Canada’s Arab population has tripled over the past two decades to nearly 800,000 people, with most having immigrated from North Africa and the Middle East, according to new data from Statistics Canada.The report, Portrait of the Arab Population in Canada, found that 795,665 people identified as Arab in the 2021 census — about 2.2% of the national population. Blacklock's Reporter says only 3 in 10 were born in Canada, while the majority were born abroad in regions such as Southwest Asia and Northern Africa.Montréal is home to the country’s largest Arab community, representing more than one third of the total. About 290,000 Arabs live in the city, mainly of Algerian, Moroccan, and Tunisian origin. Other large communities are found in Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, and Windsor..Nearly 70% of Arab Canadians identified as Muslim, while 21% said they were Christian. The community is also notably young, with 27% under the age of 15. From 2015 to 2020, refugees made up the largest group of new Arab arrivals, largely due to the Syrian civil war.The figures were drawn from census data where respondents self-identified as Arab or listed origins such as Egyptian, Palestinian, Jordanian, or Saudi Arabian..The release follows Privy Council research last year that found many Arab Canadians felt stigmatized and underrepresented in public life. Participants urged Ottawa to promote greater understanding of Arab history and culture and warned that social divisions were fueling discrimination.“Many felt more needed to be done by the federal government to increase awareness and understanding of Arab cultures,” said the report, Canadians’ Views, published October 23, 2024. Some respondents expressed concern about “rising Islamophobia” and called for more Arab educators in Canada’s school system.
