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Indian Population in Canada
India has the largest diaspora in the world and as per the Ministry of External Affairs, there are 3.2 Crores or 32 million Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) residing outside India.
As per the Ministry of External Affairs report (2018), there are 1,689,055 (16.89 Lakhs) Indians residing in Canada.
- Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) – 1,510,645 (15.10 Lakhs)
- Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in Canada – 178,410 (1.78 Lakhs)
As per the Census 2021, The total Indian Population in Canada is 1.85 million (1,858,755) or 5.1% of the Canadian population
read about the Population of Overseas Indians
Indo Canadian Population 2023
As per the Canadian Census of 2021, South Asians numbering 2,571,400 (2.5 million) make up 7.1% of the Candian Population, and Indians are the largest Chunk of the South Asian population. According to the Census 2021, The total Indian Population in Canada is 1,858,755 (1.85 million) or 5.1% of the Canadian population
Indians make-up around 5.1% of the Canadian population and approx population of Indians in Canada in 2023 is 1.9 million or 19 Lakhs.
According to the Statistics Canada 2021 report, Indians account for 18.6% of the total number of people who immigrated to Canada between 2016 and 2021, numbering over 2.46 lakh Indians who immigrated to Canada during this period.
Indian population in the Canadian Provinces
The Province of Ontario has emerged as the most popular among Indians, with more than 55% of the Indian immigrant population finding a home in the province. Toronto, Ottawa, Waterloo, and Brampton are cities in Ontario with good Indian populations.
The province of British Columbia hosts a sizable Indian population. Nearly 22% of Indians are spread across cities like Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, and others. As many as 13.6% of Indian immigrants live in Alberta province. Manitoba, Quebec, and Saskatchewan have significant Indian populations.
Let’s look at the Indian population in the Canadian Provinces and territories
| # | Province | Indian Population | % of Province’s Population |
| 1 | Ontario | 774,495 | 5.80% |
| 2 | British Columbia | 309,315 | 6.70% |
| 3 | Alberta | 174,505 | 4.30% |
| 4 | Québec | 51,650 | 0.60% |
| 5 | Manitoba | 34,470 | 2.70% |
| 6 | Saskatchewan | 18,695 | 1.70% |
| 7 | Nova Scotia | 6,255 | 0.60% |
| 8 | New Brunswick | 2,145 | 0.20% |
| 9 | Newfoundland and Labrador | 1,820 | 0.30% |
| 10 | Yukon | 320 | 0.90% |
| 11 | Prince Edward Island | 615 | 0.40% |
| 12 | Northwest Territories | 360 | 0.80% |
| 13 | Nunavut | 65 | 0.10% |
| Canada | 1,374,710 | 4.00% |
Source: Canadian Census 2016
Candian Cities with large Indian populations
Toronto has the largest Indian Canadian population in Canada. Almost 51% of the entire Indian Canadian community resides in the Greater Toronto Area. Vancouver is home to the second-largest Indian Canadian population in Canada, with just over 20% of the entire Indian Canadian community residing in the Lower Mainland. They are followed by Calgary and Edmonton City both lie in the western Canadian province of Alberta.
Let’s look at the top 10 Cities with large Indian populations.
| # | City | Indian Population | Percentage |
| 1 | Toronto | 643,370 | 10.40% |
| 2 | Vancouver | 243,135 | 10.00% |
| 3 | Calgary | 90,625 | 6.50% |
| 4 | Edmonton | 72,245 | 5.50% |
| 5 | Montréal | 48,485 | 1.20% |
| 6 | Abbotsford | 33,340 | 18.90% |
| 7 | Winnipeg | 30,800 | 4.00% |
| 8 | Ottawa | 28,945 | 2.20% |
| 9 | Hamilton | 23,390 | 3.10% |
| 10 | Kitchener | 19,295 | 3.70% |
Source: Canadian Census 2016
Religion of Indian population in Canada
Indian Canadians have diverse religious backgrounds and are represented mainly by Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims, and Christians.
Hindus now make up 2.3% of the population, up from 1.45% in 2011 and 0.96% in 2001. The Muslim population has increased to 4.9% from 3.2% in 2011 and 2% in 2001. The Sikh population now stands at 2.1%, up from 1.38% in 2011 and 0.94% in 2001.
The religion of the Indian population in Canada is as follows
- Sikhs – 35%
- Hindus – 28%
- Muslims – 17%
- Christians -16%
Canadian Population by Indian Languages
Among Indian Languages Punjabi is spoken by more than 5 lakh people, Other languages which are spoken by sizable numbers are Urdu, Tamil, Hindi, Gujarati, Malayalam, and Telugu as their mother tongues. While 1.8% of the respondents said their mother tongue is Punjabi, 0.4% said their mother tongue is Tamil, Hindi or Gujarati and 0.1% said theirs is Malayalam or Telugu. A small population of people recorded Kannada as their mother tongue as well.
| Languages | Speakers | Percentage of Candian Population |
| Punjabi | 543,495 | 1.8 % |
| Urdu | 243,090 | 0.7 % |
| Tamil | 157,125 | 0.5 % |
| Hindi | 133,925 | 0.4 % |
| Gujarati | 122,455 | 0.4 % |
| Bengali | 80,935 | 0.2 % |
| Malayalam | 32,290 | 0.1 % |
| Telugu | 18,750 | < 0.1 |
| Sindhi | 13,885 | < 0.1 |
| Marathi | 9,755 | < 0.1 |
| Kannada | 4,795 | < 0.1 |
| Oriya (Odia) | 1,215 | < 0.1 |
Source: Canadian Census 2016
Sikh population in Canada
Canada is home to the largest national Sikh proportion in the world (2.1%), and also has the second-largest Sikh population in the world, after India.
Canadian Sikhs are the largest Indian Community and numbering nearly 800,000 people and account for 2.1% of Canada’s population as of 2021, forming the country’s fourth-largest religious group.
The largest Sikh populations in Canada are found in Ontario, followed by British Columbia and Alberta. British Columbia has the third-largest Sikh proportion (5.9%) amongst all global administrative divisions, behind only Punjab and Chandigarh in India.
| Candian Province | Sikh Pop. 2021 | Percentage |
| Ontario | 300,435 | 2.14% |
| British Columbia | 290,870 | 5.92% |
| Alberta | 103,600 | 2.48% |
| Manitoba | 35,470 | 2.71% |
| Quebec | 23,345 | 0.28% |
| Saskatchewan | 9,035 | 0.82% |
| Nova Scotia | 4,730 | 0.49% |
| New Brunswick | 1,780 | 0.23% |
| Prince Edward Island | 1,165 | 0.77% |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 850 | 0.17% |
| Yukon | 385 | 0.97% |
| Northwest Territories | 110 | 0.27% |
| Nunavut | 10 | 0.03% |
| Canada | 771,790 | 2.12% |