Culture

StatsCan: Muslim Population to Triple in Metro Vancouver by 2031

by Barry ORegan | March 11, 2010 at 08:09 am

691 views | 8 Recommendations | 4 comments

StatsCan forecasting suggests Metro Vancouver will be home to more than 230,000 Muslims in 2031, up from the present Muslim population of 72,000.

Statistics Canada projected Tuesday that Muslims are on target to make up half of the country’s expanding non-Christian religious population by 2031. That means roughly one out of 13 Canadians may be Muslim in two decades.

Currently there are 4 Islamic centres in Vancouver, with mosques in Burnaby, Surrey, Richmond.

While 47% will be Christian and 30% will not identify any religious orientation, the other religions will also grow apace.

Sikhs, at a projected 7.2 per cent of the population in two decades, will continue to make up a slightly larger proportion of Metro Vancouver residents than Muslims.

Buddhists will lose their current status as B.C.’s third largest religion, however. Third place will go to Islam. Still, Buddhists should comprise 4.2 per cent of the population in 2031. (Photo below of Buddhist temple in Richmond, B.C.)

Hindus will also moderately grow in numbers, to make up 2.4 per cent of Metro residents.

Jews, however, will shrink as a percentage of the population. They are projected to account for only .6 per cent of Metro Vancouver residents by 2031.

A recent article by an American journalist visiting during the 2010 Olympics remarked that there was a lack of religious buildings in Vancouver. Real estate prices in Vancouver now make the average house price $1 million and lack of parking space maybe another reason for the lack of places of worship. Religious organizations may also have sold while the price is high.

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 08:50 on March 11th, 2010

Interesting story Barry, I would have thought that Vancouverites would be accepting of these ideas, maybe not.

Hugh Askew

at 15:26 on March 11th, 2010

Wonder how long it will be before they impose, or try to impose, sharia law? Should be fun ; )

Barry ORegan

at 17:24 on March 11th, 2010

Well guess when it happens, that Multicultural Diversity rainbow will certainly be a lightening rod to the latte set who say one thing but want another..