Austrian Canadians
Ethnic group
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Austrian Canadians (German: Österreichischekanadier, pronounced [ˈøːstɐraɪçɪʃɛkaˌnaːdi̯ɐ]) are Canadian citizens who are of Austrian ancestry or Austrian-born people who reside in Canada. According to the 2021 Census, there were 189,535 Canadians who claimed either full or partial Austrian ancestry.[1]
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 189,535 (by ancestry, 2021 Census)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Mississauga, Ottawa, Quebec City | |
| Languages | |
| English • French • German | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity · Judaism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| German Canadians · Swiss Canadians · Luxembourgian Canadians · Belgian Canadians |
Austrian Canadian communities can be found throughout the country but with a higher concentration mainly in Western Canada.[2]
History
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 10,947 | — |
| 1911 | 44,036 | +302.3% |
| 1921 | 107,671 | +144.5% |
| 1931 | 48,639 | −54.8% |
| 1941 | 37,715 | −22.5% |
| 1951 | 32,231 | −14.5% |
| 1961 | 106,535 | +230.5% |
| 1971 | 107,671 | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 40,630 | −62.3% |
| 1986 | 74,640 | +83.7% |
| 1991 | 93,915 | +25.8% |
| 1996 | 140,520 | +49.6% |
| 2001 | 147,585 | +5.0% |
| 2006 | 194,255 | +31.6% |
| 2011 | 197,990 | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 207,050 | +4.6% |
| Source: Statistics Canada [3]: 17 [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] Note: 1981 Canadian census did not include multiple ethnic origin responses, thus population is an undercount. | ||
In the 17th century, soldiers from Austria settled in New France. Numbers increased following the passing of the Staatsgrundgesetz (constitutional law) in 1867 which allowed free migration from Austria-Hungary for civilians. Emigration to Canada increased throughout the late 19th century and into the early 20th, until this was tightened in 1914 at the onset of World War I.[16]Many immigrants from Austria-Hungary to Canada were interned and used for enslaved labour during World War I. Beginning in 1914, subjects of the Habsburg Crown, especially Ukrainian-speakers from Austrian Galicia, were placed in twenty-four internment camps across Canada, the last of which closed in 1920.[17] Many Austrian Jews fled to Canada during the Holocaust.[18]
Demographics
Austrian Canadian population by province and territory in Canada in 2011:
| Province or territory | Austrian Canadians | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
 Canada | 197,990[19] | |
 Ontario | 68,785 | 0.05% |
 British Columbia | 45,675 | 1.0% |
 Alberta | 36,670 | |
 Saskatchewan | 18,600 | |
 Manitoba | 12,660 | |
 Quebec | 11,815 | |
 Nova Scotia | 1,835 | |
 New Brunswick | 805 | |
 Yukon | 395 | |
 Newfoundland and Labrador | 275 | |
 Prince Edward Island | 270 | |
 Northwest Territories | 185 | |
 Nunavut | 15 |
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