Previous analyses have identified a strong inverse correlation between Indigenous ancestry and both academic achievement and socioeconomic outcomes in Canada. Similar patterns are anticipated in Alaska and Greenland. While evidence supports this trend in Alaska, the situation in Greenland remains unclear.
Month: May 2025
In the previous post, we noted that across Canada—and within individual provinces and territories—Métis, First Nations, and Inuit populations tend to underperform relative to non-Indigenous Canadians. To illustrate this, Table 1 presents average PIAAC literacy and numeracy d-values comparing Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal individuals whose mother tongue matches the language of the test (English or French), disaggregated by province and territory where data are available. Higher positive d-values indicate worse performance among Aboriginal groups. While the magnitude of the gaps varies by region, the disparities are consistently present.
Demographic Change and Cognitive Variation
Canada is rapidly diversifying as a result of relaxed immigration policies. According to the 2021 Census, individuals of European ancestry now constitute approximately 67% of the population, down from 83% two decades earlier. The largest non-European groups include East Asians (9%), South Asians (7%), Aboriginal peoples (6%), and Black Canadians (4%). The pace of demographic change has outstripped genetic survey estimates. For instance, Ancestry.com still reported over 90% European ancestry in Canada as recently as 2017, whereas the true proportion is now likely under 70%. Despite this shift, geographic variation in socioeconomic and cognitive outcomes continues to correlate strongly with European and Amerindian ancestry proportions. This post provides an overview of Aboriginal demographic distributions and cognitive performance in Canada.
