Religion of Indian population in Canada

As per the Canadian Census of 2021, South Asians numbering 2,571,400 (2.5 million) make up 7.1% of the Canadian population, and Indians are the largest Chunk of the South Asian population. According to the Statistics Canada 2021 report, The total Indian Population in Canada is 1,858,755 (1.85 million) or 5.1% of the Canadian population 

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 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 – 40% 
  • Hindus – 38% 
  • Muslims – 7%
  • Christians -10% 
  • Others ( Buddhist, Jain ) – 5%

Source: Census Estimates

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 ProvinceSikh Pop. 2021Percentage
Ontario300,4352.14%
British Columbia290,8705.92%
Alberta103,6002.48%
Manitoba35,4702.71%
Quebec23,3450.28%
Saskatchewan9,0350.82%
Nova Scotia4,7300.49%
New Brunswick 1,7800.23%
Prince Edward Island1,1650.77%
Newfoundland and Labrador8500.17%
Yukon3850.97%
Northwest Territories1100.27%
Nunavut100.03%
Canada771,7902.12%

Population by Indian Regions / Cultural Origins

Statistics Canada conducts a census of the resident population based on ethnic or cultural origins. In addition to nationality, individuals in Canada also define themselves in terms of various regions, cultures, or linguistic backgrounds within India. Let’s examine the Canadian population of Indian descent categorized by their diverse cultural origins or affiliations.

Regions/Cultural OriginsResponses % of Canada Pop.
Indian (India)13477153.71%
Punjabi2799500.77%
Tamil1021700.28%
Gujarati369700.10%
Bengali266750.07%
Jatt227850.06%
Malayali124900.03%
Goan97000.03%
Telugu66700.02%
Kashmiri61650.02%
Maharashtrian41200.01%
Anglo-Indian33350.01%
Total Indians 18587655.12%

Source: Canada Census 2021

Canadian Population by Indian Languages

The diversity of the South Asian group can be observed in the broad range of mother tongues reported in the 2021 Census, with English (36.4%), Punjabi (29.4%), Urdu (11.3%), Hindi (8.2%), Tamil (7.1%) and Gujarati (6.4%) the most commonly reported, alone or with other 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.

South Asian Languages Speakers % of Canadian 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

Religion of Indian Population in Canada | Sikhs in Canada

Rajeev Rana

Rajeev Rana loves reading about history and demography and has been writing on these topics for five years. While not a certified expert, he has a deep understanding of demography in India. Rajeev contributes to several websites and has extensive knowledge of the Delhi NCR area.