levels outside of the British Isles, the continental European population grew rapidly during the first two decades of the 20th century − comprising 1,246,151 persons or 14.2% as proportion of the total Canadian population by the 1921 census, representing a numerical increase of over 1 million persons from fifty years earlier in 1871, when the continental European population stood at approximately 236,043 persons or 6.8% of the total Canadian population. Broadening the multicultural makeup of Canada, the diversity across the Prairie provinces during the early 20th century was soon dubbed a Cultural mosaic by journalist Victoria Hayward in the early 1920s: Evolution from 1996 to 2016 As regards combined responses, Canadian is the most common ethnic origin (11,113,965) in the 2016 Census (see above). This was also the case in the 2011 NHS (10,563,805), 2006 Census (10,066,290), 2001 Census (11,682,680), and the 1996 Census (8,806,975). Canadian was also the most common single ethnic origin in the 1996 (5,326,995), 2001 (6,748,135), 2006 (5,748,725), 2011 (5,834,535), and 2016 (6,436,940). Visible minority Aboriginal population Note: Inuit, other Aboriginal and mixed Aboriginal groups are not listed as their own, but they are all accounted for in total Aboriginal See also 1666 census of New France Canada 1911 Census Canada 1996 Census Canada 2001 Census Canada 2006 Census Canada 2011 Census Canada 2016 Census Demographics of Canada Immigration to Canada Canada immigration statistics Multiculturalism in Canada Population of Canada by years Notes References Further reading External links Canada Year Book 2010 – Statistics Canada Lists of Canadian people by ethnic or national origin Demographics of Canada Immigration to Canada