A little less than 20% of the Canadian population today was born in other countries. As one of the three main immigrant-receiving nations in the world, Canada has a ratio of immigrants to population which is one of the highest. About 200,000 immigrants are admitted to Canada each year (this rate is about 6 immigrants per every 1,000 Canadians).

Other details about Canadian immigration:

• In the 1990s, one-half of the growth of Canada's population came from immigration.
• Canada's birth rate is well below 2.1%, which is the minimum birth rate necessary to maintain the level of population in any country. Population growth in Canada will occur only by maintaining the current rate of admitting 200,000 immigrants each year.
• Three out of every four immigrants choose to settle in Toronto, Vancouver, or Montréal.
• Since the year 1960, 90% of all immigrants to Canada have settled in three provinces: Ontario, Québec, and British Columbia.
• Of all the cities in North America, only New York city receives more immigrants each year than Toronto.
• By the year 2016, about 20% of all Canadians will belong to a visible minority.
• Put aside the language situation in the province of Québec, Chinese will be spoken in more Canadian homes than French by the year 2001.