Immigration to Canada from Asia Pacific (1961 - 2006)

Immigration to Canada from the Asia Pacific region has been a relatively recent phenomenon. Prior to the 1960s, China and India were the only countries in the region which represented a significant source of immigrants. With the liberalization of Canadian immigration policy, the 1970s saw the first significant waves of immigration from Asia from such sources as Hong Kong, South Korea, Philippines and Taiwan. Regional unrest also brought immigrants from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam - many coming to Canada as refugee claimants. Immigration from Asia Pacific continued to rise during the1980s, with expanding numbers from other countries in the region, including Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. The largest source of immigrants from the region in the 2000s so far has been China, followed by India, the traditional sources in the Asia Pacific. Has immigration steadily declined from any source countries during the past 45 years? Only Australia stands out.

Immigration to Canada from the Asia Pacific
	Total	1961-1970	1971-1980	1981-1990	1991-2000	2001-2006
Australia	17,470	4,470	3,690	2,030	3,490	3,790
Bangladesh	32,615	285	805	2,620	15,360	13,545
Bhutan	85	0	0	0	30	55
Brunei	4,565	55	1,080	2,575	735	120
Cambodia	21,475	60	4,465	12,155	3,255	1,540
China	458,660	19,370	40,840	65,420	177,925	155,105
Fiji	24,545	1,870	7,645	5,410	7,165	2,455
Hong Kong, SAR	238,330	12,580	41,270	76,980	100,070	7,430
India	447,390	25,080	67,375	68,080	157,715	129,140
Indonesia	11,190	1,550	2,110	1,755	2,905	2,870
Japan	21,910	2,350	4,195	2,990	6,535	5,840
Laos	15,360	30	7,120	6,205	1,660	345
Macau, SAR	6,615	415	1,370	1,955	2,590	285
Malaysia	22,550	1,385	4,985	8,605	5,460	2,115
Maldives	20	0	0	0	0	20
Mongolia	535	0	0	10	90	435
Myanmar	4,540	320	920	855	1,410	1,035
Nepal	3,325	15	45	65	1,055	2,145
New Zealand	9,250	1,935	2,550	1,645	1,665	1,455
North Korea	175	30	60	25	35	25
Pakistan	135,055	2,670	9,910	8,960	55,885	57,630
Philippines	308,410	9,460	47,080	56,445	117,545	77,880
Singapore	10,570	470	1,740	3,590	2,970	1,800
South Korea	101,435	2,805	12,685	14,050	36,450	35,445
Sri Lanka	103,960	830	2,615	19,535	58,670	22,310
Taiwan	69,650	1,320	4,515	11,275	41,820	10,720
Thailand	10,550	125	1,120	4,810	2,535	1,960
Vietnam	159,565	585	41,080	65,490	41,865	10,545

Total	2,239,800	90,065	311,270	443,535	846,890	548,040

Source:Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population, Statistics Canada catalogue no. 97-557-XCB2006007. 22 June 2009.

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Immigration to Canada from Asia Pacific (1961 - 2006)

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