Where do Canada’s immigrants come from?

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ANGER about immigration is on the rise in many rich countries. Not so in Canada (see ourbriefing). A fifth of the country’s population is foreign-born, about twice the share in America. In the 12 months to June 2016, Canada admitted 321,000 immigrants, nearly 1% of its population. Where do they come from?

In the 1920s, over half of Canada’s foreign-born population came from the British Isles. By the 1960s, arrivals from continental Europe were the most numerous, and the share of those from Asia was on the rise. During the next five decades, the proportion of immigrants born in Asia grew from less than 2% to 38%.

Americans make up less than 5% of immigrants in Canada. Yet recent data suggest that more Yanks may soon be enjoying “double-doubles” from Tim Hortons, a coffee chain. Google searches for “Move to Canada” from the United States reached an all-time high in March after Donald Trump trounced his opponents on “Super Tuesday”, a key date during the Republican presidential primaries. Recent polling has Mr Trump trailing Hillary Clinton by over five percentage points. But in the unlikely event that Mr Trump wins, some disappointed Americans seem to have a back-up plan.