# Demographics of Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is the middle province of Canada's three Prairie provinces. It has an area of 651,900 km$^2$ (251,700 mi$^2$) and a population of 1,132,505 (Saskatchewanians) as of 2021. Saskatchewan's population is made of 50.3% women and 49.7% men. Most of its population lives in the Southern half of the province.
The most populous city is Saskatoon, with a population of 317,480 (2021) in the Census Metropolitan Area (CMA), followed by the province's capital, Regina, with a population of 249,217 (2021) in the CMA. The province's population makeup is also notable for German Canadians being the largest European ethnic group and for the second-largest proportion of people of indigenous descent of any of the provinces, after Manitoba.

## Population history

| Year | Population | Five-year % change | Ten-year % change | Rank among provinces |
| 1901 | 91,279† | n/a | n/a | 8 |
| 1911 | 492,432 | n/a | 439.5 | 3 |
| 1921 | 757,510 | n/a | 53.8 | 3 |
| 1931 | 921,785 | n/a | 21.7 | 3 |
| 1941 | 895,992 | n/a | −2.8 | 3 |
| 1951 | 831,728 | n/a | −7.2 | 5 |
| 1956 | 880,665 | 5.9 | n/a | 5 |
| 1961 | 925,181 | 5.1 | 11.2 | 5 |
| 1966 | 955,344 | 3.3 | 8.5 | 6 |
| 1971 | 926,242 | −3.0 | 0.1 | 6 |
| 1976 | 921,325 | −0.5 | 3.6 | 6 |
| 1981 | 968,313 | 5.1 | 4.5 | 6 |
| 1986 | 1,009,613 | 4.3 | 9.6 | 6 |
| 1991 | 988,928 | −2.0 | 2.1 | 6 |
| 1996 | 976,615 | −1.2 | −3.3 | 6 |
| 2001 | 978,933 | 0.2 | −1.0 | 6 |
| 2006 | 985,386 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 6 |
| 2011 | 1,053,960 | 7.0 | 7.6 | 6 |
| 2016 | 1,098,352 | 6.3 | 11.4 | 6 |
| 2021 | 1,132,505 | 3.5 | 7.5 | 6 |
† 1901 population for District of Saskatchewan and District of Athabasca, parts of the then-named North-West Territories.
Source: Statistics Canada.

## Ethnic origins

Ethnic groups in Saskatchewan (1941–2021) :
| Ethnic group | 2021 | 2021 | 2001 | 2001 | 1941$^{:2–3}$ | 1941$^{:2–3}$ |
| Ethnic group | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| German | 272,475 | 24.7% | 275,060 | 28.56% | 130,258 | 14.54% |
| English | 219,660 | 19.91% | 235,715 | 24.47% | 186,053 | 20.77% |
| Scottish | 175,590 | 15.92% | 172,300 | 17.89% | 108,919 | 12.16% |
| Irish | 145,415 | 13.18% | 139,205 | 14.45% | 95,852 | 10.7% |
| Ukrainian | 138,705 | 12.57% | 121,735 | 12.64% | 79,777 | 8.9% |
| First Nations | 129,225 | 11.71% | 102,285 | 10.62% | 13,384 | 1.49% |
| French | 108,505 | 9.84% | 109,800 | 11.4% | 50,530 | 5.64% |
| Norwegian | 70,215 | 6.36% | 60,510 | 6.28% | 38,213 | 4.26% |
| Métis | 56,060 | 5.08% | 40,110 | 4.16% | 9,160 | 1.02% |
| Polish | 55,600 | 5.04% | 51,445 | 5.34% | 27,902 | 3.11% |
| Filipino | 40,160 | 3.64% | 3,275 | 0.34% | — | — |
| Russian | 35,920 | 3.26% | 27,695 | 2.88% | 25,933 | 2.89% |
| Swedish | 31,960 | 2.9% | 29,900 | 3.1% | 20,961 | 2.34% |
| Dutch | 29,410 | 2.67% | 32,300 | 3.35% | 35,894 | 4.01% |
| Hungarian | 28,495 | 2.58% | 24,340 | 2.53% | 14,576 | 1.63% |
| Indian | 20,755 | 1.88% | 3,245 | 0.34% | 2 | 0% |
| Chinese | 19,965 | 1.81% | 9,275 | 0.96% | 2,545 | 0.28% |
| Austrian | 17,690 | 1.6% | 14,450 | 1.5% | 10,655 | 1.19% |
| Welsh | 17,605 | 1.6% | 13,935 | 1.45% | 6,950 | 0.78% |
| Romanian | 12,415 | 1.13% | 10,290 | 1.07% | 7,093 | 0.79% |
| Italian | 10,830 | 0.98% | 7,565 | 0.79% | 1,014 | 0.11% |
| Danish | 10,585 | 0.96% | 9,375 | 0.97% | 6,027 | 0.67% |
| Total responses | 1,103,200 | 97.41% | 963,150 | 98.39% | 895,992 | 100% |
| Total population | 1,132,505 | 100% | 978,933 | 100% | 895,992 | 100% |
| Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses |||||||

### Future projections

Panethnic origin projections in Saskatchewan (2031–2041) :
| Panethnic group | 2031 | 2031 | 2036 | 2036 | 2041 | 2041 |
| Panethnic group | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| European | 768,000 | 58.31% | 751,000 | 54.46% | 733,000 | 51.04% |
| Indigenous | 246,000 | 18.68% | 263,000 | 19.07% | 279,000 | 19.43% |
| South Asian | 94,000 | 7.14% | 114,000 | 8.27% | 133,000 | 9.26% |
| Southeast Asian | 82,000 | 6.23% | 99,000 | 7.18% | 118,000 | 8.22% |
| East Asian | 45,000 | 3.42% | 51,000 | 3.7% | 56,000 | 3.9% |
| African | 45,000 | 3.42% | 54,000 | 3.92% | 64,000 | 4.46% |
| Middle Eastern | 19,000 | 1.44% | 23,000 | 1.67% | 27,000 | 1.88% |
| Latin American | 9,000 | 0.68% | 11,000 | 0.8% | 13,000 | 0.91% |
| Other/multiracial | 10,000 | 0.76% | 12,000 | 0.87% | 14,000 | 0.97% |
| Projected Saskatchewan population | 1,317,000 | 100% | 1,379,000 | 100% | 1,436,000 | 100% |

## Visible minorities and Indigenous peoples

Indigenous and visible minority identity (2021):
Visible minority and Indigenous population (Canada 2021 Census) :
| Population group | Population group | Population | % |
| European | European | 755,950 | 68.5% |
| Visible minority group | South Asian | 44,720 | 4.1% |
| Visible minority group | Chinese | 18,010 | 1.6% |
| Visible minority group | Black | 22,570 | 2.0% |
| Visible minority group | Filipino | 43,755 | 4.0% |
| Visible minority group | Arab | 5,575 | 0.5% |
| Visible minority group | Latin American | 5,680 | 0.5% |
| Visible minority group | Southeast Asian | 8,540 | 0.8% |
| Visible minority group | West Asian | 2,830 | 0.3% |
| Visible minority group | Korean | 1,850 | 0.2% |
| Visible minority group | Japanese | 830 | 0.1% |
| Visible minority group | Visible minority, n.i.e. | 1,275 | 0.1% |
| Visible minority group | Multiple visible minorities | 3,725 | 0.3% |
| Total visible minority population | Total visible minority population | 159,365 | 14.4% |
| Indigenous group | First Nations (North American Indian) | 121,175 | 11.0% |
| Indigenous group | Métis | 62,800 | 5.7% |
| Indigenous group | Inuk (Inuit) | 460 | 0.0% |
| Indigenous group | Multiple Indigenous responses | 2,030 | 0.2% |
| Indigenous group | Indigenous responses n.i.e. | 1,425 | 0.1% |
| Total Indigenous population | Total Indigenous population | 187,885 | 17.0% |
| Total population | Total population | 1,103,200 | 100.0% |

## Languages
### Knowledge of languages

Knowledge of official languages of Canada in Saskatchewan (2016) :
| Language | Language | Percent | Percent |
| English only | English only | 94.48% | 94.48% |
| French only | French only | 0.05% | 0.05% |
| English and French | English and French | 4.74% | 4.74% |
| Neither English nor French | Neither English nor French | 0.73% | 0.73% |
The question on knowledge of languages allows for multiple responses. The following figures are from the 2021 Canadian Census and the 2016 Canadian Census, and lists languages that were selected by at least one per cent of respondents.
Knowledge of languages in Saskatchewan :
| Language | 2021 | 2021 | 2016 | 2016 |
| Language | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| English | 1,094,785 | 99.24% | 1,062,275 | 99.23% |
| French | 52,065 | 4.72% | 51,325 | 4.79% |
| Tagalog | 36,125 | 3.27% | 28,655 | 2.68% |
| Cree | 24,850 | 2.25% | 21,870 | 2.04% |
| Hindi | 15,745 | 1.43% | N/A | <1% |
| Punjabi | 13,310 | 1.21% | N/A | <1% |
| German | 11,815 | 1.07% | 17,390 | 1.62% |
| Mandarin | 11,590 | 1.05% | N/A | <1% |
| Spanish | 11,185 | 1.01% | N/A | <1% |
| Ukrainian | 10,795 | 0.98% | 13,090 | 1.22% |
| Urdu | 10,540 | 0.96% | N/A | <1% |

### Mother tongue

Languages of Saskatchewan (2016):
The 2006 census showed a population of 968,157. Of the 946,250 singular responses to the census question concerning mother tongue the languages most commonly reported were:
Mother tongue in Saskatchewan :
| Language | 2006 | 2006 | 2001 | 2001 | 1931$^{:1176–1187}$ | 1931$^{:1176–1187}$ |
| Language | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| English | 811,275 | 85.7% | 817,955 | 85.8% | 516,342 | 56.02% |
| German | 28,555 | 3.0% | 32,515 | 3.4% | 138,499 | 15.03% |
| Algonquian languages | 26,525 | 2.8% | 23,735 | 2.5% | — | — |
| Cree | 24,255 | 2.6% | 22,055 | 2.1% | — | — |
| Ojibway | 1,745 | 0.2% | 1,375 | 0.1% | — | — |
| Ukrainian | 16,350 | 1.7% | 19,650 | 2.1% | 70,545 | 7.65% |
| French | 16,060 | 1.7% | 17,775 | 1.9% | 42,283 | 4.59% |
| Chinese | 7,475 | 0.8% | 6,015 | 0.6% | 2,500 | 0.27% |
| Cantonese | 1,720 | 0.2% | 1,425 | 0.2% | — | — |
| Mandarin | 715 | 0.1% | 395 | <0.1% | — | — |
| Athapaskan languages | 7,145 | 0.8% | 6,315 | 0.7% | — | — |
| Dene | 7,135 | 0.8% | 6,310 | 0.7% | — | — |
| Polish | 2,510 | 0.4% | 3,015 | 0.3% | 18,742 | 2.03% |
| Hungarian | 2,190 | 0.2% | 2,700 | 0.3% | 11,853 | 1.29% |
| Tagalog (Filipino/Pilipino) | 2,170 | 0.2% | 1,545 | 0.2% | — | — |
| Dutch | 1,785 | 0.2% | 1,930 | 0.20% | 10,079 | 1.09% |
| Scandinavian languages | 1,690 | 0.2% | 2,320 | 0.2% | 50,634 | 5.49% |
| Norwegian | 830 | 0.1% | 1,260 | 0.1% | 27,996 | 3.04% |
| Danish | 420 | <0.1% | 430 | 0.1% | 3,882 | 0.42% |
| Swedish | 355 | <0.1% | 525 | 0.1% | 15,556 | 1.69% |
| Arabic | 1,525 | 0.12% | 1,090 | 0.11% | 571 | 0.06% |
| Russian | 1,400 | 0.2% | 1,440 | 0.2% | 17,085 | 1.85% |
| Vietnamese | 1,305 | 0.1% | 1,390 | 0.2% | — | — |
| Serbo-Croatian languages | 1,250 | 0.1% | 1,235 | 0.1% | 956 | 0.1% |
| Croatian | 450 | 0.1% | 435 | 0.1% | — | — |
| Bosnian | 335 | <0.1% | N | N | — | — |
| Serbian | 270 | <0.1% | 210 | <0.1% | — | — |
| Serbo-Croatian | 195 | <0.1% | 590 | 0.1% | — | — |
| Greek | 1,060 | 0.1% | 980 | 0.1% | 370 | 0.04% |
| Panjabi (Punjabi) | 850 | 0.1% | 540 | 0.1% | 7 | 0% |
| Persian | 785 | 0.1% | 415 | <0.1% | — | — |
| Romanian | 770 | 0.1% | 775 | 0.1% | 6,170 | 0.67% |
| Italian | 735 | 0.1% | 895 | 0.1% | 692 | 0.08% |
| Korean | 675 | 0.1% | 425 | <0.1% | — | — |
| Germanic languages n.i.e. | 605 | 0.1% | 375 | <0.1% | 8,619 | 0.94% |
| Siouan languages (Dakota/Sioux) | 410 | <0.1% | 345 | <0.1% | — | — |
| African languages n.i.e. | 405 | <0.1% | 130 | 0.01% | — | — |
| Portuguese | 380 | <0.1% | 405 | <0.1% | — | — |
| Finnish | 365 | <0.1% | 435 | <0.1% | 1,861 | 0.2% |
| Hindi | 355 | <0.1% | 320 | <0.1% | — | — |
| Lao | 340 | <0.1% | 275 | 0.03% | — | — |
| Urdu | 330 | <0.1% | 425 | <0.1% | — | — |
| Bantu languages | 325 | <0.1% | 170 | <0.1% | — | — |
| Swahili | 105 | <0.1% | 110 | <0.1% | — | — |
| Czech | 325 | <0.1% | 415 | <0.1% | 1,156 | 0.13% |
| Berber | 310 | <0.1% | 185 | <0.1% | — | — |
| Japanese | 290 | <0.1% | 185 | <0.1% | 1,070 | 0.12% |
| Niger–Congo languages n.i.e. | 285 | <0.1% | 100 | <0.1% | — | — |
| Tigrigna | 215 | <0.1% | 190 | <0.1% | — | — |
| Gujarati | 210 | <0.1% | 225 | 0.02% | — | — |
| Slovak | 210 | <0.1% | 100 | <0.1% | 1,156 | 0.13% |
| Somali | 210 | <0.1% | 35 | <0.1% | — | — |
| Bengali | 190 | <0.1% | 70 | <0.1% | — | — |
Note: "n.i.e.": not included elsewhere
There were also 175 single-language responses for Non-verbal languages (Sign languages); 170 for Amharic; 155 for Turkish; 140 for Sinhala; 135 for Slavic languages n.i.e.; 130 for Slovenian; 120 for Pashto; 115 for Malay; 115 for Malayalam; 115 for Thai; 110 for Ilocano; 110 for Khmer; 100 for Celtic languages; and 100 for Sino-Tibetan languages n.i.e. In addition there were also 6,080 responses of both English and a non-official language; 245 of both French and a non-official language; 1,130 of both English and French; and 140 of English, French and a non-official language. Figures shown are for the number of single language responses and the percentage of total single-language responses.

## Religion

Religious groups in Saskatchewan (1981–2021) :
| Religious group | 2021 | 2021 | 2011 | 2011 | 2001 | 2001 | 1991 | 1991 | 1981 | 1981 |
| Religious group | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| Christianity | 621,250 | 56.31% | 726,920 | 72.06% | 795,935 | 82.64% | 858,120 | 87.92% | 889,820 | 93.03% |
| Irreligion | 403,960 | 36.62% | 246,305 | 24.42% | 151,450 | 15.72% | 107,225 | 10.99% | 60,255 | 6.3% |
| Islam | 25,455 | 2.31% | 10,040 | 1% | 2,230 | 0.23% | 1,185 | 0.12% | 1,120 | 0.12% |
| Indigenous spirituality | 16,300 | 1.48% | 12,240 | 1.21% | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hinduism | 14,150 | 1.28% | 3,570 | 0.35% | 1,590 | 0.17% | 1,680 | 0.17% | 1,150 | 0.12% |
| Sikhism | 9,040 | 0.82% | 1,650 | 0.16% | 500 | 0.05% | 565 | 0.06% | 220 | 0.02% |
| Buddhism | 4,410 | 0.4% | 4,265 | 0.42% | 3,055 | 0.32% | 1,885 | 0.19% | 985 | 0.1% |
| Judaism | 1,105 | 0.1% | 940 | 0.09% | 865 | 0.09% | 1,370 | 0.14% | 1,585 | 0.17% |
| Other | 7,540 | 0.68% | 2,810 | 0.28% | 7,525 | 0.78% | 4,000 | 0.41% | 1,065 | 0.11% |
| Total responses | 1,103,205 | 97.41% | 1,008,760 | 95.71% | 963,150 | 98.39% | 976,040 | 98.7% | 956,440 | 98.77% |
| Total population | 1,132,505 | 100% | 1,053,960 | 100% | 978,933 | 100% | 988,928 | 100% | 968,313 | 100% |

## Migration
### Immigration

Saskatchewan Immigration Statistics$^{:239}$$^{:108}$ :
| Year | Immigrant percentage | Immigrant population | Total population |
| 1901 | 39.7% | 36,195 | 91,279 |
| 1911 | 49.5% | 243,681 | 492,432 |
| 1921 | 39.6% | 299,677 | 757,510 |
| 1931 | 34.6% | 318,545 | 921,785 |
| 1941 | 26.7% | 238,903 | 895,992 |
| 1951 | 21.1% | 175,829 | 831,728 |
| 1961 | 16.1% | 149,389 | 925,181 |
| 1971 | 12% | 110,690 | 926,240 |
The 2021 census reported that immigrants (individuals born outside Canada) comprise 137,615 persons or 12.5 percent of the total population of Saskatchewan.
Immigrants in Saskatchewan by country of birth :
| Country of birth | 2021 | 2021 | 2016 | 2016 | 2011 | 2011 | 2006 | 2006 | 2001 | 2001 |
| Country of birth | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| Philippines | 35,955 | 26.1% | 26,865 | 23.9% | 12,775 | 18.6% | 2,455 | 5.1% | 2,065 | 4.3% |
| India | 15,660 | 11.4% | 9,630 | 8.6% | 3,080 | 4.5% | 1,685 | 3.5% | 1,100 | 2.3% |
| China | 8,650 | 6.3% | 7,485 | 6.7% | 4,625 | 6.7% | 3,405 | 7.1% | 2,730 | 5.7% |
| Pakistan | 7,110 | 5.2% | 6,860 | 6.1% | 3,115 | 4.5% | 330 | 0.7% | 385 | 0.8% |
| United Kingdom | 6,785 | 4.9% | 7,020 | 6.2% | 7,370 | 10.7% | 7,685 | 16% | 8,450 | 17.7% |
| United States of America | 5,215 | 3.8% | 4,845 | 4.3% | 5,020 | 7.3% | 5,425 | 11.3% | 5,865 | 12.3% |
| Nigeria | 5,030 | 3.7% | 1,695 | 1.5% | 535 | 0.8% | 235 | 0.5% | 95 | 0.2% |
| Vietnam | 3,245 | 2.4% | 2,620 | 2.3% | 1,770 | 2.6% | 1,295 | 2.7% | 1,465 | 3.1% |
| Bangladesh | 3,230 | 2.3% | 2,575 | 2.3% | 840 | 1.2% | 60 | 0.1% | 65 | 0.1% |
| Ukraine | 3,170 | 2.3% | 3,280 | 2.9% | 1,715 | 2.5% | 1,055 | 2.2% | 1,395 | 2.9% |
| Total immigrants | 137,615 | 12.5% | 112,490 | 10.5% | 68,780 | 6.8% | 48,160 | 5% | 47,825 | 5% |
| Total responses | 1,103,205 | 97.4% | 1,070,560 | 97.5% | 1,008,760 | 95.7% | 953,850 | 96.8% | 963,150 | 98.4% |
| Total population | 1,132,505 | 100% | 1,098,352 | 100% | 1,053,960 | 100% | 985,386 | 100% | 978,933 | 100% |

### Recent immigration

The 2021 Canadian census counted a total of 43,120 people who immigrated to Saskatchewan between 2016 and 2021.
Recent immigrants to Saskatchewan by country of birth (2016 to 2021) :
| Country of birth | Population | % recent immigrants |
| Philippines | 10,460 | 24.3% |
| India | 7,940 | 18.4% |
| China | 3,685 | 8.5% |
| Nigeria | 3,305 | 7.7% |
| Pakistan | 1,685 | 3.9% |
| Syria | 1,240 | 2.9% |
| Bangladesh | 1,225 | 2.8% |
| United States of America | 990 | 2.3% |
| Vietnam | 865 | 2% |
| South Africa | 775 | 1.8% |
| Total | 43,120 | 100% |

### Interprovincial migration

Interprovincial migration has long been a demographic challenge for Saskatchewan, and it was often said that "Saskatchewan's most valuable export [was] its young people". The trend reversed in 2006 as the nascent oil fracking industry started growing in the province, but returned to negative net migration starting in 2013. Most people migrating from Saskatchewan move west to Alberta or British Columbia.
Interprovincial migration in Saskatchewan :
| | In-migrants | Out-migrants | Net migration |
| 2008–09 | 18,127 | 15,144 | 2,983 |
| 2009–10 | 17,237 | 15,084 | 2,153 |
| 2010–11 | 16,602 | 16,057 | 545 |
| 2011–12 | 19,386 | 17,508 | 1,878 |
| 2012–13 | 16,982 | 16,590 | 392 |
| 2013–14 | 16,371 | 18,210 | −1,839 |
| 2014–15 | 15,346 | 19,874 | −4,528 |
| 2015–16 | 15,260 | 19,532 | −4,272 |
| 2016–17 | 13,130 | 18,890 | −5,760 |
| 2017–18 | 11,637 | 20,112 | −8,475 |
| 2018–19 | 11,637 | 23,607 | −9,688 |
Source: Statistics Canada