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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Iranian-Canadian

Iranian Canadians or Persian Canadians are Canadians of Iranian origin. From the 2016 Canadian census, the main communities can be found in Southern Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec. As of 2016 a total of 97,110 Iranians reside in the Greater Toronto Area, 46,255 in the Greater Vancouver Area, and 23,410 in the Greater Montreal Area, with the remainder spread out in the other major cities of Canada, based on the 2016 Canadian Census. These numbers represent the people who stated "Iranian" as their single or joint ethnic origin in the census survey.

Terminology

Iranian-Canadian is used interchangeably with Persian-Canadian, partly due to the fact that, in the Western world, Iran was known as "Persia". On the Nowruz of 1935, Reza Shah Pahlavi asked foreign delegates to use the term Iran, the endonym of the country used since the Sasanian Empire, in formal correspondence. Since then the use of the word "Iran" has become more common in the Western countries. This also changed the usage of the terms for Iranian nationality, and the common adjective for citizens of Iran changed from "Persian" to "Iranian". In 1959, the government of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Reza Shah Pahlavi's son, announced that both "Persia" and "Iran" could officially be used interchangeably. However the issue is still debated today.

While the majority of Iranian-Canadians come from Persian backgrounds, there is a significant number of non-Persian Iranians such as Azeris and Kurds within the Iranian-Canadian community, leading some scholars to believe that the label "Iranian" is more inclusive, since the label "Persian" excludes non-Persian minorities. The Collins English Dictionary uses a variety of similar and overlapping definitions for the terms "Persian" and "Iranian".

Demography

Population

Iranian-Canadian
Population History
YearPop.±%
19815,600—    
198615,745+181.2%
199143,210+174.4%
199664,405+49.1%
200188,220+37.0%
2006121,505+37.7%
2011163,290+34.4%
2016210,405+28.9%
2021280,805+33.5%
Source: Statistics Canada

Immigration

In 2021, there were 213,160 individuals in Canada who had been born in Iran, of which 70,395 had immigrated to Canada since 2011.

Religion

Among all Iranian-Canadians, 103,560 (49%) identified as Muslim. Among immigrants since 2011, about 39,860 (57%) identified as Muslim while most of the rest did not identify with any religion.

Iranian Canadian demography by religion
Religious group 2021
Pop. %
Islam 123,045 43.82%
Irreligion 120,250 42.82%
Christianity 18,270 6.51%
Judaism 1,235 0.44%
Hinduism 240 0.09%
Buddhism 220 0.08%
Sikhism 150 0.05%
Indigenous spirituality 35 0.01%
Other (primarily Zoroastrianism) 17,350 6.18%
Total Iranian
Canadian population
280,805 100%

Geographical distribution

Provinces & territories

Iranian Canadians by province and territory (2001−2021)
Province/Territory 2021 2016 2011 2006 2001
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Ontario 155,855 1.11% 117,065 0.88% 92,635 0.73% 70,595 0.59% 51,775 0.46%
British Columbia 68,545 1.39% 47,985 1.05% 39,285 0.91% 29,265 0.72% 21,910 0.57%
Quebec 34,010 0.41% 25,530 0.32% 17,825 0.23% 12,370 0.17% 9,535 0.13%
Alberta 15,185 0.36% 13,925 0.35% 9,215 0.26% 5,835 0.18% 3,130 0.11%
Manitoba 2,010 0.15% 1,885 0.15% 1,265 0.11% 1,485 0.13% 630 0.06%
Saskatchewan 1,825 0.17% 1,340 0.13% 795 0.08% 630 0.07% 525 0.05%
Nova Scotia 1,640 0.17% 1,405 0.15% 1,240 0.14% 805 0.09% 390 0.04%
New Brunswick 845 0.11% 670 0.09% 445 0.06% 380 0.05% 185 0.03%
Newfoundland and Labrador 535 0.11% 215 0.04% 180 0.04% 60 0.01% 35 0.01%
Prince Edward Island 270 0.18% 295 0.21% 335 0.24% 15 0.01% 25 0.02%
Northwest Territories 45 0.11% 60 0.15% 55 0.13% 45 0.11% 20 0.05%
Nunavut 20 0.05% 20 0.06% 0 0% 10 0.03% 10 0.04%
Yukon 20 0.05% 15 0.04% 20 0.06% 10 0.03% 45 0.16%
Canada 280,805 0.77% 210,405 0.61% 163,290 0.5% 121,505 0.39% 88,220 0.3%

British Columbia

Ontario

Islamic republic politicians/sympathizers

Canada in 2022 banned ten thousand IRGC seniors and officers from entry. Iranian celebrities and government former ministers and officials are often mentioned in the news residing or traveling in Canada as well.

Notable Canadians of Iranian descent

Editorial team of Shahrvand weekly in Toronto, the largest Persian newspaper in Canada

Academia

Little Persia on Yonge Street at North York, 2014

Art and literature

Beauty pageants

Business

The Ghermezians, an Iranian-Canadian family, own the West Edmonton Mall.

Crime

Entertainment

Journalism

ITC TV, one of the Persian-language TV stations in Toronto

Various Persian-language media (including TV and newspapers) are active in Canada, including Shahrvand and Salam Toronto, which cover local events as well.

Politicians

Sport

Technology

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Total population with "Iranian" (200,465 persons) and "Persian" (80,340 persons) ethnic or cultural origin responses on the 2021 census.
  2. ^ Religious breakdown proportions based on "Iranian" and "Persian" ethnic or cultural origin responses on the 2021 census.
  3. ^ Does not those who don't have permanent residency (e.g study permit holder)

References

  1. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2022-10-26). "Ethnic or cultural origin by gender and age: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  2. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (17 August 2022). "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population Profile table Canada [Country"]. www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
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  4. ^ "Nazanin Afshin-Jam: TD Bank 'Misinterpreting' Iran Sanctions In Shutting Persian-Canadians' Accounts". HuffingtonPost.ca. 2012-09-12. Archived from the original on 2018-11-14. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
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  6. ^ Canada, Government of Canada, Statistics. "Census Profile, 2016 Census - Toronto [Census metropolitan area], Ontario and Ontario [Province]". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2018-03-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Canada, Government of Canada, Statistics. "Census Profile, 2016 Census - Vancouver [Census metropolitan area], British Columbia and British Columbia [Province]". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2018-03-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Canada, Government of Canada, Statistics. "Census Profile, 2016 Census - Montréal [Census metropolitan area], Quebec and Quebec [Province]". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2018-03-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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