New Statistics Canada analysis: Portrait of the South Asian populations in Canada

Statistics Canada released a new in-depth analysis titled Portrait of the South Asian populations in Canada. Using disaggregated data from the 2021 Census of Population, as well as data from the Labour Force Survey and the 2023 Canadian Income Survey, this publication examines the characteristics of the South Asian populations in Canada, including their places of birth, immigration patterns, cultural origins, languages, religions, and socioeconomic outcomes such as education, employment, occupations, and income. 

Highlights from the analytical portrait:

• Between 1996 and 2021, the South Asian populations in Canada almost quadrupled. In 2021, the size of the South Asian populations reached 2.57 million and they made up 7.1% of the total population of Canada.
• India was the most common country of birth, representing 44% of the South Asian populations, followed by Canada (29%), Pakistan (9%), Sri Lanka (5%), and Bangladesh (3%). 
• The 2021 Census revealed that South Asian populations identified with over 145 different ethnic or cultural origins.
• In 2021, the median age of South Asians was 32, nine years younger than the overall median age in Canada of 41. 
• Among South Asians aged 25 to 54, 58% held a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2021, a significantly higher proportion compared to 32% of the non-racialized non-Indigenous population.
• In the second quarter of 2025, South Asian men had similar employment rates compared to their non-racialized non-Indigenous counterparts (89% versus 87%), while South Asian women had lower rates (75% versus 80%).

This analytical portrait is the third in a series of reports on Canada’s largest racialized groups, developed in support of initiatives under Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy. The first report, focusing on Black populations, was released in October 2024, followed by the second report on Arab populations in October 2025.