The Latino community is one of the fastest-growing in Canada: in 2021 it reached 726,820 people, almost triple the 2001 figure. Between 2016 and 2021 it grew 22%, compared to just 5.2% for the general population — and in British Columbia the increase was close to 50%. Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and BC are home to almost 95% of that community: exactly the four provinces where Carolina Cedeño is licensed.
It’s a young community: 51.1% is of working age (25 to 54), compared to 37.4% of the non-racialized population. It arrives prepared, eager to build... and, too often, with the country’s financial system still not quite understanding who it is or what it needs.
+22%growth of the Latino community from 2016 to 2021 (vs. 5.2% for the total population)
21.8%of Latinos with a university degree work in jobs that only require a high school diploma
59.8%live in acceptable housing, compared to 78.3% of the non-racialized population
$13,400less, on average, that Latina professionals earned compared to Latino men
Source: Statistics Canada, Portrait of the Latin American populations in Canada (2026); The Conversation.
Your degree does count, even if the market is slow to recognize it
42.1% of Latinos aged 25 to 54 hold a bachelor’s degree or higher — and among those who arrived between 2016 and 2021, that figure rises to 60.7%. Even so, 21.8% of Latinos with a degree work in jobs that only require a high school diploma, more than double the rate for the non-racialized population (10.4%). For women, the gap is even wider: 23.4% of Latina women compared to 9.8%.
Then there’s housing: only 59.8% of Latinos live in acceptable conditions (affordable, not overcrowded, and without major repairs needed), compared to 78.3% of the non-racialized population. In Vancouver, the figure drops to 53.2%. And the Latino poverty rate rose from 6.8% in 2021 to 11.3% in 2022, once pandemic supports ended.
Talking about money as a couple, backed by real information, changes the conversation.
The cost of not knowing who to trust
Among newcomers in general, 54% say financial stress is their top wellbeing challenge — and it doesn’t ease with time. 20% have no insurance at all, and 60% are underinsured. 42% fear being misled when buying insurance, and 29% simply don’t know where to find reliable information.
None of this is a flaw in the community: it’s the logical result of building a new life, in a new language, without a network of advisors who speak your language and understand your reality — remittances, family split across two countries, the fear that someone will take advantage of your trust.
What these numbers really show is where someone is missing. And that someone could be a career, not just a statistic.
Educational content, for informational purposes. It does not constitute personalized advice. Figures from Statistics Canada, IRCC, FP Canada, Wealth Professional, Securian Canada / Angus Reid and the provincial regulators cited in the text; verify current amounts before making a decision.
