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Group: Neighbourhoods and census data

Ethnic or cultural origin민족·문화적 기원

In one sentence

The census question about the ethnic or cultural roots of a person’s ancestors. People can give more than one origin, so all origins added together are more than the population.

Last checked Nov 5, 2026

What is it?

Ethnic or cultural origin is the census question about the ethnic or cultural roots of a person’s ancestors. It can be a country (for example Korean or Italian) or an origin that is not a country.

One person can give more than one origin. For example, someone can answer both Korean and Canadian.

Reading the numbers

  • Because people can give several origins, all origin counts added together are more than the total population. The shares can add up to more than 100%.
  • Each origin count includes people who gave only that origin and people who gave it with other origins.
  • It is a different question from mother tongue. A person of Korean origin may have English as a mother tongue, and the other way around.
  • Our neighbourhood guides show the “Korean” origin number the same way as every other origin, for every neighbourhood.

What we do not use it for

  • We do not use origin numbers to say an area is “good for” any group, and we do not tell anyone where to buy.
  • Ontario’s Human Rights Code bans discrimination in housing because of ethnic origin, place of origin, race and other grounds.

What the law and official sources say

Quotes are copied word for word. The "In plain words" lines are our explanation, not an official translation.

Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Table 98-10-0337-01, footnoteStatistics Canada, Table 98-10-0337-01, footnote: Ethnic or cultural origin
"Ethnic or cultural origin" refers to the ethnic or cultural origins of the person's ancestors. Ancestors may have Indigenous origins, origins that refer to different countries or other origins that may not refer to different countries.

In plain wordsIn plain words: it is the ethnic or cultural roots of a person’s ancestors. It can be Indigenous, a country, or an origin that is not a country.

Source: www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810033701 · checked Nov 5, 2026

Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Table 98-10-0337-01, footnoteStatistics Canada, Table 98-10-0337-01, footnote: Total ethnic or cultural origin responses
Total response counts indicate the number of persons who reported a specified origin, either as their only origin or in addition to one or more other origins. The sum of all ethnic or cultural origin responses is greater than the total population estimate because of the reporting of multiple origins.

In plain wordsIn plain words: each count includes people who gave only that origin and people who gave it with others, so the total is more than the population.

Source: www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810033701 · checked Nov 5, 2026

Common questions

Why are the Korean origin and Korean mother tongue numbers different?

They are different questions. Origin asks about ancestors; mother tongue asks about the first language learned as a child. Some people of Korean origin have another mother tongue, and some people with Korean as a mother tongue may give another origin, so the two numbers differ.

How is it different from visible minority?

Visible minority is a separate question based on the Employment Equity Act definition. Origin is about ancestors; a visible minority group (for example Korean) is a category under that definition.

Guides that use this term

Sources checked

  1. Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0337-01, Visible minority by ethnic or cultural origin (2021 Census), footnotes · checked Nov 5, 2026
  2. Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19, s. 2 (e-Laws) · checked Oct 30, 2026