TheDemographics of Montreal concern population growth and structure forMontreal, Quebec, Canada. The information is analyzed byStatistics Canada and compiled every five years, with the most recent census having taken place in2021.
Population of Montreal, and Metropolitan Area by year[1] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | City[2] | Island[3][4] | Metropolitan[2] |
1660 | 407 | ||
1663 | 596 | ||
1666 | 624 | ||
1681 | 1,389 | ||
1700 | 2,969 | ||
1760 | 8,300 | ||
1771 | 9,770 | ||
1781 | 17,945 | ||
1791 | 18,000 | ||
1801 | 9,000 | ||
1811 | 13,300 | ||
1821 | 18,767 | ||
1831 | 27,297 | ||
1841 | 40,356 | ||
1851 | 57,715 | ||
1861 | 90,323 | ||
1871 | 130,022 | 144,044 | 174,090 |
1881 | 176,263 | 193,171 | 223,512 |
1891 | 254,278 | 277,525 | 308,169 |
1901 | 325,653 | 360,838 | 393,665 |
1911 | 490,504 | 554,761 | 594,812 |
1921 | 618,506 | 724,205 | 774,330 |
1931 | 818,577 | 1,003,868 | 1,064,448 |
1941 | 903,007 | 1,116,800 | 1,192,235 |
1951 | 1,021,520 | 1,320,232 | 1,539,308 |
1956 | 1,109,439 | 1,507,653 | 1,745,001 |
1961 | 1,201,559 | 1,747,696 | 2,110,679 |
1966 | 1,293,992 | 1,923,971 | 2,570,985 |
1971 | 1,214,352 | 1,958,595 | 2,743,208 |
1976 | 1,080,545 | 1,869,645 | 2,802,485 |
1981 | 1,018,609 | 1,760,120 | 2,862,286 |
1986 | 1,015,420 | 1,752,361 | 2,921,357 |
1991 | 1,017,666 | 1,775,871 | 3,127,242 |
1996 | 1,016,376 | 1,775,778 | 3,326,447 |
2001 | 1,039,534 | 1,812,723 | 3,426,350 |
2006 | 1,620,693 | 1,854,442 | 3,635,571 |
2011 | 1,649,519 | 1,886,481 | 3,824,221 |
2016 | 1,704,694 | 1,942,044 | 4,098,927 |
2021 | 1,762,949 | 2,004,265 | 4,291,732 |
According toStatistics Canada, at the time of the2011 Canadian census the city of Montreal proper had 1,649,519 inhabitants.[5] A total of 3,824,221 lived in the MontrealCensus Metropolitan Area (CMA) at the same 2011 census, up from 3,635,556 at the 2006 census (within 2006 CMA boundaries), which means a population growth rate of +5.2% between 2006 and 2011.[6] Montreal's 2012-2013 population growth rate was 1.135%, compared with 1.533% for all Canadian CMAs.[7]
In the 2006 census, children under 14 years of age (621,695) constituted 17.1%, while inhabitants over 65 years of age (495,685) numbered 13.6% of the total population.[8]
The current estimate of the Montreal CMA population, as of July 1, 2013, according toStatistics Canada is 3,981,802.[9]According to StatsCan, by 2030, the Greater Montreal Area is expected to number 5,275,000 with 1,722,000 being visible minorities.[10]
According to the2021 census, some 38.8% of the population of Montreal[11] and 27.2% that ofMetro Montreal,[12] are members of avisible minority (non-white) group.[13]Blacks (198,610 persons or 11.5%) contribute to the largest minority group, with Montreal having the 2nd highest number of black people in Canada afterToronto, as well as having the highest concentrations of black people amongst major Canadian cities.[11] Other groups, such asArabs (141,935 persons or 8.2%),South Asians (79,670 persons or 4.6%),Latin Americans (78,150 persons or 4.5%), andChinese (56,935 persons or 3.3%) are also large in number.[11][14][13][15] Visible minorities are defined by theCanadian Employment Equity Act as "persons, other thanAboriginals, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white incolour."[16]
Panethnic group | 2021[11] | 2016[17] | 2011[18] | 2006[19] | 2001[20] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
European[a] | 1,038,940 | 60.29% | 1,082,620 | 65.09% | 1,092,465 | 67.74% | 1,171,295 | 73.49% | 784,420 | 76.92% |
African | 198,610 | 11.53% | 171,385 | 10.3% | 147,100 | 9.12% | 122,880 | 7.71% | 68,245 | 6.69% |
Middle Eastern[b] | 159,435 | 9.25% | 137,525 | 8.27% | 114,780 | 7.12% | 76,910 | 4.83% | 34,035 | 3.34% |
South Asian | 79,670 | 4.62% | 55,595 | 3.34% | 53,515 | 3.32% | 51,255 | 3.22% | 33,310 | 3.27% |
Latin American | 78,150 | 4.54% | 67,525 | 4.06% | 67,160 | 4.16% | 53,970 | 3.39% | 31,190 | 3.06% |
Southeast Asian[c] | 65,260 | 3.79% | 58,315 | 3.51% | 61,320 | 3.8% | 47,950 | 3.01% | 33,505 | 3.29% |
East Asian[d] | 64,825 | 3.76% | 61,400 | 3.69% | 52,195 | 3.24% | 52,650 | 3.3% | 25,810 | 2.53% |
Indigenous | 15,315 | 0.89% | 12,035 | 0.72% | 9,510 | 0.59% | 7,600 | 0.48% | 3,555 | 0.35% |
Other[e] | 23,010 | 1.34% | 16,835 | 1.01% | 14,585 | 0.9% | 9,205 | 0.58% | 5,675 | 0.56% |
Total responses | 1,723,230 | 97.75% | 1,663,225 | 97.57% | 1,612,640 | 97.76% | 1,593,725 | 98.34% | 1,019,735 | 98.1% |
Total population | 1,762,949 | 100% | 1,704,694 | 100% | 1,649,519 | 100% | 1,620,693 | 100% | 1,039,534 | 100% |
Group | 2021[11] | 2016[17] | 2011[18] | 2006[19] | 2001[20] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
Visible minority | 668,975 | 38.8% | 568,570 | 34.2% | 510,665 | 31.7% | 414,830 | 26% | 231,760 | 22.7% |
Indigenous | 15,315 | 0.9% | 12,035 | 0.7% | 9,510 | 0.6% | 7,600 | 0.5% | 3,555 | 0.3% |
Population group | Population | % of total population | |
---|---|---|---|
Visible minority[11] | Black | 198,610 | 11.5% |
Arab | 141,935 | 8.2% | |
South Asian | 79,670 | 4.6% | |
Latin American | 78,150 | 4.5% | |
Chinese | 56,935 | 3.3% | |
Southeast Asian | 37,905 | 2.2% | |
Filipino | 27,355 | 1.6% | |
West Asian | 17,500 | 1% | |
Korean | 5,245 | 0.3% | |
Japanese | 2,645 | 0.2% | |
Mixed visible minority | 17,540 | 1% | |
Visible minority,n.i.e. | 5,470 | 0.3% | |
Total visible minority population | 668,975 | 38.8% | |
Indigenous[11] | First Nations | 8,065 | 0.5% |
Métis | 5,705 | 0.3% | |
Inuit | 545 | 0% | |
Other | 1,000 | 0.1% | |
Total Indigenous population | 15,315 | 0.9% | |
European[a] | 1,038,940 | 60.3% | |
Total responses | 1,723,230 | 97.7% | |
Total population | 1,762,949 | 100% |
Panethnic group | 2021[21][12] | 2016[22] | 2011[23] | 2006[24] | 2001[25] | 1996[26][27] | 1981[26][27] | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | ||||||
European[f] | 3,059,895 | 72.74% | 3,070,210 | 76.57% | 2,963,860 | 78.98% | 2,980,280 | 83.05% | 2,911,230 | 86.11% | — | — | — | — | |||||
African | 340,140 | 8.09% | 270,940 | 6.76% | 216,310 | 5.76% | 169,065 | 4.71% | 139,305 | 4.12% | 122,320 | 3.72% | — | — | — | ||||
Middle Eastern[b] | 285,615 | 6.79% | 220,055 | 5.49% | 172,345 | 4.59% | 113,405 | 3.16% | 79,410 | 2.35% | 73,950 | 2.25% | — | — | — | ||||
Latin American | 137,850 | 3.28% | 110,195 | 2.75% | 98,010 | 2.61% | 75,400 | 2.1% | 53,155 | 1.57% | 46,700 | 1.42% | — | — | — | ||||
South Asian | 121,260 | 2.88% | 85,925 | 2.14% | 79,540 | 2.12% | 70,615 | 1.97% | 57,935 | 1.71% | 37,600 | 1.14% | — | — | — | ||||
East Asian[d] | 116,820 | 2.78% | 100,265 | 2.5% | 83,420 | 2.22% | 79,665 | 2.22% | 58,165 | 1.72% | 51,930 | 1.58% | — | — | — | ||||
Southeast Asian[c] | 101,560 | 2.41% | 88,755 | 2.21% | 89,645 | 2.39% | 68,475 | 1.91% | 57,460 | 1.7% | 46,165 | 1.4% | — | — | — | ||||
Indigenous | 46,085 | 1.1% | 34,745 | 0.87% | 26,285 | 0.7% | 17,865 | 0.5% | 11,085 | 0.33% | — | — | — | — | |||||
Other/Multiracial[e] | 40,565 | 0.96% | 28,710 | 0.72% | 23,060 | 0.61% | 13,755 | 0.38% | 12,900 | 0.38% | 8,360 | 0.25% | — | — | — | ||||
Total: Visible minority | 1,143,810 | 27.2% | 904,845 | 22.6% | 762,330 | 20.3% | 590,380 | 16.5% | 458,330 | 13.5% | — | 12.2% | — | 5.2% | |||||
Total responses | 4,206,455 | 98.01% | 4,009,795 | 97.83% | 3,752,470 | 98.12% | 3,588,520 | 98.71% | 3,380,645 | 98.67% | — | — | — | — | |||||
Total population | 4,291,732 | 100% | 4,098,927 | 100% | 3,824,221 | 100% | 3,635,571 | 100% | 3,426,350 | 100% | — | 100% | — | 100% | |||||
Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses |
Ethnic origin | Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Canadian | 1,670,655 | 43.8% |
French | 870,245 | 21.7% |
Italian | 279,800 | 7.0% |
Irish | 239,460 | 6.0% |
English | 138,320 | 3.4% |
Haitian | 132,255 | 3.3% |
Scottish | 124,130 | 3.1% |
Chinese | 108,775 | 2.7% |
First Nations | 101,915 | 2.5% |
Québécois | 92,115 | 2.3% |
German | 86,025 | 2.1% |
Algerian | 84,585 | 2.1% |
Moroccan | 77,450 | 1.9% |
Spanish | 68,600 | 1.7% |
Greek | 66,395 | 1.7% |
Lebanese | 68,765 | 1.7% |
Polish | 64,895 | 1.6% |
Portuguese | 56,405 | 1.4% |
Russian | 49,275 | 1.2% |
East Indian | 48,485 | 1.2% |
Romanian | 47,980 | 1.2% |
Vietnamese | 38,660 | 1.0% |
Filipino | 35,685 | 0.9% |
Ukrainian | 35,050 | 0.8% |
Belgian | 31,840 | 0.8% |
2041[29][30][31][32] | ||
---|---|---|
Population | % | |
European[nb 1] | 3,249,000 | 58.97% |
African | 673,000 | 12.21% |
Middle Eastern[b] | 597,000 | 10.83% |
East Asian[d] | 252,000 | 4.57% |
Latin American | 213,000 | 3.87% |
South Asian | 195,000 | 3.54% |
Southeast Asian[c] | 167,000 | 3.03% |
Indigenous | 87,000 | 1.58% |
Other/multiracial | 76,000 | 1.38% |
Projected Metro Montreal Population | 5,510,000 | 100% |
34,745 Aboriginals live in Montreal.[33]
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Montreal is the cultural centre of Quebec, French-speakingCanada and French-speaking North America as a whole, and an important city in theFrancophonie. The majority of the population isfrancophone. Montreal is the largest French-speaking city inNorth America, and second in the world afterParis when counting the number of native-language Francophones (third after Paris andKinshasa when counting second-language speakers). The city is a hub for French language television productions, radio, theatre, circuses, performing arts, film, multimedia and print publishing.
Montreal plays a prominent role in the development of French-Canadian and Québécois culture. Its contribution to culture is therefore more of a society-building endeavour rather than limited to civic influence. The best talents from French Canada and even the French-speaking areas of theUnited States converge in Montreal and often perceive the city as their cultural capital. Montreal is also the most important stop in the Americas for Francophone artists from Europe, Africa and Asia.
The cultural divide between Canada'sFrancophone andAnglophone culture is strong and was famously referred to as the "Two Solitudes" by Canadian writerHugh MacLennan. Reflecting their deep-seated colonial roots, the Solitudes were historically strongly entrenched in Montreal, splitting the city geographically atSaint Laurent Boulevard.
Montreal is the focal point ofQuebec's English-speaking community. Arriving in waves from the United Kingdom and eventually the entireBritish Commonwealth, the historical English-speaking community in Montreal includes Quebecers of English, Scottish, and Irish origin (as reflected in the city'sflag) as well asLoyalists,escaped slaves, and immigrants from theCaribbean and theIndian subcontinent.[34]
With the advent ofmass migration from beyond the confines of theBritish Empire, the English-speaking community in Montreal expanded to include a huge array of different cultures and ethnic groups. SinceChinese,Jewish,Greek, and other non-Catholic immigrants were barred from attending French-languageCatholic schools under theConfessional school system, they attended English-languageProtestant schools instead and became acculturated into the English-speaking community. This trend was boosted by the Catholic Church's policy, calledla Revanche des berceaux or the "Revenge of the Cradle", of encouraging French-Canadians to maintain a very high birth-rate in order to bolster the community's demographic weight in Canada. This policy, along with the Church's traditional mistrust of entrepreneurship and the business world, caused French-Canadians in Quebec to remain largely poor and rural while shunning immigration in an attempt to resist assimilation. Immigrants who arrived prior to theQuiet Revolution therefore largely assimilated into the increasingly diverse English-speaking community in Montreal, while the city's French-speaking community remained largely white, French, and Catholic, growing through high birth rates and migration from the countryside rather than immigration.[35][36]
During theQuiet Revolution, French Quebecers left the Churchen masse and birth rates fell drastically as they began to question theDuplessis-era establishment's legitimacy.[37] This awakening coincided with the arrival of a massive wave ofItalian immigrants who, despite being Catholic, demanded English-language training and bilingual schools for their children. This community's desire to see its children, like those of fellow immigrant groups and the English community, educated in the majority language of Canada rather than the language of an insular minority clashed directly with Quebec francophones' emergent self-image as a majority community within Quebec rather than a national minority within Canada. With birth-rates declining dramatically, French Quebecers wished to tap into immigration to maintain their share of the population and the government set its sights on the Italian community, leading to theSaint-Leonard Conflict in which the Italian community sought to maintain freedom of choice in education in the face of the government's demands that they send their children to French-language schools. The Government of Quebec intended to allow English-language schooling only for Quebec's "historical English minority", a move which the Italian community viewed as discriminatory.[38][39] The matter was eventually settled with the advent ofBill 101, which allowed anyone who arrived before 1976 to continue school in the language of their choice while requiring all new immigrants from outside Quebec (including English-speaking Canadians) to attend school in French; this last requirement, the so-calledQuebec clause was eventually struck down by theSupreme Court and expanded to allow anyone who received the better part of their schooling in English in Canada to send their children to English school in Quebec (in practice, this complex formula was designed so as not to bestow a right to English education on anyone who was educated in an English-speaking country and later became a Canadian citizen).
Because of these developments, Montreal's English-speaking community today includes people of English and Commonwealth ancestry, as well as specific groups who arrived in waves before the advent of Bill 101. It is a highly diverse community, with many members having a complex and multi-layered sense of identity that does not easily conform to the Government's definitions of "anglophone", "allophone", and "francophone".[40]
The community is served by one daily newspaper,The Gazette, as well as a number of weeklies includingThe Suburban. Another major daily, theMontreal Star, was Canada's foremost English-language daily until it ceased publication in 1979 due to a labour dispute. The most-watched television news channel isCTV Montreal, formerlyCFCF 12, and the community is also served by local desks at theCBC,Global,Citytv, andMaTV.
The English-speaking community in Montreal has traditionally been very pro-active in building up institutions in the areas of education and healthcare, most notablyMcGill andConcordia Universities and theMcGill University Health Centre. With the advent ofBill 101, which made French the sole language of work, these institutions came to play a key role in maintaining the vitality and viability of the English-speaking community.Alliance Quebec, an advocacy group created to give voice to the concerns of the English-speaking community in the turbulent times following the election of theParti Québécois in 1976, fought to give English-speakers the right to work as well. In a compromise, the government made provisions in Bill 101 for so-called "bilingual institutions", namelyschool boards,colleges and universities, andhospitals serving primarily the English-speaking community, which would be required only to ensure the provision of services in French without having to operate entirely in French as otherwise required by Bill 101. In effect, this allowed English speakers to maintain access to the workforce by giving them non-client-facing jobs, so long as the organization could still provide services in French. Because of this historical development, English-speaking Montrealers' identity is deeply entwined with the community's historical institutions.[41] Along similar lines, theJewish General Hospital was founded by the largely-English speaking Jewish Community to provide jobs and ensure quality healthcare for the Jewish community (notably whilst serving any and all, regardless of race, religion, or creed) at a time when Jews were routinely excluded from the medical profession and discriminated against as patients within a denominational healthcare system.,[42] which actually occurred before theQuiet Revolution during English rule in Montreal (and indeed all of Quebec at the time).
Prominent venues in Montreal's English-speaking community include theCentaur Theatre and theSegal Centre for Performing Arts. Notable English-speaking Montrealers includeOliver Jones,Leonard Cohen,Oscar Peterson,William Shatner,Nick Auf der Maur, Melissa Auf der Maur,Mike Bossy, andMordecai Richler.
The English-speaking community in Montreal is geographically fragmented along its diverse ethnic lines, with much of the English-speaking population concentrated in the suburban communities of theWest Island. Traditionally, the city ofWestmount and Montreal'sGolden Square Mile were the home of the wealthy English merchant class. Other wealthy, largely English-speaking suburbs include the towns ofHampstead andMount Royal, as well as the more middle class city ofCôte-Saint-Luc, which is traditionally associated with the city's Jewish community. The working-class Irish community was associated with the rough neighborhoods ofPointe-Saint-Charles,Verdun andSaint-Henri, which continue to host successive waves of immigrant groups as they arrive and eventually spread throughout the city.Saint Laurent Boulevard is the traditional dividing line between the so-calledTwo Solitudes, with the English-speaking community to the West and the French-speaking community to the East, although these lines continue to blur. Along its length, St. Laurent (also known as "The Main") has hosted a wide variety of groups that eventually came to form the city's English-speaking community, fromChinatown in the South, throughLittle Portugal, whereLeonard Cohen had his house, and into theMile End, which housed the Jewish community upon its first arrival and also contained numerous factories in theSchmata Industry, as described byMordecai Richler in his work,St. Urbain's Horseman. The Greek community settled further up The Main nearOutremont and thePark Extension neighbourhood nearJean Talon Street (an area which today boasts a large South Asian community), while the Italian community settled first into the neighbourhood ofAhuntsic and later,St. Leonard,Montreal North, andRiviere des Prairies.
All of these groups have English as their first language of use and may partake in the English-language or other minority school systems, but they also maintain separate cultural traditions and institutions and often operate in French at work, making it difficult to pinpoint exactly where the boundaries of Montreal's English-speaking community lie. Montréal's English-speaking population became more diverse in the 20th century. Jewish migrants from Eastern Europe arrived in large numbers in the late 19th century, followed by Italians, both groups largely aligning with the English-speaking community. Less numerous, but also important, were the many black, Chinese and South Asian migrants who increased the visible minority proportion of anglophones; today, 24.2 per cent of anglophones are visible minorities. Moreover, most anglophones in Québec are now of non-English origin.[40]
Montreal'sItalian community is one of the largest in Canada, second only to Toronto. With 250,000 residents of Italian ancestry, Montreal has many Italian districts, such asLittle Italy, Saint-Leonard (Città Italiana),R.D.P., andLaSalle. Italian is the 3rd most spoken language in Montreal and in the province ofQuebec.
Greek is the eighth language in importance. The Greek community remains vibrant: several neighbourhoods contain a number of Greek-owned businesses and local festivals and churches add to the multicultural character of the city. The neighbouring city of Laval also has a sizable Greek community, predominantly residing in the borough of Chomedey.
In 1931 the largest non-French, non-British ethnic group in St. Eusebe and St. Gabriel was the Poles.[43]
In 1931 the largest non-French, non-British ethnic group in Cremazie was the Czecho-Slovaks.[43]
In 1931 the largest non-French, non-British ethnic group in St. Marie was the Lithuanians.[43]
In 1931 the largest non-French, non-British ethnic group in St. Georges was the Finns.[43]
Montreal's Jewish community is one of the oldest and most populous in the country, formerly first but now second toToronto and numbering about 100,000 according to the 2001 census. The community is quite diverse, and is composed of many differentJewish ethnic divisions that arrived in Canada at different periods of time and under differing circumstances.
Jews comprised 2.4% of the total Montreal population.[44]
According to CH (Montreal's multicultural channel) there are now over 117,000 people of Arab origin in Montreal. Montreal has sizeable communities of Lebanese, Syrian and Egyptian origin. The main Arab district is the borough ofSaint-Laurent, which contains an Arab population of about 32,000 (52 percent of the population).[citation needed]
In 1931 the Syro-Lebanese were the largest non-French and non-British ethnic group in Ville Marie.[43]
According to the 2011 Census there were 190,275 Canadians who claimed Lebanese ancestry, with the largest concentration in Montreal, making them by far the largest group of people with Arabic-speaking roots.
As of the2001 Canadian Census there were over 16,000 Canadians of Moroccan descent in Montreal, about 75% of the total Moroccan population of Canada.[45]
As of 2005 there were almost 30,000 ethnic Armenians in Montreal.[46] The Armenians first settled Canada in 1880. The first Armenian community in Montreal originally had 225 people.[46]
There are Armenian community institutions such as schools, youth organizations, and churches. The authors of "The Chameleon Character of Multilingual Literacy Portraits: Researching in "Heritage" Language Places and Spaces" wrote that in Montreal "there is no recognizable materially bounded Armenian neighborhood";[47] however, there are three Armenian schools in Montreal, as well as anAGBU Centre located in Ville Saint-Laurent and the Armenian Community Centre of Montréal, located in Ahuntsic-Cartierville.[48][49]
Especially fromAlgeria andMorocco, this immigration is recent and almost 90,000Berbers live in Montreal.
Additional West Indian women, from both the Francophone and Anglophone Caribbean, came to Montreal after theDomestic Immigration Program of 1955 was established.[50] Most settled inLittle Burgundy.
Montreal'sHaitian community of 100,000 people is the largest in Canada. Large percentages of Haitians live inMontréal-Nord,Saint-Michel andR.D.P. Today,Haitian Creole is the sixth most spoken language in Montreal and the seventh most spoken language in the province ofQuebec.[citation needed]
Montreal is host to the second largest Latin American community in Canada at 75,400 (Toronto ranks first, with 99,290), but amongst major Canadian cities, has the highest Latin American concentration at 4.1% in comparison to Toronto's Latin American concentration of 2.9% as well as the highest concentration amongst major Canadian metro areas at 2.7% to Toronto GMA's 2.3% as of 2016. The majority of Latin American Canadians are recent immigrants arriving in the late 20th century who have come fromEl Salvador,Colombia,Mexico,Chile andGuatemala with relatively smaller communities from theDominican Republic,Cuba,Venezuela,Nicaragua andEcuador.[51]Spanish is currently the fifth most spoken language in Montreal.
On the other hand, the city is also home to 4,425Brazilians who are part of thePortuguese-speaking community of Montreal.[52]
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The termIndo-Canadian is typically used in Canada to refer to people from the many ethnic groups of the Republic of India, and other South Asian countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Sometimes you will also hear the term 'East Indian.'[53]As of 1985 there were 9,000 Sikhs in the Montreal area. Around 35 ofAir India Flight 182's passengers were Sikhs fromGreater Montreal.[54] A memorial to AI182, located inLachine, Montreal, opened in 2010.[55]
As of 2006 Montreal has Canada's third largest ethnic Chinese population at 72,000 members.[56] As of 2005 there is an estimate of 42,765 ethnic Chinese in Montreal. Of the ethnic minorities, the Chinese are the fourth largest. National origins include Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and Singapore.[57]
TheSouth Shore suburb ofBrossard in particular has a high ethnic Chinese population, at 12% of its population.[58] Montreal also has a smallChinatown sandwiched in betweenOld Montreal, theQuartier international anddowntown.
As of 2005Sinoquebec is the newest Chinese-language newspaper in Montreal.[59] Others areLes Presses Chinoises andSept Days.
Several Chinese-language special schools are in Montreal.[59] TheMontreal Chinese Hospital is located in the city.
As of 2005 there were an estimated 2,360 ethnic Japanese in Montreal.[60] As of 2003 there was no particular place where ethnic Japanese were concentrated,[61] E. Bourgault wrote inPerspectives on the Japanese Canadian Experience in Quebec (Repartir à zéro: Perspectives sur l'expérience des Canadiens d'origine japonaise au Québec) that Japanese in Montreal historically "lived relatively anonymously" and that they "have avoided visible concentration as a collective, hoping to blend in, unnoticed into the larger population."[62]
As of 1999 the Communauté Khmere du Canada (Khmer Community Association) and the Pagode Khmer du Canada (Khmer Buddhist Temple) cooperate with one another.[63]
Some MuslimCham people also moved to Montreal.[64]
As of 1999 in Montrealduan chee give active help in resolving emotional issues with Khmer women, while this is not the case withduan chee in Toronto.[65]
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In terms of mother language (first language learned), the 2006 census reported that in theGreater Montreal Area, 66.5% spoke French as a first language, followed by English at 13.2%, while 0.8% spoke both as a first language.[66] The remaining 22.5% of Montreal-area residents areallophones, speaking languages includingItalian (3.5%),Arabic (3.1%),Spanish (2.6%),Haitian Creole (1.3%),Chinese (1.2%),Greek (1.2%),Portuguese (0.8%),Romanian (0.7%),Vietnamese (0.7%), andRussian (0.5%).[66] In terms of additional languages spoken, a unique feature of Montreal among Canadian cities, noted by Statistics Canada, is the working knowledge of both French and English possessed by most of its residents.
1996[67] | 2001[68] | 2006[69] | 2011[70] | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
French | 71.2% | 72.1% | 70.5% | 70.4% | |
English | 15.4% | 14.8% | 14.9% | 14.0% | |
Other language | 13.4% | 13.1% | 14.6% | 16.6% | |
Note that percentages add up to more than 100% because some people speak two or more languages at home. |
Language | Greater Montreal | Quebec | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
French | 65.8% | 79.7% | 22.0% |
English | 13.2% | 9.0% | 58.6% |
Arabic | 3.9% | 2.1% | 1.1% |
Spanish | 3.1% | 1.8% | 1.3% |
Italian | 3.1% | 1.6% | 1.3% |
Creole | 1.5% | 0.8% | 0.2% |
Greek | 1.1% | 0.5% | 0.4% |
Chinese | 1.1% | 0.6% | 1.3% |
Portuguese | 0.8% | 0.5% | 0.7% |
Romanian | 0.7% | 0.4% | 0.3% |
Vietnamese | 0.7% | 0.4% | 0.5% |
Russian | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.5% |
Persian | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.5% |
Tagalog | 0.4% | 0.2% | 1.2% |
Armenian | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
Polish | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.6% |
Tamil | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
Punjabi | 0.3% | 0.2% | 1.4% |
German | 0.3% | 0.2% | 1.3% |
Bengali | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
Cantonese | 0.3% | 0.1% | 1.2% |
Urdu | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.6% |
Mandarin | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.8% |
Canada Census Mother Tongue - Greater Montreal, Quebec[72] | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Census | Total | French | English | French & English | Other | |||||||||||||
Year | Responses | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | |||||
2021 | 4,246,060 | 2,543,265 | ![]() | 59.89% | 474,735 | ![]() | 11.18% | 81,470 | ![]() | 1.9% | 990,820 | ![]() | 23.33% | |||||
2016 | 4,053,355 | 2,551,955 | ![]() | 62.96% | 444,955 | ![]() | 10.97% | 47,150 | ![]() | 1.16% | 910,605 | ![]() | 22.47% | |||||
2011 | 3,785,915 | 2,395,525 | ![]() | 63.27% | 439,845 | ![]() | 11.62% | 40,400 | ![]() | 1.07% | 832,245 | ![]() | 21.98% | |||||
2006 | 3,588,520 | 2,328,400 | ![]() | 64.88% | 425,635 | ![]() | 11.86% | 26,855 | ![]() | 0.75% | 807,630 | ![]() | 22.5% | |||||
2001 | 3,380,645 | 2,275,035 | ![]() | 67.29% | 408,185 | ![]() | 12.1% | 29,935 | ![]() | 0.89% | 667,485 | ![]() | 19.74% | |||||
1996 | 3,287,645 | 2,204,285 | ![]() | 67.04% | 426,600 | ![]() | 12.9% | 30,550 | ![]() | 0.9% | 581,450 | ![]() | 17.68% | |||||
1991 | 3,127,245 | 2,093,395 | ![]() | 66.94% | 445,515 | ![]() | 14.2% | 53,140 | ![]() | 1.6% | 456,670 | ![]() | 14.6% | |||||
1986 | 2,921,357 | 1,974,115 | ![]() | 67.76% | 433,095 | ![]() | 14.82% | 88,585 | n/a | 3.03% | 344,970 | n/a | 11.8% | |||||
1981 | 2,828,349 | 1,936,200 | n/a | 68.24% | 520,485 | n/a | 18.3% | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Canada Census Mother Tongue – Montreal, Quebec[72] | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Census | Total | French | English | French and English | Other | |||||||||||||
Year | Responses | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | |||||
2016 | 1,680,910 | 833,280 | ![]() | 49.57% | 208,140 | ![]() | 12.38% | 20,705 | ![]() | 1.27% | 559,035 | ![]() | 34.34% | |||||
2011 | 1,627,945 | 818,970 | ![]() | 50.3% | 206,210 | ![]() | 12.67% | 17,430 | ![]() | 1.07% | 536,560 | ![]() | 32.30% | |||||
2006 | 1,593,725 | 834,520 | ![]() | 52.36% | 200,000 | ![]() | 12.5% | 12,055 | ![]() | 0.75% | 547,150 | ![]() | 34.33% | |||||
2001 | 1,608,024 | 873,564 | ![]() | 54.32% | 206,025 | ![]() | 12.81% | 16,807 | ![]() | 1.04% | 484,165 | ![]() | 30.1% | |||||
1996 | 1,569,437 | 855,780 | n/a | 54.53% | 215,100 | n/a | 13.7% | 14,740 | n/a | 0.94% | 425,725 | n/a | 27.12% |
Top 30 languages Montréal, 2016[73] | Population | % |
---|---|---|
French | 833,280 | 52.1 |
English | 208,140 | 13.0 |
Arabic | 95,165 | 5.9 |
Spanish | 72,760 | 4.5 |
Italian | 67,800 | 4.2 |
Creole | 36,160 | 2.3 |
Mandarin | 26,245 | 1.6 |
Vietnamese | 18,115 | 1.1 |
Kabyle | 17,895 | 1.1 |
Portuguese | 17,130 | 1.1 |
Greek | 16,935 | 1.1 |
Romanian | 15,230 | 1.0 |
Russian | 14,685 | 0.9 |
Cantonese | 14,435 | 0.9 |
Farsi | 12,585 | 0.8 |
Tagalog (Filipino) | 10,770 | 0.7 |
Tamil | 9,595 | 0.6 |
Bengali | 9,290 | 0.6 |
Panjabi (Punjabi) | 7,300 | 0.5 |
Polish | 7,000 | 0.4 |
Urdu | 6,580 | 0.4 |
Armenian | 6,330 | 0.4 |
Yiddish | 6,030 | 0.4 |
Khmer (Cambodian) | 4,875 | 0.3 |
Turkish | 4,535 | 0.3 |
Gujarati | 4,075 | 0.3 |
German | 3,990 | 0.2 |
Bulgarian | 3,625 | 0.2 |
Korean | 3,120 | 0.2 |
Ukrainian | 2,995 | 0.2 |
The Greater Montreal Area is predominantlyRoman Catholic; however, weekly church attendance in Quebec is among the lowest in Canada.[75] Historically Montreal has been a centre of Catholicism in North America with its numerous seminaries and churches, including theNotre-Dame Basilica, theCathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde, andSaint Joseph's Oratory. Some 62.4% of the total population is Christian,[76] largelyRoman Catholic (52.8%), primarily due to descendants of original French settlers, and others of Italian and Irish origins.Protestants which includeAnglican,United Church,Lutheran, owing to British and German immigration, and other denominations number 5.90%, with a further 3.7% consisting mostly ofOrthodox Christians, fuelled by a large Greek population. There is also a number of Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox parishes.Islam is the largest non-Christian religious group, with 154,540 members,[77] the second-largest concentration of Muslims in Canada at 9.6%. TheJewish community in Montreal has a population of 90,780. In cities such asCôte Saint-Luc andHampstead, Jewish people constitute the majority, or a substantial part of the population. As recently as 1971 theJewish community in Greater Montreal was as high as 109,480.[3] Political and economic uncertainties led many to leave Montreal and the province of Quebec.[78]
The religious breakdown of the population of Montreal is:
Religion | Population | Percentage (%) |
---|---|---|
Christianity | 853,205 | 49.5% |
No religious affiliation | 534,180 | 31.0% |
Islam | 218,395 | 12.7% |
Judaism | 35,930 | 2.1% |
Hinduism | 30,430 | 1.8% |
Buddhism | 26,395 | 1.5% |
Sikhism | 15,630 | 0.9% |
Other religions | 9065 | 0.5% |
Religious group | 2021[80] | 2011[81] | 2001[82] | 1991[83][84] | 1981[85][86] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
Christianity![]() | 2,431,435 | 57.8% | 2,790,920 | 74.38% | 2,859,010 | 84.57% | 2,737,050 | 88.55% | 2,578,005 | 92.14% |
Irreligion | 1,200,090 | 28.53% | 560,650 | 14.94% | 258,295 | 7.64% | 167,060 | 5.4% | 88,650 | 3.17% |
Islam![]() | 365,675 | 8.69% | 221,040 | 5.89% | 100,185 | 2.96% | 41,215 | 1.33% | 10,935 | 0.39% |
Judaism![]() | 82,075 | 1.95% | 83,200 | 2.22% | 88,765 | 2.63% | 96,710 | 3.13% | 101,365 | 3.62% |
Hinduism![]() | 45,565 | 1.08% | 32,280 | 0.86% | 24,075 | 0.71% | 13,775 | 0.45% | 6,415 | 0.23% |
Buddhism![]() | 42,540 | 1.01% | 47,350 | 1.26% | 37,840 | 1.12% | 27,905 | 0.9% | 9,165 | 0.33% |
Sikhism![]() | 22,990 | 0.55% | 9,205 | 0.25% | 7,930 | 0.23% | 3,880 | 0.13% | 1,555 | 0.06% |
Indigenous spirituality | 290 | 0.01% | 200 | 0.01% | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Other | 15,785 | 0.38% | 7,620 | 0.2% | 4,550 | 0.13% | 3,515 | 0.11% | 1,950 | 0.07% |
Total responses | 4,206,450 | 98.01% | 3,752,475 | 95.38% | 3,380,645 | 98.67% | 3,091,115 | 98.84% | 2,798,040 | 98.93% |
Total population | 4,291,732 | 100% | 3,934,078 | 100% | 3,426,350 | 100% | 3,127,242 | 100% | 2,828,349 | 100% |
General:
On specific ethnic groups: