British Columbia Population 2024

British Columbia is the westernmost province of Canada, borders Yukon to the north and the Northwest Territories, Alberta to the east by the province, Montana to the south by the U.S. states, Idaho, and Washington, and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. According to statcan, British Columbia population in 2024 is estimated to be 5.59 million, covering area of 944,735 sq.km (364,764 sq mi). B.C. a very desirable destination to work, study, and live. The Columbia in the name British Columbia is derived from the name of the Columbia Rediviva, an American ship which lent its name to the Columbia River and later the wider region, the Columbia in the name Columbia Rediviva came from the name Columbia for the New World. British Columbia is widely considered to be Canada's most expensive province to live in. British Columbia became the sixth province of Canada, evolved from British possessions that were established in what is now British Columbia by 1871, The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the fifteenth-largest metropolitan region in Canada, named for Queen Victoria. The largest city is Vancouver, the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada, The first British settlement in the area was Fort Victoria, established in 1843, which gave rise to the City of Victoria. In 1866, Vancouver Island became part of the colony of British Columbia, and Victoria became the united colony's capital.

According to 2016 census Population of B.C. is 4,648,055 as against 4,400,057 in 2011, Population percentage change from 2011 to 2016 is 5.6%. For the age group of 0 to 14 years is 691,390, 15 to 64 years is 3,107,680, 65 years and over is 848,985 and 85 years and over is 109,190.

Age Group	Total	Male	Female
0 to 4 years	220,625	113,355	107,275
5 to 9 years	236,900	122,070	114,830
10 to 14 years	233,860	119,975	113,885
15 to 19 years	258,980	133,000	125,985
20 to 24 years	287,560	147,615	139,945
25 to 29 years	303,000	151,585	151,415
30 to 34 years	313,750	155,035	158,715
35 to 39 years	293,590	143,070	150,520
40 to 44 years	295,045	141,930	153,115
45 to 49 years	322,365	155,325	167,040
50 to 54 years	354,375	172,065	182,310
55 to 59 years	354,925	171,210	183,715
60 to 64 years	324,095	156,450	167,645
65 to 69 years	287,520	139,490	148,035
70 to 74 years	201,785	97,675	104,110
75 to 79 years	145,225	68,715	76,510
80 to 84 years	105,255	48,645	56,610
85 to 89 years	67,510	27,930	39,575
90 to 94 years	31,815	10,615	21,205
95 to 99 years	8,545	2,215	6,330
100 years and over	1,325	275	1,050

Ethnic groups in British Columbia

Residents	Population	Male	Female
Canadian citizens	4,138,300	2,038,285	2,100,015
Canadian citizens aged under 18	790,485	406,970	383,510
Canadian citizens aged 18 and over	3,347,820	1,631,310	1,716,505
Not Canadian citizens	421,935	199,205	222,735

People up to third generation are officially termed as non-immigrants and thereon the people inflow is termed as immigrants. Below table indicates Ontario immigration numbers per year:

Immigrants	Population	Male	Female
Non-immigrants	3,167,155	1,584,305	1,582,855
Immigrants	1,292,675	603,800	688,875
Before 1981	356,155	171,330	184,825
1981 to 1990	152,220	70,475	81,750
1991 to 2000	287,505	132,190	155,315
2001 to 2010	321,240	147,250	173,985
2001 to 2005	147,735	67,425	80,305
2006 to 2010	173,505	79,825	93,680
2011 to 2016	175,555	82,555	92,995
Non-permanent residents	100,405	49,385	51,020

Immigrants by selected place of birth The British Columbia state officially categorizes its population into six groups, they are Native American/Alaskan Native, Pacific Islander, African American, European Whites, Asian, and Native Hawaiian. Below table is the Immigrants by selected place of birth:

Place of Birth	Population
Americas	110,850
Brazil	3,800
Colombia	3,915
El Salvador	5,425
Guyana	1,305
Haiti	570
Jamaica	3,505
Mexico	10,375
Peru	3,265
Trinidad and Tobago	2,620
United States	57,780
Other places of birth in Americas	18,295
Europe	319,885
Bosnia and Herzegovina	4,570
Croatia	5,780
France	5,700
Germany	35,045
Greece	3,630
Hungary	6,175
Ireland	5,890
Italy	15,405
Netherlands	18,225
Poland	15,115
Portugal	8,215
Romania	8,995
Russian Federation	10,920
Serbia	4,480
Ukraine	7,500
United Kingdom	123,810
Other places of birth in Europe	40,425
Africa	42,805
Algeria	485
Egypt	2,705
Ethiopia	2,070
Kenya	4,705
Morocco	985
Nigeria	1,740
Somalia	1,080
South Africa, Republic of	13,375
Other places of birth in Africa	15,645
Asia	788,055
Afghanistan	5,040
Bangladesh	2,125
China	199,990
Hong Kong	74,210
India	162,650
Iran	37,160
Iraq	5,550
Japan	13,365
Korea, South	41,515
Lebanon	2,235
Pakistan	10,665
Philippines	112,100
Sri Lanka	4,585
Syria	2,845
Taiwan	38,900
Viet Nam	27,875
Other places of birth in Asia	47,255
Oceania and other places of birth	31,075

Aboriginal identity

Residents	Population	Male	Female
Aboriginal identity	270,585
Single Aboriginal responses	263,540
First Nations (North American Indian)	172,520
MÃ©tis	89,405
Inuk (Inuit)	1,610
Multiple Aboriginal responses	4,350
Aboriginal responses not included elsewhere	2,695
Non-Aboriginal identity	4,289,655

Immigrants	Population	Male	Female
Total visible minority population	1,381,235
South Asian	365,705
Chinese	508,480
Black	43,500
Filipino	145,025
Latin American	44,115
Arab	19,840
Southeast Asian	54,920
West Asian	48,695
Korean	60,495
Japanese	41,230
Visible minority,Â n.i.e.	8,760
Multiple visible minorities	40,465

Ethnic groups	Population
North American Aboriginal origins	302,810
First Nations (North American Indian)	220,245
Inuit	2,615
MÃ©tis	90,515
Other North American origins	922,690
Acadian	3,940
American	78,170
Canadian	866,530
New Brunswicker	60
Newfoundlander	1,875
Nova Scotian	185
Ontarian	130
QuÃ©bÃ©cois	1,830
Other North American origins,Â n.i.e.	405

Ethnic groups	Population
European origins	2,857,080
British Isles origins	1,926,040
Channel Islander	455
Cornish	610
English	1,203,540
Irish	675,135
Manx	1,810
Scottish	860,775
Welsh	113,905
British Isles origins,Â n.i.e.	122,700
French origins	388,815
Alsatian	210
Breton	110
Corsican	105
French	388,580
Western European origins (except French origins)	839,860
Austrian	48,510
Bavarian	225
Belgian	19,980
Dutch	213,670
Flemish	2,215
Frisian	850
German	603,265
Luxembourger	695
Swiss	31,390
Western European origins,Â n.i.e.	905
Northern European origins (except British Isles origins)	346,525
Danish	58,205
Finnish	34,150
Icelandic	26,410
Norwegian	138,430
Swedish	110,030
Northern European origins,Â n.i.e.	15,080
Eastern European origins	569,260
Bulgarian	4,015
Byelorussian	2,760
Czech	23,375
Czechoslovakian,Â n.o.s.	7,970
Estonian	4,840
Hungarian	56,535
Latvian	4,935
Lithuanian	7,225
Moldovan	1,085
Polish	149,635
Romanian	31,250
Russian	131,060
Slovak	11,220
Ukrainian	229,205
Eastern European origins,Â n.i.e.	3,555
Southern European origins	334,740
Albanian	1,925
Bosnian	3,290
Catalan	120
Croatian	23,845
Cypriot	440
Greek	24,460
Italian	166,095
Kosovar	280
Macedonian	1,205
Maltese	2,645
Montenegrin	710
Portuguese	41,770
Serbian	12,895
Sicilian	545
Slovenian	5,555
Spanish	64,470
Yugoslavian,Â n.o.s.	7,080
Southern European origins,Â n.i.e.	395
Other European origins	34,700
Basque	840
Jewish	17,580
Roma (Gypsy)	805
Slavic,Â n.o.s.
Census data footnote
112"	965
Other European origins,Â n.i.e.	14,715
Caribbean origins	25,010
Antiguan	220
Bahamian	255
Barbadian	1,870
Bermudan	335
Carib	70
Cuban	1,320
Dominican	735
Grenadian	380
Guadeloupean	15
Haitian	1,140
Jamaican	10,545
Kittitian/Nevisian	130
Martinican	25
Montserratan	25
Puerto Rican	570
St. Lucian	190
Trinidadian/Tobagonian	4,170
Vincentian/Grenadinian	415
West Indian,Â n.o.s.	2,120
Caribbean origins,Â n.i.e.	1,920
Latin, Central and South American origins	69,920
Aboriginal from Central/South America (except Arawak and Maya)	2,625
Arawak	90
Argentinian	2,025
Belizean	125
Bolivian	375
Brazilian	5,455
Chilean	5,700
Colombian	5,860
Costa Rican	810
Ecuadorian	1,040
Guatemalan	2,575
Guyanese	1,925
Hispanic	1,535
Honduran	1,445
Maya	930
Mexican	23,055
Nicaraguan	1,520
Panamanian	325
Paraguayan	895
Peruvian	3,905
Salvadorean	6,815
Uruguayan	410
Venezuelan	1,900
Latin, Central and South American origins,Â n.i.e.	3,310
African origins	59,985
Central and West African origins	7,075
Akan	40
Angolan	90
Ashanti	85
Beninese	35
Burkinabe	45
Cameroonian	150
Chadian	70
Congolese	810
Edo	85
Ewe	55
Gabonese	10
Gambian	25
Ghanaian	1,600
Guinean	130
Ibo	280
Ivorian	100
Liberian	250
Malian	80
MalinkÃ©	10
Nigerian	2,615
Peulh	20
Senegalese	95
Sierra Leonean	130
Togolese	100
Wolof	0
Yoruba	255
Central and West African origins,Â n.i.e.	620
North African origins	9,840
Algerian	770
Berber	210
Coptic	150
Dinka	45
Egyptian	4,520
Libyan	420
Maure	150
Moroccan	2,005
Sudanese	1,225
Tunisian	500
North African origins,Â n.i.e.	215
Southern and East African origins	24,800
Afrikaner	705
Amhara	115
Bantu,Â n.o.s.
Census data footnote
119"	255
Burundian	215
Eritrean	1,055
Ethiopian	2,550
Kenyan	1,615
Malagasy	105
Mauritian	975
Oromo	140
Rwandan	420
Seychellois	25
Somali	2,295
South African	11,060
Tanzanian	490
Tigrian	205
Ugandan	775
Zambian	210
Zimbabwean	855
Zulu	75
Southern and East African origins,Â n.i.e.	1,840
Other African origins	19,215
Black,Â n.o.s.
Census data footnote
121"	2,660
Other African origins,Â n.i.e.	16,740
Asian origins	1,312,445
West Central Asian and Middle Eastern origins	99,560
Afghan	7,895
Arab,Â n.o.s.	5,660
Armenian	3,715
Assyrian	545
Azerbaijani	990
Georgian	740
Hazara	55
Iranian	47,985
Iraqi	5,575
Israeli	2,655
Jordanian	785
Kazakh	385
Kurd	2,120
Kuwaiti	125
Kyrgyz	175
Lebanese	7,980
Palestinian	2,625
Pashtun	360
Saudi Arabian	975
Syrian	3,955
Tajik	260
Tatar	790
Turk	6,355
Turkmen	120
Uighur	130
Uzbek	270
Yemeni	300
West Central Asian and Middle Eastern origins,Â n.i.e.	2,635
South Asian origins	363,885
Bangladeshi	1,840
Bengali	850
Bhutanese	120
East Indian	309,315
Goan	485
Gujarati	700
Kashmiri	185
Nepali	1,495
Pakistani	12,585
Punjabi	38,725
Sinhalese	620
Sri Lankan	5,710
Tamil	1,235
South Asian origins,Â n.i.e.	8,245
East and Southeast Asian origins	855,345
Burmese	2,310
Cambodian (Khmer)	3,235
Chinese	540,155
Filipino	158,215
Hmong	130
Indonesian	6,625
Japanese	51,150
Karen	895
Korean	63,300
Laotian	2,530
Malaysian	5,060
Mongolian	1,495
Singaporean	1,055
Taiwanese	21,455
Thai	5,065
Tibetan	550
Vietnamese	41,435
East and Southeast Asian origins,Â n.i.e.	785
Other Asian origins	2,500
Other Asian origins,Â n.i.e.	2,500
Oceania origins	41,125
Australian	16,240
New Zealander	6,565
Pacific Islands origins	19,135
Fijian	14,145
Hawaiian	2,200
Maori	1,120
Polynesian,Â n.o.s.	600
Samoan	485
Pacific Islands origins,Â n.i.e.	905

Languages in British Columbia

Language	Population
English only	4,127,770
French only	1,810
English and French	314,925
Neither English nor French	153,910

Language Spoken at Home	Population
English	3,170,110
French	57,425
Non-official languages	1,267,460
Aboriginal languages	8,435
Algonquian languages	1,050
Blackfoot	40
Cree-Montagnais languages	840
Atikamekw	0
Montagnais (Innu)	0
Moose Cree	5
Naskapi	0
Northern East Cree	10
Plains Cree	150
Southern East Cree	0
Swampy Cree	25
Woods Cree	60
Cree,Â n.o.s.	585
Eastern Algonquian languages	10
Malecite	5
Mi'kmaq	10
Ojibway-Potawatomi languages	155
Algonquin	5
Ojibway	135
Oji-Cree	10
Ottawa (Odawa)	5
Algonquian languages,Â n.i.e.	0
Athabaskan languages	2,310
Northern Athabaskan languages	2,295
Babine (Wetsuwet'en)	110
Beaver	160
Carrier	1,005
Chilcotin	650
Dene	90
Dogrib (Tlicho)	5
Gwich'in	15
Sarsi (Sarcee)	0
Sekani	85
Slavey-Hare languages	75
North Slavey (Hare)	5
South Slavey	20
Slavey,Â n.o.s.	50
Tahltan languages	105
Kaska (Nahani)	15
Tahltan	90
Tutchone languages	5
Northern Tutchone	5
Southern Tutchone	5
Athabaskan languages,Â n.i.e.	15
Haida	70
Inuit languages	80
Inuinnaqtun (Inuvialuktun)	10
Inuktitut	50
Inuit languages,Â n.i.e.	20
Iroquoian languages	15
Cayuga	0
Mohawk	10
Oneida	0
Iroquoian languages,Â n.i.e.	0
Kutenai	100
Michif	35
Salish languages	2,270
Comox	80
Halkomelem	475
Lillooet	315
Okanagan	270
Shuswap (Secwepemctsin)	435
Squamish	35
Straits	80
Thompson (Ntlakapamux)	330
Salish languages,Â n.i.e.	250
Siouan languages	45
Dakota	30
Stoney	0
Siouan languages,Â n.i.e.	5
Tlingit	30
Tsimshian languages	1,460
Gitxsan (Gitksan)	875
Nisga'a	385
Tsimshian	195
Wakashan languages	795
Haisla	90
Heiltsuk	100
Kwakiutl (Kwak'wala)	320
Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka)	275
Wakashan languages,Â n.i.e.	5
Aboriginal languages,Â n.o.s.	190
Non-Aboriginal languages	1,259,025
Afro-Asiatic languages	24,870
Berber languages	115
Kabyle	40
Berber languages,Â n.i.e.	80
Cushitic languages	1,505
Bilen	5
Oromo	205
Somali	1,270
Cushitic languages,Â n.i.e.	20
Semitic languages	23,195
Amharic	1,370
Arabic	17,480
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic	650
Chaldean Neo-Aramaic	440
Harari	20
Hebrew	2,065
Maltese	215
Tigrigna	805
Semitic languages,Â n.i.e.	150
Afro-Asiatic languages,Â n.i.e.	55
Austro-Asiatic languages	28,740
Khmer (Cambodian)	1,560
Vietnamese	27,150
Austro-Asiatic languages,Â n.i.e	30
Austronesian languages	96,535
Bikol	375
Cebuano	4,065
Fijian	470
Hiligaynon	1,470
Ilocano	5,240
Malagasy	20
Malay	3,895
Pampangan (Kapampangan, Pampango)	700
Pangasinan	295
Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino)	78,770
Waray-Waray	215
Austronesian languages,Â n.i.e.	1,015
Creole languages	840
Haitian Creole	35
Creole,Â n.o.s.	500
Creole languages,Â n.i.e.	305
Dravidian languages	7,500
Kannada	280
Malayalam	2,385
Tamil	3,615
Telugu	1,175
Dravidian languages,Â n.i.e.	45
Hmong-Mien languages	140
Indo-European languages	588,175
Albanian	1,465
Armenian	1,195
Balto-Slavic languages	83,110
Baltic languages	1,070
Latvian	565
Lithuanian	505
Slavic languages	82,040
Belarusan	95
Bosnian	1,360
Bulgarian	2,025
Croatian	7,475
Czech	5,920
Macedonian	325
Polish	16,910
Russian	25,955
Serbian	7,045
Serbo-Croatian	1,395
Slovak	3,400
Slovene (Slovenian)	1,160
Ukrainian	8,630
Slavic languages,Â n.i.e.	345
Celtic languages	615
Scottish Gaelic	240
Welsh	280
Celtic languages,Â n.i.e.	95
Germanic languages	101,725
Afrikaans	3,260
Danish	4,665
Dutch	21,020
Frisian	295
German	66,885
Icelandic	275
Norwegian	2,005
Swedish	2,520
Vlaams (Flemish)	445
Yiddish	290
Germanic languages,Â n.i.e.	65
Greek	6,115
Indo-Iranian languages	297,800
Indo-Aryan languages	251,000
Bengali	3,180
Gujarati	6,895
Hindi	26,720
Kashmiri	65
Konkani	255
Marathi	620
Nepali	1,155
Oriya (Odia)	70
Punjabi (Panjabi)	198,805
Sindhi	1,675
Sinhala (Sinhalese)	1,675
Urdu	9,885
Iranian languages	46,390
Kurdish	1,765
Pashto	1,155
Persian (Farsi)	43,470
Indo-Iranian languages,Â n.i.e.	410
Italic (Romance) languages	96,135
Catalan	160
Italian	22,680
Portuguese	17,450
Romanian	8,730
Spanish	47,010
Italic (Romance) languages,Â n.i.e.	105
Japanese	21,350
Kartvelian languages	85
Georgian	85
Korean	52,160
Mongolic languages	360
Mongolian	360
Niger-Congo languages	3,725
Akan (Twi)	495
Bamanankan	10
Edo	85
Ewe	85
Fulah (Pular, Pulaar, Fulfulde)	45
Ga	45
Ganda	90
Igbo	245
Lingala	80
Rundi (Kirundi)	115
Kinyarwanda (Rwanda)	155
Shona	215
Swahili	805
Wolof	50
Yoruba	330
Niger-Congo languages,Â n.i.e.	885
Nilo-Saharan languages	340
Dinka	105
Nilo-Saharan languages,Â n.i.e.	240
Sign languages	1,155
American Sign Language	470
Quebec Sign Language	5
Sign languages,Â n.i.e	690
Sino-Tibetan languages	410,920
Chinese languages	408,415
Cantonese	193,530
Hakka	2,325
Mandarin	186,325
Min Dong	230
Min Nan (Chaochow, Teochow, Fukien, Taiwanese)	11,210
Wu (Shanghainese)	4,540
Chinese,Â n.o.s.	10,050
Chinese languages,Â n.i.e.	205
Tibeto-Burman languages	2,500
Burmese	1,125
Karenic languages	815
Tibetan	330
Tibeto-Burman languages,Â n.i.e.	230
Tai-Kadai languages	3,985
Lao	1,100
Thai	2,865
Tai-Kadai languages,Â n.i.e	20
Turkic languages	4,140
Azerbaijani	530
Turkish	3,145
Uyghur	170
Uzbek	105
Turkic languages,Â n.i.e.	190
Uralic languages	13,490
Estonian	705
Finnish	3,760
Hungarian	9,025

Population projection

British Columbia population in 2023 is estimated to be 5.14 million, Columbia population in 2022 is estimated to be 5.07 million, Population of British Columbia in 2021 is estimated to be 5 million.

Income Distribution

Income Range	Population
Under $10,000 (including loss)	573,315
$10,000 to $19,999	653,915
$20,000 to $29,999	503,290
$30,000 to $39,999	424,330
$40,000 to $49,999	366,220
$50,000 to $59,999	286,310
$60,000 to $69,999	222,975
$70,000 to $79,999	171,625
$80,000 to $89,999	134,090
$90,000 to $99,999	96,825
$100,000 and over	294,475
$100,000 to $149,999	198,355
$150,000 and over	96,115

History

British Columbia area is home to First Nations groups that have a long history. There are more than 200 First Nations in BC with a significant number of indigenous languages. Lands now known as British Columbia were added to the empire during the 19th century. The British spread across the world claiming territories and building the British Empire. A series of gold rushes in various parts of the province followed, the largest being the Cariboo Gold Rush in 1862.cPopulation in British Columbia continued to expand as the province's mining, forestry, agriculture, and fishing sectors were developed.