Punjabi Canadians
Canadian people of Punjabi descent / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Punjabi Canadians number approximately 950,000 and account for roughly 2.6% of Canada's population, as per the 2021 Canadian census.[lower-alpha 1] Their heritage originates wholly or partly from the Punjab region of India and Pakistan.
Total population | |
---|---|
942,170[1][lower-alpha 1] 2.6% of the total Canadian population (2021) | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Ontario | 397,865 (2.8%) |
British Columbia | 315,000 (6.4%) |
Alberta | 126,385 (3.0%) |
Manitoba | 42,820 (3.3%) |
Quebec | 34,290 (0.4%) |
Languages | |
Canadian English • Punjabi and its dialects • Canadian French • Hindi • Urdu | |
Religion | |
Predominantly: Sikhism (81.4%) Minorities: Hinduism (6.9%) Islam (6.8%) Irreligion (3.7%) Christianity (1.1%) Buddhism (0.02%) Judaism (0.01%) Indigenous (0.005%) Zoroastrianism · Jainism · Others (0.05%) [2][lower-alpha 2] | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Punjabi Americans • British Punjabis • Punjabi Australians • Indian Canadians • Pakistani Canadians |
Punjabis first arrived in Canada during the late 19th century to work in the forestry industry. Primarily concentrated in the western province of British Columbia, the Punjabi population initially peaked in 1908 before an ensuing period of population decline and stagnation followed. In the mid 20th century Canadian immigration laws were relaxed, fostering rapid population growth into the present day.
Today, the largest Punjabi communities in Canada are situated in the province of British Columbia, concentrated in Vancouver, and the province of Ontario, particularly in Toronto.