Diversity in Toronto: A Community Profile

Age Groups
Clustering people by age groups highlights differences between the immigrant and
racialized communities within Toronto. While the majority of people are 25 to 44 years of
age, regardless of community, when comparing the youngest age groups and the oldest
there are significant distinctions.
A high proportion of seniors belong to the immigrant community
Collectively as a group, immigrants are older as one in five (18.4%) immigrants in Toronto
is a senior (aged 65 years or older). This is more than double the proportion of seniors
from racialized communities (8.1%) and significantly more than in the total population
(13.6%). Exactly half of immigrants in Toronto are aged 45 years or older compared to
about four in ten for the city’s overall population. Please refer to Chart 1.
A small proportion of children belong to the immigrant community
Of all immigrants in Toronto, only one in every eighteen (5.6%) is under the age of 15,
which is far below the city as a whole where one in six (16.5%) residents is a child. Please
refer to Chart 1.
The racialized community is younger
People from racialized groups are the youngest of the three populations shown in Chart 1.
More than one-third (36%) is less than 25 years of age. In fact, one in five is under the age
of 15. Please refer to Chart 1.
Chart 1 – Population Groups by Age Group – Toronto
60.0
50.0
48.7
Percentage
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
5.6
18.1
21.0
16.5
10.1
16.0
15.0
12.8
34.2
34.2
32.2
17.7
10.0
13.6
14.6
13.9
3.7
8.2
10.3
18.4
3.5
8.1
13.6
0.0
Under 15
years
15 to 24 years 25 to 44 years 45 to 54 years 55 to 64 years 65 years and
over
Immigrants Recent Immigrants (2001-2006) Members of Racialized Groups Total Population
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2006
Ontario Trillium Foundation – Diversity in Toronto: A Community Profile 12