Indian immigrants to Canada are numerous. The population is currently set at 870,000 Indian immigrants, while the total number of Indians living in Canada is 1.8 million. This includes Indians who have undergone the naturalization program and have gotten Canadian citizenship or the Canadians who are second-generation, born and raised on Canadian soil.
The 5.1% of the total Canadian population are Indians and Canada is home to the seventh-largest Indian Indian diaspora in the world. The first migrations from India to Canada originated in the late 19th century and have been showing an upward trend. The only dip that we could observe was during the pandemic when the government of Canada halted most immigration programs.
Provinces in Canada with the Most Indian Population
Indians do not uniformly move to a certain province in Canada. The population gravitates to living in the best places with vibrant communities. While some consider cities with a large Indian population, new immigrants with families may prefer cities with low tuition fees for their children. Likewise, some international students may move to cities with top Canadian universities, while some new migrants may simply look for cities due to their history and culture. For a broader perspective, here is a table of the Indian population in Canada per province (with British Columbia and Ontario being the two provinces with the largest number of Indo-Canadians):
| Canadian Provinces | Number of Indian Population | % of Indian Population |
| Ontario | 774,495 | 5.85% |
| British Columbia | 309,315 | 6.78% |
| Alberta | 174,510 | 4.39% |
| Quebec | 51,650 | 0.65% |
| Manitoba | 34,470 | 2.78% |
| Saskatchewan | 18,695 | 1.75% |
| Nova Scotia | 6,255 | 0.69% |
| New Brunswick | 2,150 | 0.29% |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 1,820 | 0.36% |
| Prince Edward Island | 615 | 0.44% |
| Northwest Territories | 355 | 0.86% |
| Yukon | 320 | 0.91% |
| Nunavut | 65 | 0.18% |
Percentage of Indian Population Practicing the Religion in Canada
Along, with the provincial population data of Indo-Canadians, we also listed the percentage of Indian immigrants living in Canada practicing the religion. Here’s the table of the percentage of religion practiced by Indo-Canadians:
| Religion | Percentage of Indian Population Practicing the Religion |
| Sikhism | 36.31% |
| Hinduism | 31.65% |
| Christianity | 12.34% |
| Islam | 11.08% |
Take A Look At The Sikh Migrants Who Challenged Canadian Immigration Law:
The same richness can also be observed in the languages that the Indian diaspora speaks. Here are some numbers, as a percentage of the total Canadian population speaking a specific foreign language, not how many Indians speak it (majority are Hindustani and Punjabi):
| Language | Percentage of People Speaking the Language as a Share of Total Population | Percentage of the Population Speaking the Language as their Mother Language |
| Hindustani* | 3.24% | 1.43% |
| Punjabi* | 2.59% | 2.09% |
| Tamil* | 0.65% | 0.50% |
| Gujarati | 0.58% | 0.46% |
| Bengali* | 0.33% | 0.28% |
Final Thoughts
Canada’s visible minority population has an increasing proportion, with Indo-Canadians representing a significant and dynamic community of 1.8 million living in Canada. While provinces like Ontario and British Columbia are the majority destinations for immigrants to Canada, other factors like educational opportunities and established communities influence where newcomers settle. Looking ahead, this settlement pattern is expected to continue, fueled by Canada’s open immigration system, and thriving Indo-Canadian communities that offer support and connection for new immigrants’ quality of living.