According to Statistics Canada, mixed unions in Canada accounted for 3.2% of all couples (married or common-law) in 2001, up 35% from 2.6% in 1991. This increase is most likely due to the increase in visible minorities in Canada, which increased to 13% of the total population in 2001. Of all couples where one person was a visible minority, 53% consisted of a woman who was a visible minority and a man who was not.
When most people think of an interracial relationship, they automatically think of white and black, but if we take a look at the statistics in Canada, the highest number of interracial couples occurs between Caucasian and Japanese. Approximately 75% of all couples involving a Japanese person are an interracial union. The second most likely ethnic group to be involved in an interracial relationship is Latin Americans and the third is African Americans.
The least likely to be involved in an interracial union were Chinese and South Asians. Only 12% of couples involving a Chinese or South Asian person were an interracial relationship.
Mixed unions were more likely to occur in larger urban areas and tended to be among younger people with higher educations.
As the number of visible minorities in Canada steadily increases, we are bound to see more and more interracial relationships.