Afghan Canadians Explained

Group:	Afghan Canadians
Population:	96,810^[1]
Popplace:	Greater Toronto Area, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton
Langs:	Canadian English, Canadian French, Dari, Pashto, Uzbek and other Afghan languages
Rels:	Predominantly: Islam (92.44%) Minorities: ^[2]

Afghan Canadians are Canadians with ancestry from Afghanistan. They form the second largest Afghan community in North America after Afghan Americans. Their ethnic origin may come from any of the ethnic groups of Afghanistan, which include Pashtun, Tajik, Uzbek, Hazara, Turkmen, etc. In the Canada 2016 Census about 83,995 Canadians were from Afghanistan.^[3]

Demography

Religion

Religious group! colspan="2"

2021^[4]
Islam	89,485
Irreligion	5,400
Christianity	1,035
Hinduism	465
Sikhism	235
Judaism	40
Buddhism	10
Indigenous spirituality	10
Other	135
Total Afghan Canadian population	96,810

Geographical distribution

Afghan Canadians by Canadian province or territory (2016)

Province	Population	Percentage	Source
	54,535	0.4%	^[5]
	10,940	0.1%	^[6]
	8,545	0.2%	^[7]
	7,890	0.2%	^[8]
	1,015	0.1%	^[9]
	780	0.1%	^[10]
	230	0.0%	^[11]
	25	0.0%	^[12]
	10	0.0%	^[13]
	10	0.0%	^[14]
	10	0.0%	^[15]
	0	0.0%	^[16]
	0	0.0%	^[17]
	83,995	0.24%	^[18]

Media

The diaspora also have media outlets for the Afghan community, including private TV channels such as Watan E Maa,^[19] AfghanJavan TV and Afghan Nobel TV.

Notable individuals

• Kawa Ada — actor and playwright
• Fardaws Aimaq — basketball player
• Layla Alizada — actress
• Hangama — singer
• Donnie Keshawarz  - actor
• Sadi Jalali — soccer player
• Nasser Jamal — football player
• Mozhdah Jamalzadah – singer^[20]
• Maryam Monsef – member of Parliament for Peterborough-Kawartha; first Afghan-Canadian elected to Canada's House of Commons, former Minister of Status of Women
• Ariel Nasr - documentary filmmaker^[21]
• Nelofer Pazira – filmmaker and author
• Parween Pazhwak – Persian artist and poet
• Humira Saqib – Journalist
• Massih Wassey – soccer player
• Hamid Zaher – writer and gay rights activist^[22]

See also

• Afghan diaspora
• West Asian Canadians
• Pashtun diaspora
• Hazara diaspora
• List of Afghans

External links

• Rebuilding Afghanistan

Notes and References

1. Web site: Census Profile, 2021 Census Canada [Country] and Canada [Country] ].
2. Web site: Dozens of Sikh and Hindu families persecuted in Afghanistan approved to settle in Canada. cbc.ca. December 27, 2018.
3. Web site: Ethnic origin population . statcan . Statistics Canada . 2016 . 2018-10-04.
4. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2023-05-10 . Religion by ethnic or cultural origins: Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts . 2024-09-15 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.
5. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Ontario, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
6. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Quebec, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
7. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Alberta, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
8. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), British Columbia, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
9. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Manitoba, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
10. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Saskatchewan, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
11. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Nova Scotia, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
12. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), New Brunswick, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
13. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Newfoundland and Labrador, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
14. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Prince Edward Island, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
15. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Northwest Territories, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
16. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Nunavut, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
17. Web site: Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Yukon, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data . . 25 October 2017 . . 30 January 2020.
18. Web site: Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity Highlight Tables. 25 October 2017 . statcan.gc.ca.
19. Web site: HOME. Watan-E-Maa tv. 26 March 2023.
20. Web site: October 30, 2019. Afghanistan's Oprah: Mozhdah on fame, threats and why she won't live her life in fear. The Guardian. en.
21. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/halifax-born-producer-gets-oscar-nod-for-short-film-1.1309500 "Halifax-born producer gets Oscar nod for short film"
22. Web site: Gay Afghan defies tradition to expose identity . . February 20, 2013.