The majority of Manitoba’s population (73 per cent) identifies English as their mother tongue, according to the 2011 Census. Other prevalent first languages are German (6 per cent), French (4 per cent), Tagalog (3 per cent), Cree (2 per cent) and Ukrainian (1 per cent).
According to the 2011 National Household Survey, about 72 per cent of Manitoba’s population is of European ethnic origin. Among this group, those who claim British Isle ancestry are the largest, followed by German, Ukrainian and French. Since the establishment of the New Iceland settlement on the western shore of Lake Winnipeg in 1875, Manitoba has also had a relatively large population with Icelandic origins (about 3 per cent). Those of Indigenous origin, including First Nations, Méti and a small number of Inuit, comprise roughly 17 per cent of the population. The province is also home to a large number of persons of Filipino and Chinese origins (5 per cent and 2 per cent respectively), concentrated primarily in Winnipeg.
List of Manitoba’s 10 Largest Cities
| Name | Population |
| Winnipeg | 663,617 |
| Brandon | 46,061 |
| Springfield | 14,069 |
| Hanover | 14,026 |
| Steinbach | 13,524 |
| Thompson | 13,123 |
| Portage la Prairie | 12,996 |
| St. Andrews | 11,875 |
| Winkler | 10,670 |
| St. Clements | 10,505 |
Population since 1871
1871 25,228
1881 62,260
1891 152,506
1901 255,211
1911 461,394
1921 610,118
1931 700,139
1941 729,744
1951 776,541
1956 850,040
1961 921,686
1966 963,066
1971 988,245
1976 1,021,505
1981 1,026,241
1986 1,063,015
1991 1,091,942
1996 1,113,898
2001 1,119,583
2006 1,148,401
2011 1,208,268
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