The Urban Aboriginal Middle-Income Group in Canada: A Demographic Profile

• Published in: aboriginal policy studies
• Main Authors: Amanda Parriag, Paul Chaulk
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; French
• Published: University of Alberta 2013
• Subjects: aboriginal income; middle income; urban aboriginal; aboriginal peoples survey; Anthropology; GN1-890; Communities. Classes. Races; HT51-1595; Canada; First Nations
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5663/aps.v2i2.19005; https://doaj.org/article/449fdb224ad84ba6a38c7d6aa543c8a9

Recent research suggests that there is an emerging urban Aboriginal middle-income group in Canada but little is known about it. This paper examines the demographic profile of the urban Aboriginal middle-income group (excluding First Nations living on-reserve) from the 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey in comparison to the non-Aboriginal population from the 2006 Census. Results showed that there is a definite urban Aboriginal middle-income group in Canada that is demographically similar in many ways to the non-Aboriginal middle-income group, with language the one variable where the pattern was completely different. Aboriginal people were more likely to be in the lower-income group and less likely to be in the higher-income group than non-Aboriginal people, while the proportion in the middle-income group was often similar. Among Aboriginal people, First Nations had lower income levels than other Aboriginal people, even at higher education levels.