West Asian Canadians

West Asian Canadians

West Central Asian and Middle Eastern Canadians as percent of population by province/territory
Total population
1,011,145 [1] 2.9% of the total Canadian population (2016)
Regions with significant populations
Greater Toronto, Montreal, Greater Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton
Languages
Canadian English · Canadian French · Arabic · Farsi · Armenian · Turkish · Hebrew Other West Asian Languages
Religion
Islam · Christianity · Baháʼí Faith · Judaism · irreligious
Related ethnic groups
Middle Eastern Canadians · Arab Canadians · Asian Canadians

West Asian Canadians, officially known as West Central Asian and Middle Eastern Canadians are Canadians with ancestry, origins, or citizenship from West and Central Asia. The term West Asian Canadian is a subgroup of Asian Canadians and Middle Eastern Canadians. According to Statistics Canada, West Asian Canadians are considered visible minorities and can be further divided by nationality, such as Iranian Canadian or Lebanese Canadian.

As of 2016, 1,011,145 Canadians had West Asian geographical origins, constituting 2.9% of the Canadian population and 17% of Canada's Asian Canadian population.

Terminology[]

In the Canadian Census, people with origins or ancestry in West Asia (e.g. Armenian Canadians, Iranian Canadians, Turkish Canadians) and Central Asia (e.g. Afghan Canadians, Kazakh Canadians, Uzbek Canadians) are classified as West Asian.

History[]

In 1882, the first individuals of West Asian origin settled in Canada, when a group of Lebanese and Syrian immigrants arrived in Montreal.^[2]

Demography[]

Storefronts in North York offering Iranian cuisine. North York holds the largest population of West Asians in Toronto.

West Asian population by province or territory (2016)

Province / territory	Population	Percentage
Ontario[3]	523,340	4%
Quebec[4]	240,795	3%
British Columbia[5]	99,560	2.2%
Alberta[6]	97,355	2.4%
Nova Scotia[7]	17,205	1.9%
Manitoba[8]	11,850	1%
Saskatchewan[9]	9,415	0.9%
New Brunswick[10]	6,835	0.9%
Newfoundland and Labrador[11]	2,660	0.5%
Prince Edward Island[12]	1,625	1.2%
Northwest Territories[13]	215	0.5%
Yukon[14]	195	0.6%
Nunavut[15]	100	0.3%
Canada[1]	1,011,145	2.9%

See also[]

• Arab Canadians
• Asian Canadians

References[]