Kem cho? Maza ma? Well you guess that right! Gujarati is now the third most spoken language in Canada! According to data from Statistics Canada, at present some 90,000 Gujarati speakers live in Canada, with a significant 26% arriving between 2016 and 2021. During this time, Punjabi led as the dominant language among Indian immigrants, with 75,475 new speakers, while Hindi followed with 35,170.
Gujarati ranks third, with 22,935 newcomers, placing it ahead of Malayalam (15,440) and Bengali (13,835). The arrival of Gujarati speakers has risen notably since 1980, with nearly 87,900 choosing Canada as their new home. This trend accelerated significantly after 2011, as Canada increasingly became an attractive alternative to the United States and other English-speaking nations.
Key factors contributing to this shift include Canada’s relatively accessible path to permanent residency and the affordability of education, making it a desirable destination, especially for students.
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Among Indian language groups, Gujarati speakers recorded the second-highest growth rate between 2011 and 2021, expanding by 26%. Hindi speakers experienced the most significant increase, with a growth rate of 114%, while Punjabi speakers saw a 22% rise. These figures underscore the shifting dynamics in Canada’s linguistic landscape, as diverse Indian languages gain prominence in the immigrant population.
However, changing immigration policies and economic challenges have started to impact these migration patterns. Stricter residency requirements, rising housing prices, and limited job prospects have tempered Canada’s appeal as a destination for some. In particular, immigration consultants report a nearly 80% decline in visa applications from Gujarat, as Canada’s evolving challenges discourage new applicants from the region.
Despite the recent slowdown in applications, the Gujarati-speaking community has firmly established itself as a significant linguistic group in Canada, shaping the multicultural fabric of the nation. With shifting policies and economic factors at play, the coming years will reveal how these trends continue to evolve and impact the profile of Indian immigrants in Canada.