Islam in Canada

Last updated

Canadian Muslims
Ottawa Mosque - 2018 (214842) (cropped).jpg
Grand Mosque in Ottawa
Total population
1,775,715 [1]
4.9% of the total Canadian population (2021 census)
Regions with significant populations
Ontario 942,990
Quebec 421,710
Alberta 202,535
British Columbia 125,915
Religions
Star and Crescent.svg Islam
Languages
Canadian EnglishCanadian French
ArabicPersianTurkish

PunjabiBengaliSindhi

UrduSomali
Other languages of Canada

Islam in Canada is a minority religion practised by approximately 5% of the population. A majority of Muslims are of immigrant backgrounds consisting a diverse range of ethnic groups. Muslims have lived in Canada since 1871 and the first mosque was established in 1938. [2] Most Canadian Muslims are Sunni, while a significant minority are Shia.

Contents

There are a number of Islamic organizations and seminaries (madrasas). Opinion polls show most Muslims feel "very proud" to be Canadians, and majority are religious and attend mosque at least once a week. [3] More than half of Canadian Muslims live in Ontario, with significant populations also living in Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia.

The percentage of Muslims in Canada is 4.9% as of the 2021 census. [1] [4] In the Greater Toronto Area, 10% of the population is Muslim, and in Greater Montreal, 8.7% of the population is Muslim. [5] [6] [7]

History

Uniform hat insignia for Canadian military Muslim chaplains. Canadian Chaplain Muslim.jpg
Uniform hat insignia for Canadian military Muslim chaplains.
Historical population
YearPop.±%
1854 3    
1871 13+333.3%
1901 47+261.5%
1911 797+1595.7%
1921 478−40.0%
1931 645+34.9%
1971 33,430+5082.9%
1981 98,160+193.6%
1991 253,260+158.0%
2001 579,645+128.9%
2011 1,053,945+81.8%
2021 1,775,715+68.5%
Source: Statistics Canada
[8] [9] :571 [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [1]

Four years after Canada's founding in 1867, the 1871 Canadian Census found 13 European Muslims among the population. [16] [17] The first Muslim organization in Canada was registered by immigrants from greater Syria living in Regina, Saskatchewan in 1934. The first Canadian mosque was constructed in Edmonton in 1938 when there were approximately 700 European Muslims in the country. [18] The building is now part of the museum at Fort Edmonton Park. The years after World War II saw a small increase in the Muslim population. However, Muslims were still a distinct minority. It was only after the removal of European immigration preferences in the late 1960s and early 1970s that Muslims began to arrive in significant numbers.

Bosniaks and Albanian Muslims were the founders of Jami Mosque, the first mosque in Toronto in 1968, whose readjustment into masjid (originally an old Catholic school building) occurred on June 23, 1973. The mosque was readjusted for the Bosniaks, with the support of the local Christians. Later, with the action of University of Toronto professor Qadeer Baig, it was purchased by Asian Muslims, while Albanians and Bosniaks later founded the Albanian Muslim Society and Bosanska džamija (Bosnian Mosque) respectively. The oldest mosque in Toronto, with the oldest minaret in Ontario built in Osmanic style is in Etobicoke, part of the Bosnian Islamic Centre. [19]

The first Madrasa (Islamic seminary) in North America, Al-Rashid Islamic Institute was established in Cornwall, Ontario in 1983 to teach Hafiz and Ulama and focuses on the traditional Hanafi school of thought. The Seminary was established by Mazhar Alam, originally from Bihar, India, under the direction of his teacher the leading Indian Tablighi scholar Muhammad Zakariya Kandhlawi. Due to its proximity to the US border city of Massena the school has historically had a high percentage of American students. Their most prominent graduate, Muhammad Alshareef completed his Hifz in the early 1990s then went on to form the AlMaghrib Institute.

Toronto Dawah Centre, 2007 Toronto Da'wah Centre.jpg
Toronto Dawah Centre, 2007

As with immigrants in general, Muslim immigrants have come to Canada for a variety of reasons. These include higher education, security, employment, and family reunification. Others have come for religious and political freedom, and safety and security, leaving behind civil wars, persecution, and other forms of civil and ethnic strife. In the 1980s, Canada became an important place of refuge for those fleeing the Lebanese Civil War. The 1990s saw Somali Muslims arrive in the wake of the Somali Civil War as well as Bosniaks fleeing the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. However Canada has yet to receive any significant numbers of Iraqis fleeing the Iraqi War. But in general almost every Muslim country in the world has sent immigrants to Canada – from Pakistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania to Yemen and Bangladesh. [20]

According to the Canadian Census of 1971 there were 33,000 Muslims in Canada. [11] In the 1970s large-scale non-European immigration to Canada began. This was reflected in the growth of the Muslim community in Canada. In 1981, the Census listed 98,000 Muslims. [12] The 1991 Census indicated 253,265 Muslims. [13]

By 2001, the Islamic community in Canada had grown to more than 579,000. [14] In the same year, the fertility rate for Muslims in Canada was higher than the rate for other Canadians (an average of 2.4 children per woman for Muslims in 2001, compared with 1.6 children per woman for other populations in Canada). [21] [22]

Population estimates for the Census 2006 pointed to a figure of 800,000. [23] As of May 2013, Muslims account for 3.2% of the total population, with a total of over a million. [24] [25] [ dead link ] In January 2017, six Muslims were killed in a shooting attack at a Quebec city mosque.

In the contemporary era, there are halal restaurants across Canada, including over 1000 in the Greater Toronto Area. [26]

One of the first Islamic internet radio stations, Canadian Islamic Broadcasting Network, was started in 2019.

Demography

Muslim Canadians total population (1871−2021)
Muslim Canadians percentage of the total population (1871−2021)

Population

Muslim Canadian Population History
1871−2021
YearPopulation% of total population
1871
[8]
13
1901
[9] :571 [8]
47
1911
[9] :571
797
1921
[9] :571 [8]
478
1931
[10] [8]
645
1971
[11] [8]
33,430
1981
[12] [8]
98,160
1991
[13] [8]
253,260
2001
[14] [8]
579,645
2011
[15] [8]
1,053,945
2021
[1]
1,775,715

National and ethnic origins

According to the 2011 National Household Survey, there were 424,925 Muslims living in the Greater Toronto Area equalling 7.7% of the total metropolitan population, of which the Muslim community consists of persons of Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Indian, Iranian, African, Arab, Caucasian, Southeast Asian, and Latin descent. [27] Greater Montreal's Muslim community was 221,040 [28] in 2011 or nearly 6% of the total metropolitan population which includes a highly diverse Muslim population from Western/Southern Europe, Caribbean, North Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. Canada's national capital Ottawa hosts many Lebanese, South Asian and Somali Muslims, where the Muslim community numbered approximately 65,880 or 5.5% in 2011. [29] In addition to Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, nearly every major Canadian metropolitan area has a Muslim community, including Vancouver (73,215), where more than a third are of Iranian descent, Calgary (58,310), Edmonton (46,125), Windsor (15,575), Winnipeg (11,265), and Halifax (7,540). In recent years, there has been rapid population growth in Calgary and Edmonton because of the booming economy. [30]

Muslim Canadians
Panethnic groups (1981−2021)
2021
[1] [31]
2011
[32]
2001
[33]
1991
[34]
1981
[35] :32 [36] :40
Population%Population%Population%Population%Population%
Middle Eastern [nb 1] 716,910407,780203,49096,38528,225
South Asian 595,085383,365212,80596,39541,315
European 190,460127,74582,0208,48013,820
African 183,67090,53551,68019,7953,165
Southeast Asian [nb 2] 11,93511,3005,2502,5301,195
Latin American 2,6101,8758901853,220
East Asian [nb 3] 2,3201,8552,405575370
Indigenous 1,8401,06534550N/AN/A
Other/Multiracial 70,88528,42520,7553,2056,850
Total
responses
1,775,7151,053,945579,640227,60098,160
Flag of Canada.svg Total Muslim
Canadian Population
1,775,7151,053,945579,645253,26598,165

Branches or denominations

Major Canadian cities have local Muslim organizations that deal mainly with issues pertaining to their home city, but that support national associations. Most Muslim organizations on the national level are umbrella groups and coordination bodies. Student-led initiatives are generally well supported and successful, including annual events such as MuslimFest and the Reviving the Islamic Spirit conference, the largest Islamic event in Canada.

Sunni Muslims

The majority of Canadian Muslims follow Sunni Islam. [37]

Shia Muslims

Ahmadiyya Muslims

Stephen Harper (left) seated with Ahmadiyya Caliph Mirza Masroor Ahmad (right) at the grand opening of Baitun Nur, the largest mosque in Canada, July 5, 2008 Baitan Nur Mosque Inauguration - Stephen Harper.jpg
Stephen Harper (left) seated with Ahmadiyya Caliph Mirza Masroor Ahmad (right) at the grand opening of Baitun Nur, the largest mosque in Canada, July 5, 2008

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has about 50 Local Chapters scattered across Canada, mainly in southern Ontario. The community have 25 places of worship in Canada. Baitun Nur is the largest mosque in Canada. [38] [39] [40]

Progressive Muslims

In May 2009, the Toronto Unity Mosque / el-Tawhid Juma Circle was founded by Laury Silvers, a University of Toronto religious studies scholar, alongside Muslim gay-rights activists El-Farouk Khaki and Troy Jackson. Unity Mosque/ETJC is a gender-equal, LGBT+ affirming, mosque. [41] [42] [43] [44]

Geographical distribution

Provinces & territories

Table 1: Muslim Population of Canada in 1991, [8] 2001 and 2011, [45] 2021. [1]

Muslim Canadians by province and territory (1991−2021)
Province/territory Population
(1991) [13]
%
(1991)
Population
(2001) [14]
%
(2001)
Population
(2011) [15]
%
(2011)
Population
(2021) [1]
%
(2021)
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario 145,5601.4%352,5303.1%581,9504.6%942,9906.72%
Flag of Quebec.svg Quebec 44,9300.6%108,6201.5%243,4303.1%421,7105.07%
Flag of Alberta.svg Alberta 31,0001.2%49,0451.7%113,4453.2%202,5354.85%
Flag of British Columbia.svg British Columbia 24,9250.7%56,2201.4%79,3101.8%125,9152.56%
Flag of Manitoba.svg Manitoba 3,5250.3%5,0950.5%12,4051.0%26,4302.02%
Flag of Saskatchewan.svg Saskatchewan 1,1850.1%2,2300.2%10,0401.0%25,4552.31%
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg Nova Scotia 1,4350.1%3,5500.4%8,5050.9%14,7151.54%
Flag of New Brunswick.svg New Brunswick 2500.0%1,2750.2%2,6400.3%9,1901.21%
Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador.svg Newfoundland and Labrador 3050.0%6300.1%1,2000.2%3,9950.80%
Flag of Prince Edward Island.svg Prince Edward Island 600.0%1950.1%6600.5%1,7201.14%
Flag of the Northwest Territories.svg Northwest Territories 550.1%1800.5%2750.7%7301.80%
Flag of Nunavut.svg Nunavut 250.1%500.2%1400.38%
Flag of Yukon.svg Yukon 350.1%600.1%400.1%1850.47%
Flag of Canada.svg Canada253,2650.9%579,6402.0%1,053,9453.2%1,775,7154.88%

Metropolitan Areas

Table 2: Muslim Population in Top 20 Metropolitan Areas based on Canada Census 2001, 2011, and 2021. [1] [45]

CMAMuslim 2001%Muslim 2011%Muslim 2021%
Toronto 254,1155.47%424,9357.70%626,01010.19%
Montreal 100,1852.96%221,0405.89%365,6758.69%
Vancouver 52,5902.67%73,2153.21%110,6454.24%
Ottawa 41,7253.97%65,8805.42%114,7807.84%
Calgary 25,9202.75%58,3104.86%100,8256.88%
Edmonton 19,5752.11%46,1254.05%86,1206.16%
Quebec City 3,0200.45%6,7600.91%19,8152.43%
Winnipeg 4,8050.73%11,2651.58%24,5653.00%
Hamilton 12,8801.97%22,5203.18%46,4356.00%
Kitchener 9,1802.24%18,9404.03%38,6556.80%
London 11,7252.74%16,0253.43%35,8756.70%
Halifax 3,0700.86%7,5401.96%13,2652.88%
St. Catharines 3,1350.84%4,2751.11%10,4402.45%
Windsor 10,7453.52%15,5754.94%30,1457.26%
Oshawa 2,8700.98%5,6851.62%22,1605.39%
Victoria 1,2300.40%2,4850.74%4,9751.28%
Saskatoon 1,1400.51%5,6802.21%13,1004.21%
Regina 7700.41%3,5451.71%10,4604.27%
Sherbrooke 1,1600.77%2,6101.33%6,3302.88%
Kelowna 4050.28%5550.31%1,7600.81%

Federal Electoral Districts

Ontario

  1. Mississauga—Erin Mills (26.93%)
  2. Milton (24.28%)
  3. Don Valley East (23.76%)
  4. Mississauga Centre (22.63%)
  5. Scarborough--Guildwood (20.19%)
  6. Mississauga-Malton (18.87%)
  7. Ottawa South (18.69%)
  8. Scarborough Southwest (18.47%)
  9. Scarborough Centre (18.18%)
  10. Don Valley West (17.84%)
  11. Windsor West (16.79%)
  12. Mississauga-Streetsville (16.50%)
  13. Etobicoke North (15.67%)

Quebec

  1. Saint-Leonard-Saint-Michel (26.65%)
  2. Saint-Laurent (23.20%)
  3. Ahuntsic-Cartierville (19.04%)
  4. Bourassa (18.13%)
  5. Vimy (16.81%)
  6. Papineau (15.54%)

Alberta

  1. Calgary Skyview (18.22%)
  2. Calgary Forest Lawn (15.43%)

Source: Canada 2021 Census Open Data Release

As the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees freedom of religious expression, Canadian Muslims face no official religious discrimination but have been victims of many hate crimes which have been increasingly going up. Learn more about Islamophobia in Canada.

Under Section 2(a) of the Charter, the wearing of a hijab is permitted in schools and places of work, although Quebec has ruled that medical faculties are not required to accommodate Muslim women who wish to be served by female employees. [46] Religious holidays and dietary restrictions are also respected, but outside major urban areas it may be difficult to find halal food. It is also often difficult to observe Islamic rules against usury. Some Muslims in some parts of Canada have asked to have family dispute courts to oversee small family cases but were faced with rigorous opposition from both within the Muslim community (both conservative and liberal), and by non-Muslim groups. [47] [48]

In 2011, the Harper government attempted to ban the niqab during citizenship ceremonies. [49] In 2015, the Federal Court of Appeal ruled against the ban, [50] and the Supreme Court turned down the government's appeal.

Canadian Muslim Social Organizations

There are several organizations working to support the Canadian Muslim community by representing their causes and voices, and channeling the efforts of Muslims for the greater good of Canadians as well as people struggling in other parts of the world. Some are listed below:

  1. Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) is a charitable organization and a grassroots movement to establish an Islamic presence in Canada that is balanced, constructive, and integrated in the social fabric and culture of Canada. [51]
  2. National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) is an independent, non-partisan and non-profit organization that protects Canadian human rights and civil liberties, challenges discrimination and Islamophobia. [52]
  3. Islamic Relief Canada helps Canadian Muslims channel charitable contributions to not only Canadians but people in need across the globe. Their platform helps strengthen the relationship between donors and beneficiaries by providing a high level of transparency. [53]
  4. Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW) is an organization dedicated to the empowerment, equality and equity of all Muslim women in Canada. It has chapters all over Canada and has launched several projects through community engagement, public policy, stakeholder engagement and amplified awareness of the social injustices that Muslim women and girls endure in Canada. [54]
  5. Muslim Welfare Canada works to fight hunger through its food banks and meals on wheels programs for senior citizens. They also run homes/shelters for women and children as well as refugees. [55] [56]
  6. Canadian Islamic Broadcasting Network - An online radio station that was setup in 2019 with the intention of broadcasting Islamic information across Canada via internet radio. The main focus of the station is to provide Islamic Talk programming.
  7. Muslim Federal Employee Network is national level network for Muslims in the Federal Public Service. It plays a key leadership role in supporting the Government of Canada to become a model of inclusion of Muslim public servants. The Muslim Federal Employees Network provides an open and safe forum for Muslim and non-Muslim employees to connect and discuss issues related to the promotion of a healthy and inclusive work environment for Muslim employees in the federal public service.

Identity and beliefs

Opinion of Muslims

Voting results of Canadian Muslims, 2015 [57]
Liberal Party
65%
New Democratic Party
10%
Conservative Party
2%
Other party
2%
Did not vote
16%
Not eligible to vote
5%

In a 2016 Environics poll, 83% of Muslims were "very proud" to be Canadian, compared with 73% of non-Muslim Canadians who said the same thing. Canadian Muslims reported "Canada's freedom and democracy" as the greatest source of pride, and "multiculturalism and diversity" as the second greatest. 94% of Canadian Muslims reported a "strong" or "very strong" sense of belonging to Canada. 78% of Canadian Muslims attend mosque at least once a week. 73% of women wear some sort of head-covering in public (58% wear the hijab, 13% wear the chador and 2% wear the niqab). Both pride in being Canadian and having a strong sense of belonging had increased in Canadian Muslims as compared to a 2006 survey. Mosque attendance and wearing a head covering in public had also increased since the 2006 survey. [3]

A protest against Israel's bombing of the Gaza Strip in Toronto, Canada, November 18, 2023 Toronto rally for Palestine - 20231118 202748037.jpg
A protest against Israel's bombing of the Gaza Strip in Toronto, Canada, November 18, 2023

A 2016 survey found that 36% of Canadian Muslims (47% of those aged 18–34) agreed that homosexuality should be generally accepted by society, while 43% disagreed. Older Muslims (55%) and those with the lowest incomes (56%) were more likely to disagree. The acceptance of homosexuality was higher among the Muslims born in Canada (52%) and South Africa (42%) than Muslims born in Pakistan (0%), Middle East (0%) and North Africa (0%) [3] [58]

Opinion on Muslims

According to the surveys conducted by the Angus Reid Institute (ARI), 24% of the Canadians had a favorable opinion of Islam in 2013 which increased to 34% in the 2016 survey and in Quebec, it increased from 16% in 2013 to 32% in 2016.

The Liberal Party (45%) voters and New Democratic Party voters (42%) have more favourable opinion on Muslims, than compared to Conservative Party voters (24%).

A majority (75%) of the Canadians strongly support Muslim women wearing Hijab in Public. However, the wearing of full face and body covering niqab and burka is strongly opposed. Only three-in-ten Canadians are supportive of it. [59]

Media

See also

Groups and councils

Related Research Articles

Religion in Canada encompasses a wide range of beliefs and customs. While Christianity was once central and integral to Canadian culture and daily life, Canada has become a secular and post-Christian state. Although the majority of Canadians consider religion to be unimportant in their daily lives, they still believe in God. The practice of religion is generally considered a private matter throughout society and the state. The constitution of Canada refers to God and the monarch carries the title of Defender of the Faith, however Canada has no official church and the government is officially committed to religious pluralism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic clothing</span> Customs of clothing associated with Islam

Islamic clothing is clothing that is interpreted as being in accordance with the teachings of Islam. Muslims wear a wide variety of clothing, which is influenced not only by religious considerations, but also by practical, cultural, social, and political factors. In modern times, some Muslims have adopted clothing based on Western traditions, while others wear modern forms of traditional Muslim dress, which over the centuries has typically included long, flowing garments. Besides its practical advantages in the climate of the Middle East, loose-fitting clothing is also generally regarded as conforming to Islamic teachings, which stipulate that body areas which are sexual in nature must be hidden from public view. Traditional dress for Muslim men has typically covered at least the head and the area between the waist and the knees, while women's islamic dress is to conceal the hair and the body from the ankles to the neck. Some Muslim women also cover their face. However, other Muslims believe that the Quran does not mandate that women need to wear a hijab or a burqa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethnic origins of people in Canada</span>

According to the 2021 Canadian census, over 450 "ethnic or cultural origins" were self-reported by Canadians. The major panethnic origin groups in Canada are: European (52.5%), North American (22.9%), Asian (19.3%), North American Indigenous (6.1%), African (3.8%), Latin, Central and South American (2.5%), Caribbean (2.1%), Oceanian (0.3%), and Other (6%). Statistics Canada reports that 35.5% of the population reported multiple ethnic origins, thus the overall total is greater than 100%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Asian Canadians</span>

South Asian Canadians are Canadians who were either born in or can trace their ancestry to the Indian subcontinent, which includes the nations of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives.

The demographics of Toronto, Ontario, Canada make Toronto one of the most multicultural and multiracial cities in the world. In 2021, 57.0 percent of the residents of the metropolitan area belonged to a visible minority group, compared with 51.4 percent in 2016, and 13.6 percent in 1981. Toronto also has established ethnic neighbourhoods such as the multiple Chinatowns, Corso Italia, Little Italy, Little India, Greektown, Koreatown, Little Tokyo, Little Jamaica, Little Portugal, Little Malta, Roncesvalles (Polish), and Bloor West Village (Ukrainian), all of which celebrate the city's multiculturalism. Data from the suburban municipalities are also included for some metrics as most of these municipalities are part of the Toronto CMA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irreligion in Canada</span>

Irreligion is common throughout all provinces and territories of Canada. Irreligious Canadians include atheists, agnostics, and secular humanists. The surveys may also include those who are deists, spiritual, pantheists. The 2021 Canadian census reported that 34.6% of Canadians declare no religious affiliation, which is up from 23.9% in the 2011 Canadian census and 16.5% in the 2001 Canadian census. According to Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, among those estimated 4.9 million Canadians of no religion, an estimated 1.9 million would specify atheist, 1.8 million would specify agnostic, and 1.2 million humanist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam in Norway</span> Islam in Norway

Islam is the second largest religion in Norway after Christianity. As of 2023, the number of Muslims living in Norway was 182,607. The majority of Muslims in Norway are Sunni, with a significant Shia minority. 55 percent of Muslims in the country live in Oslo and Viken. The vast majority of Muslims have an immigrant background, and very few Norwegians are Muslim.

The demographics of Metro Vancouver indicate a multicultural and multiracial region. Metro Vancouver is a metropolitan area, with its major urban centre being Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Vancouver census metropolitan area, as defined by Statistics Canada, encompasses roughly the same territory as the Metro Vancouver Regional District, a regional district in British Columbia. The regional district includes 23 local authorities. Figures provided here are for the Vancouver census metropolitan area and not for the City of Vancouver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of British Columbia</span>

British Columbia is a Canadian province with a population of about 5.6 million people. The province represents about 13.2% of the population of the Canadian population. Most of the population is between the ages of 15 and 49. About 60 percent of British Columbians have European descent with significant Asian and Aboriginal minorities. Just under 30% of British Columbians are immigrants. Over half of the population is irreligious, with Christianity and Sikhism being the most followed religions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Ontario</span>

Ontario, one of the 13 provinces and territories of Canada, is located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province by a large margin, accounting for nearly 40 percent of all Canadians, and is the second-largest province in total area. Ontario is fourth-largest in total area when the territories of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are included. It is home to the nation's capital city, Ottawa, and the nation's most populous city, Toronto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Alberta</span>

Alberta has experienced a relatively high rate of growth in recent years, due in large part to its economy. Between 2003 and 2004, the province saw high birthrates, relatively high immigration, and a high rate of interprovincial migration when compared to other provinces. Approximately 81% of the population live in urban areas and only about 19% live in rural areas. The Calgary–Edmonton Corridor is the most urbanized area in Alberta and is one of Canada's four most urban regions. Many of Alberta's cities and towns have also experienced high rates of growth in recent history. From a population of 73,022 in 1901, Alberta has grown to 4,262,635 in 2021 and in the process has gone from less than 1.5% of Canada's population to 11.5%. It is the fourth most populated province in Canada. Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, the Alberta population grew by 4.8%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Prince Edward Island</span>

Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province. According to the 2011 National Household Survey, the largest ethnic group consists of people of Scottish descent (39.2%), followed by English (31.1%), Irish (30.4%), French (21.1%), German (5.2%), and Dutch (3.1%) descent. Prince Edward Island is mostly a white community and there are few visible minorities. Chinese people are the largest visible minority group of Prince Edward Island, comprising 1.3% of the province's population. Almost half of respondents identified their ethnicity as "Canadian." Prince Edward Island is by a strong margin the most Celtic and specifically the most Scottish province in Canada and perhaps the most Scottish place (ethnically) in the world, outside Scotland. 38% of islanders claim Scottish ancestry, but this is an underestimate and it is thought that almost 50% of islanders have Scottish roots. When combined with Irish and Welsh, almost 80% of islanders are of some Celtic stock, albeit most families have resided in PEI for at least two centuries. Few places outside Europe can claim such a homogeneous Celtic ethnic background. The only other jurisdiction in North America with such a high percentage of British Isles heritage is Newfoundland.

Egyptian Canadians are Canadian citizens of Egyptian descent, first-generation Egyptian immigrants, or descendants of Egyptians who emigrated to Canada. According to the 2011 Census there were 73,250 Canadian citizens who are from Egypt, having an increase compared to those in the 2006 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christianity in Canada</span>

Christianity is the most adhered-to religion in Canada, with 19,373,330 Canadians, or 53.3%, identifying themselves as of the 2021 census. The preamble to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms refers to God. The French colonization beginning in the 17th century established a Roman Catholic francophone population in New France, especially Acadia and Lower Canada. British colonization brought waves of Anglicans and other Protestants to Upper Canada, now Ontario. The Russian Empire spread Orthodox Christianity in a small extent to the tribes in the far north and western coasts, particularly hyperborean nomads like the Inuit. Orthodoxy would arrive in mainland Canada with immigrants from the eastern and southern Austro-Hungarian Empire and western Russian Empire starting in the 1890s; then refugees from the Soviet Union, Eastern Bloc, Greece and elsewhere during the last half of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pakistani Canadians</span> Community of Canadians of Pakistani descent or with Pakistani citizenship

Pakistani Canadian refers to the community in Canada of Pakistani heritage or descent. It can also refer to people who hold dual Pakistani and Canadian citizenship. Categorically, Pakistani Canadians comprise a subgroup of South Asian Canadians which is a further subgroup of Asian Canadians.

Albanian Canadians are Canadians of full or partial Albanian ancestry and heritage in Canada. They trace their ancestry to the territories with a large Albanian population in the Balkans among others to Albania, Italy, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegro. They are adherents of different religions and are predominantly Christians, Muslims as well as Irreligious.

The demographics of Winnipeg reveal the city to be a typically Canadian one: multicultural and multilingual. Winnipeg is also prominent in the size and ratio of its First Nations population, which plays an important part in the city's makeup. About 12.4% of Winnipeggers are of Indigenous descent, which vastly exceeds the national average of 5.0%.

South Asian Canadians in the Greater Toronto Area form 19% of the region's population, numbering 1.1 million as of 2021. Comprising the largest visible minority group in the region, Toronto is the destination of over half of the immigrants coming from India to Canada, and India is the single largest source of immigrants in the Greater Toronto Area. South Asian Canadians in the region also include significant Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans, and Nepalis, all representing several different ethnolinguistic backgrounds.

Islamophobia in Canada refers to a set of discourses, behaviours and structures which express feelings of anxiety, fear, hostility and rejection towards Islam or Muslims in Canada.

Copts in Canada are Canadian citizens of Coptic descent or people of Coptic descent residing in Canada.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Statistics Canada (October 26, 2022). "Religion by visible minority and generation status: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts". Government of Canada. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  2. "The Long and Forgotten History of Muslims in Canada". The Hamilton Spectator. October 8, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 Grenier, Éric (April 27, 2016). "Muslim Canadians increasingly proud of and attached to Canada, survey suggests". CBC News. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
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  1. Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab".
  2. Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian".
  3. Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese".