Table 1.

Baseline characteristics of the study populations of long-term residents of Ontario^* and recent immigrants to Ontario^† in 2005

Characteristic	Long-term residents n = 7 503 085	Recent immigrants n = 1 122 771
Median age, yr‡	47	43
Age ≥ 65 yr, %‡	18.2	10.2
Men, %	49.3	49.5
Income quintile of neighbourhood of settlement, %§
Q1 (lowest income)	18.2	26.4
Q2	19.6	21.7
Q3	19.7	19.7
Q4	20.4	18.8
Q5	21.2	13.0
World region of birth, no. (%)
East Asia and Pacific		309 043 (27.5)
South Asia		217 367 (19.4)
Latin America and Caribbean		177 191 (15.8)
Eastern Europe and Central Asia		167 456 (14.9)
Western Europe and North America		98 931 (8.8)
North Africa and Middle East		87 610 (7.8)
Sub-Saharan Africa		64 367 (5.7)
Unknown or stateless		795 (0.07)
None specified		11 (0.001)
Immigration visa category, no. (%)
Family		448 142 (39.9)
Economic: skilled, independent		285 322 (25.4)
Refugee		184 588 (16.4)
Economic: skilled, family		124 465 (11.1)
Economic: business		54 056 (4.8)
Other		26 185 (2.3)
None specified		13 (0.001)
Educational level at landing, no. (%)
No education		47 604 (4.2)
Secondary level or less		608 925 (54.2)
Non-university qualifications		171 106 (15.2)
Some university		56 021 (5.0)
University degree or higher		239 031 (21.3)
None specified		84 (0.007)
Years since arrival, no. (%)
5–9 years		322 047 (28.7)
10–14 years		384 608 (34.2)
≥ 15 years		416 116 (37.1)

^*Limited to residents of urban areas, based on the first three characters of postal codes of residence (i.e., forward sortation areas).

^†Comprises those eligible for provincial health care based on administrative databases. The recent-immigrant population includes those who obtained legal landed status between 1985 and 2000.

^‡Based on age as of Mar. 31, 2005.

^§2001 census income information was applied based on the individual’s postal code of residence in 2005.