The people of Toronto are a vital part of the puzzle. They are what makes the city so unique and diverse. Although there are ethnic, language, religious, and social status differences, one thing remains the same, the heart and soul of Toronto's people.

The population of Toronto is about 2.5 million, which equals to 25% of Canada's total population. Out of the 2.5 million, 49% of the residents are born outside of the country. This is part of the reason why the city has such rich culture.

Toronto culture is one of the most diverse within Canada. Because there are so many different races within a small radius, you can truly experience the cuisine, art, music, language, and beliefs of many different cultures.

Some Toronto neighbourhoods are completely dedicated to different cultures; for example, Greektown, Chinatown, Little Italy, Little India, Portugal Village, and Koreatown. These neighbourhoods can be found in the North End, West End, East End, and Downtown regions of Toronto.

The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is home to almost 40% of new immigrants to Canada. The Aboriginal community makes up over 30,000 of the GTA population (that is 2.7% of all the Aboriginals in Canada).

Immigrants to Canada must cooperate with the Canadian Immigration Requirements, but once here, the possibilities are endless. 

The current demographic of Toronto from the largest group to smallest group is; Caucasian, South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Latin American, West Asian, Southeast Asian, Korean, Arab, and Japanese.

There are five major minorities within Toronto; South Asian (298,372), Chinese (283,075), Black (208,555), Filipino (102,555), and Latin American (64,860). 

The number of visible minorities not only in Toronto but also Canada has grown four times more over the past 30 years. The number from the 2006 census was 5 million.

But culture isn't the only thing that brings flavour to Toronto; the age range of local residents is wide. The younger crowd aged around 14 and under makes up 17% of Toronto. Although 13.6% of Toronto's population is aged 65 and older, the medium revolving around 36 years old makes up the rest.

With such a diverse group of people, it only makes sense that there are many different languages spoken in Toronto. Although the two primary languages of Canada are English and French, there are another five languages most seen in the city; Chinese, Italian, Punjabi, Pilipino, and Portuguese.

Other (non-official) languages spoken within Toronto are Tamil, Spanish, and Chinese dialects: Cantonese and Mandarin.

Religion in Toronto is, naturally, as diverse as the residents. 

The largest religious group in Toronto is Christianity, especially Catholic. Other major religions in Toronto is Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. 

There is also a huge part of the Toronto population who claim no connection to any religion. Ethnic diversity in Toronto is large; there are over 200 ethnic origins in the city. 

There is also a distinction between social statuses in many parts of Toronto. If you travel to the North End, you will find the older and wealthier residents of the city.

The West End is a mix of wealthier neighbourhoods and middle class. There are certain neighbourhoods in the West End that are low income. The same could be said for the East End; although it is majority middle class to low income.

People from all social statuses and cultures live in Downtown Toronto neighbourhoods. Whereas the Greater Toronto Area is home to a huge amount of middle class residents.

Because of the amount of diversity in culture, race, age, and religion, you can find support groups for everything. There is always a friendly face near by, Toronto support groups can be found for parents, religious organizations, education, addiction, and counselling.

Toronto people have grown over the years into a living community. We accept all backgrounds and care only about the human heart. For more information on the people of this city, browse through the Totally Toronto links.