Abstract

Between 1991 and 2001, the number of Roman Catholics in Canada increased slightly, while the number adhering to Protestant denominations continued a long-term decline. The census enumerated just under 12.8 million Roman Catholics, up 4.8%, while the number of Protestants fell 8.2% to about 8.7 million. The largest gains in religious affiliations occurred among faiths consistent with changing immigration patterns toward more immigrants from regions outside of Europe, in particular Asia and the Middle East.

Among this group, those who identified themselves as Muslim recorded the biggest increase, more than doubling from 253 300 in 1991 to 579 600 in 2001. These individuals represented 2% of the total population in 2001, up from under 1% a decade earlier. The number of people who identified themselves as Hindu increased 89% to 297 200. Those who identified themselves as Sikh rose 89% to 278 400, while the number of Buddhists increased 84% to about 300 300. Each represented around 1% of the total population. Just over 479 600 people identified themselves as members of a Christian Orthodox religion in the 2001 Census, a 24% increase from 1991. They represented 1.6% of the total population, up slightly from 1.4% in 1991. The number of individuals who identified themselves as Jewish increased 3.7% during the 1990s to nearly 330 000. They accounted for 1.1% of the population in 2001, virtually unchanged during the decade.

Map Source: Adapted from Statistics Canada, Profile of Income of Individuals, Families and Households, Social and Economic Characteristics of Individuals, Families and Households, Housing Costs, and Religion, for Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 2001 Census - Cat. No. 95F0492XCB2001001.