CHAPTER III

COMPOSITION OF THE POPULATION OF VARIOUS STOCKS IN
RESPECT OF SEX, CONJUGAL CONDITION AND AGE

SEX COMPOSITION OF THE POPULATION OF VARIOUS ORIGINS

For many reasons it is of value to know the relative numbers of males and females
of the different origins and of the immigrants who have come from various parts of the
world. This is especially true in a new country like Canada. Only in the light of the
relative numbers of the sexes can an adequate understanding be arrived at as to the
relation between origin and intermarriage, naturalization, crime, occupational and terri
torial distribution, the learning of the languages of Canada and many other related problems.
It is also of interest to know with some precision which stocks send whole families to the
country as permanent settlers, and those where the men come to Caneda for only a few
years, looking forward to returning to the homeland. Tables 29, 30 and 31 present the
population of Canada by origins, male and female, and show the numbers and percentages
of male surplus.

In 1921 there were approximately 6 p.c. more males than females in Canada. The
French and Icelandic stocks showed the smallest disparity in numbers of the sexes, with a
surplus of males of only 1 p.c. each. The British, the French, the Jews and the aboriginal
Indians had surpluses ranging from 2 pe. up to 6 p.c., the average for Canada.
The figures for the other stocks fluctuated from 8 p.c. surplus (for the Germans, Dutch and
Negroes) to nearly 100 pc. Indeed, there are two outstanding cases where the numbers of
males were more than double those of females; first, the Chinese, where there were 15 times
as many males, and second, the Greeks. whose males in Canada exceeded the females by
161 pc.
It may be added that the surplus of males which appears in every case in the tables is
mainly a surplus of men in the prime of life, a fact which is made clear by reference either
:0 Table 35 or to the age distribution of the various stocks in Canada, discussed in
another part of this chapter.
The surplus of males for the North Western European group was 15 p.c., while that
for the South, Eastern and Central Europeans stood at the much higher figure of 26 p.c.
Just how far length of residence enters as a causal factor in these differences is not
subject to quantitative measurement, but that it exerts an influence is readily seen.
Many male immigrants come to this country with the expectation of sending for their
‘amilies. As the wives and children arrive in Canada, the surplus of males declines; further,
since the various stocks do not differ materially as to the numbgr of male and female
children, the larger the number of families of a given stock in de country, the smaller
the percentage surplus of males appears. Reference will be made again to this difference
oetween the North Western European stocks and the South, Eastern and Central group.

et.
1 The term percentage surplus as used in this chapter and throughout the report refers to
the surplus males per 100 females.

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