Demography
Main article: Demographics of Manitoba See also: List of communities in Manitoba by populationAt 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.
| 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%).
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