The largest ethnic group consists of people of Scottish descent (36%), followed by English (29%), Irish (28%), French (21%), German (5%), and Dutch (3%) descent. Prince Edward Island's population is largely white; there are few visible minorities.

The Ethnic Origin most often reported is Scottish, Irish, and English. European origins (88.2%) of the population are most common and Aboriginals are 2.3% of Prince Edward Island Population. First Nations, Metis and Inuit are major Aboriginal people. Almost 9.5% of the population of Prince Edward Island belongs to a visible minority group.

As Prince Edward Island is one of Canada's older settlements, its population still reflects some of the earliest settlers, with Canadien, Scottish, Irish, and English surnames being dominant.