitoba is English (22.9%), followed by German (19.1%), Scottish (18.5%), Ukrainian (14.7%), Irish (13.4%), North American Indian (10.6%), Polish (7.3%), Métis (6.4%), French (5.6%), Dutch (4.9%), and Russian (4.0%). Almost one-fifth of respondents also identified their ethnicity as "Canadian". There is a significant indigenous community: aboriginals (including Métis) are Manitoba's fastest-growing ethnic group, representing 13.6 percent of Manitoba's population as of 2001 (some reserves refused to allow census-takers to enumerate their populations). There is a significant Franco-Manitoban minority (148,370) and a growing aboriginal population (192,865, including the Métis). Gimli, Manitoba is home to the largest Icelandic community outside of Iceland.

Most Manitobans belong to a Christian denomination: on the 2001 census, 758,760 Manitobans (68.7%) reported being Christian, followed by 13,040 (1.2%) Jewish, 5,745 (0.5%) Buddhist, 5,485 (0.5%) Sikh, 5,095 (0.5%) Muslim, 3,840 (0.3%) Hindu, 3,415 (0.3%) Aboriginal spirituality and 995 (0.1%) pagan. 201,825 Manitobans (18.3%) reported no religious affiliation. The largest Christian denominations by number of adherents were the Roman Catholic Church with 292,970 (27%); the United Church of Canada with 176,820 (16%); and the Anglican Church of Canada with 85,890 (8%).