The Great Multicultural North

Matt Yglesias directed me to this tweet:

And here’s China:

The China Statistical Yearbook 2022 states that only 10.6 million people were born in China in 2021, the lowest total since 1961. The country’s population grew by just 480,000, also the lowest figure in decades.

In percentage terms, that’s roughly 1.8% for Canada, 0.3% for the US, and 0.03% for China. Next year China’s expected to hit zero.

Immigration explains much of the difference between the US and Canada:

The federal Liberal government has unveiled plans for a massive increase in the number of immigrants entering Canada, with a goal of seeing 500,000 people arrive each year by 2025 as it seeks to address a critical labour shortage across the country.

While the plan was largely welcomed by industry groups and others, there are questions about whether it goes far enough – and whether it is even achievable, given a large backlog of applications at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. . . .

The new plan envisions a flood of new arrivals that will see 465,000 people come in from outside the country in 2023, rising to 500,000 in 2025. By comparison, the immigration department says 405,000 permanent residents were admitted last year.

To put that in perspective, 500,000 immigrants to Canada would be like 4 million immigrants to the US.

For most of my life, Canada’s population was about 11% of the US population, and grew at the same rate. Now it’s almost 12%, and growing much faster. Perhaps someday Canada will deserve its G7 status.

PS. I also have an article on Canada at Econlog.


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12 Responses to “The Great Multicultural North”

  1. Gravatar of Ricardo Ricardo
    22. November 2022 at 10:27

    I don’t think the Chinese give a damn about multiculturalism (and rightly so).

    And neither should you. Because only a mentally insane sicko worries about how many different ethnic groups are around them, or the size of the population. If you are worried about such things, it means you are a racist.

    I mean, you cannot even handle a few Russians around you. If Ukrainians and Poles and Italians started moving here, you’d probably freak out at the “whiteness” of America.

    No wonder you call for tens of millons of Chinese to storm the beaches, and lower the salaries of hard working Americans. You spend your days watching population size and ethnic groups.

    You’re disgusting.

  2. Gravatar of Michael Rulle Michael Rulle
    23. November 2022 at 05:06

    Not sure what Ricardo is ranting about.

    I have always said that perhaps our biggest strength as a country is our ability to absorb immigrants ——in the sense they adapt to “Americanism” very fast. I am married to a immigrant Cuban and have many friends who have immigrated from South America and Cuba (mostly Cuba, Ecuador and Paraguay). My godson, whose parents immigrated from Paraguay and Ecuador was born in New Jersey and my wife helped with the delivery at Morristown Medical) —Dad is afraid of blood :-).

    We have been lucky enough to have them live with us for 30 years——and they live in a 1600 square foot high quality apartment we built in our house. Obviously their son had open access to the whole house just as my kids did.

    I give this detail to explain what I have observed. The parents together have 16 siblings. There are a couple of losers. Like every family. Many run their own businesses. Restaurants, Gardening, a variety of stores. Some are nurses, paralegals, etc.

    In addition to my 3 children , I adopted my nephew (his father—a loser—is my wife’s brother)——he is more successful at age 30 ——then I could have imagined. My godson (who works at Apple) and adopted son are viewed as normal siblings by my kids.

    The cousins of my godson (15?) all are working professionals of one kind or another. A few are married and gay—-like many Americans.

    That’s enough about my story and observations. All we did was hire a women in 1980 and this is what happened and what we observed. They are all legal —-but they came when it was easier. There are a few who are still seeking legal status.

    What I learned was we should have open immigration——I do not know the right number—that is a detail. I would not mind starting at 3-4 million a year. They add economic and moral value .

    I do not know how we should chose. Some combination of random picking of those who apply and specific skilled based people——with a bias toward the former.

    I also know immigrants from Russia and Ukraine ——-who have their own businesses.

    To repeat, this is our greatest comparative advantage. The problem is democrats do not believe in laws and weird right wingers think they are a threat.

    The idea that immigrants take jobs from Americans is absurd.

    Ted Kennedy started the problem when he prohibited Europeans from coming here (he restricted the number seriously) in the late 1960s.

    Americans are from everywhere—-why stop now? Because we are stupid and corrupt.

  3. Gravatar of Michael Rulle Michael Rulle
    23. November 2022 at 05:22

    What happened to my comment? Am I kicked out?

  4. Gravatar of Michael Rulle Michael Rulle
    23. November 2022 at 05:24

    Well —-now it is there——I am beginning to worry about me.

  5. Gravatar of Mark Barbieri Mark Barbieri
    23. November 2022 at 06:52

    Ricardo, what are you talking about? Did you mean to respond to this post? It says nothing about multiculturalism or different ethnic groups. It’s just talks about Canada allowing in more immigrants in an attempt to grow its economy.

  6. Gravatar of Martin Mertens Martin Mertens
    23. November 2022 at 12:06

    “whether it is even achievable, given a large backlog of applications”

    I would think that’s a good sign. They already have the applications, they just need to process them.

  7. Gravatar of Sara Sara
    23. November 2022 at 14:19

    “deserve its G7 status?”

    What is it with these globalists and terms like “deserve” and “recalibrate” and “trusted expert” and “reimagine.” An reasonable person would have to come to the conclusion that these people are narcississtic megalomaniacs hell-bent on acquiring power.

    And what is it with this fascination over population size? People who spend their lives thinking about population are not normal. They are psychopathic.

    It’s weird that we permit collusion once a year at a forum where everyone talks about depopulation. And why do we create secret, exlusive, bizarre groups that ramble and rant, bumble and mumble, slither and quiver, and call themselves G20 and G7. Perhaps “G-I’m a loser busybody”, should be the proper label for these groups.

    Could it be that these clubs of thugs want to consolidate power? Could it be that these septuagenarian and octogenerian gangsters want to go out with a bang?

    The supranationals need to end.

  8. Gravatar of msgkings msgkings
    23. November 2022 at 17:52

    @ssumner:

    Good post

    @Michael R:

    Also a good post. It’s true that the fact so many people from all over the world want to move here is our killer app. And maybe now Canada is surpassing us.

  9. Gravatar of Jon Jon
    23. November 2022 at 21:34

    Scott,

    You write: “For most of my life, Canada’s population was about 11% of the US population, and grew at the same rate. Now it’s almost 12%, and growing much faster. Perhaps someday Canada will deserve its G7 status.

    A good explanation of how Canada landed in the G7 appears here:

    https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/g8-the-most-exclusive-club-in-the-world-feature

    In 1975 President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing of France had a good idea. In that era of energy crisis and galloping inflation, France recognized that the world economy required the most important states to work in concert.

    Invitations were extended to France’s partners in the G-5 economic consultative group, and as a neighbourly gesture, Giscard d’Estaing also invited Italy.

    Or France may not have wanted to set a precedent for other middle powers, but the French president was adamant – No Canada!

    Prime Minister Trudeau, however, launched a quick and effective counteroffensive. At that time, Canada had a larger GNP than Italy and we still had significant military and foreign aid assets.

    James Callaghan of Great Britain intervened with France, Chancellor Helmut Schmidt told the French he would not attend any future meetings unless Canada participated, and the Japanese made it known that another non-European voice would be welcome.

    But Canada’s key friend was President Gerald Ford of the United States. As a longtime representative of Michigan in the Congress, Ford knew Canada well.

    The United States was to host the next summit, and just as France had invited Italy in 1975, the United States would invite Canada to attend the 1976 summit in Puerto Rico. Once invited, President Ford concluded, you would not be excluded in the future. So it has proved.

    G7 is the G5 + friends.

  10. Gravatar of BC BC
    24. November 2022 at 09:55

    @Jon, interesting history of the G-7. The cynic in me wonders whether France’s motivation for inviting Italy went beyond mere “neighborliness”. Are the French known for neighborliness? One hint is Japan’s desire for another “non-European voice”. I wonder whether in the historical 3-way rivalry among UK, France, and Germany, Italy has been closer to France (WW2 excepted)? Their languages share a common origin at least. If so, then perhaps France was trying to tip the balance of power in their favor, and the others responded by adding Canada.

  11. Gravatar of ssumner ssumner
    24. November 2022 at 19:06

    Jon, Yes, I vaguely recall that story, but thanks for the details. Canada’s economy never was larger in PPP terms, but I suppose during a brief period of time it might have been larger at market exchange rates.

  12. Gravatar of Brett Brett
    27. November 2022 at 09:31

    1 billion Canadians!

    Which actually wouldn’t be as crowded as you might think. You could have 1 billion Canadians in Ontario Province alone, and the place would have a population density still lower than Bangladesh or Java.

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