Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

A look at Canada's relationship with India, by the numbers

Tensions between Canada and India have escalated since the assassination of a Sikh independence advocate in June

The Associated Press
Tuesday 19 September 2023 21:52 BST
Canada India Sikh Slain
Canada India Sikh Slain

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Tensions between Canada and India have escalated since the assassination of a Sikh independence advocate in June.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country was investigating “credible allegations” that Indian government agents were connected to the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, but India has rejected the allegations as “absurd.”

India has long demanded that Canada take action against the Sikh independence movement, which is banned in India but has support in countries like Canada and the U.K. with sizable Sikh diaspora populations.

Here is a look at the relationship between the two countries, by the numbers:

POPULATION

Canada is home to nearly 1.4 million people of Indian ethnic or cultural origin, about 3.7% of the country's total population, according to the 2021 census.

More than 770,000 people reported their religion as Sikhism, about 2% of Canada's population, and in 2019, the government designated April as Sikh Heritage Month.

TRADE

Canada imported about $4.9 billion in goods and $2.2 billion in services from India in 2022, ranking 12th among trade partners. India ranked sixth for Canadian exports in 2022, with about $4.2 billion in goods and $4.7 billion in services.

TRAVEL

Visitors from India rank as Canada’s fourth largest international air travel market, according to the census. In 2021, the 89,500 tourists from India spent $3.4 billion, the most of any group visiting Canada. Canadians visiting India spent $93 million the same year.

In November 2022, Canada and India reached an agreement to remove the restriction on the number of flights between the two countries, which had previously been limited to 35 flights per week.

Of the more than 800,000 international students in Canada at the end of 2022, 40% were from India, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada data.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in