IV.

The People of Nunavut

A.

Population Patterns

The population of Nunavut is increasing more rapidly than that of any other region of Canada. Since World War II (1939-1945), the population has more than doubled, reaching 30,800 inhabitants by 2006. This population increase is due to a high rate of natural increase among the Inuit. This natural increase results from a high birthrate (25.3 births per 1,000 persons in 2005–2006) and a low death rate (4.5 deaths per 1,000 persons). In comparison, the birthrate in Canada for 2007 was 10.8 and the death rate was 7.9. The difference in the natural rate of increase for Canada and Nunavut is striking—Canada’s rate is 0.5 percent, while Nunavut’s is 2.7 percent, a difference of almost six times.

Nunavut’s population is growing rapidly because of its high rate of natural increase. From 1991 to 2001, its population increased by over 20 percent. As a consequence, Nunavut has a very young population and an expanding labor force. In 2001, 37 percent of the population was under the age of 15. The territory’s population is expected to continue to grow because its fertility rate remains well above the national average.

The population is unevenly distributed across Nunavut. Baffin Island, where the territorial capital is located, is home to about half of the population. Twenty-eight percent of the population lives along the coast of Hudson Bay between the Manitoba border and Southampton Island, with most of those people living in Rankin Inlet, Arviat, and Baker Lake. The remaining people, some 20 percent of Nunavut’s population, live along the coast of the Arctic Ocean.

B.

Settlements

Almost everyone in Nunavut lives in a settlement. The principal settlements are Iqaluit (population 5,236 in 2001) and Rankin Inlet (2,177). There are eight more settlements with relatively large populations: Arviat (1,899), Chesterfield Inlet (345), Cambridge Bay (1,309), Pangnirtung (1,276), Kugluktuk—formerly Coppermine (1,201), Igoolik (1,174), Pond Inlet (1,220), and Cape Dorset (1,148). The two smallest communities are Bay Chimo (51) and Bathurst Inlet (18). There are two types of settlements: administrative and service centers such as Iqaluit, and native settlements such as Grise Fiord.

C.

Ethnic Groups and Languages

The main ethnic group in Nunavut is the Inuit, which makes up 85 percent of the population. The remaining population consists of southern Canadians who were attracted to high-paying jobs in Nunavut. The principal languages are Inuktitut, English, and French. Many Inuit speak English as well as Inuktitut.

D.

Religion

Anglican and Roman Catholic missionaries arrived in Nunavut at the beginning of the 20th century. Within a short period of time, most Inuit were converted to Christianity. In 1996 the vast majority of the residents of Nunavut were Christians, about 96 percent. About 72 percent of these were Protestants (mainly Anglican), with 24 percent being Roman Catholic.