Shi‘ism in Canada: Mapping and Understanding Shi‘a Communities Across the Country

Shi‘a communities in Canada trace their roots to Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, East Africa and beyond. They have grown steadily through economic migration, refugee resettlement and family reunification, and today Shi‘a Muslims and institutions are found across the country, well beyond the Greater Toronto Area.

Yet very little systematic research exists on Shi‘a life in Canada. Most Canadian research on Muslims treats them as a single population. That hides real differences in denomination, ethnicity, language and migration history, which can shape where communities settle, how families form, and how identity is carried across generations.

300k–600k

Our best estimate of Canada’s Shi‘a population. Even the basic numbers are uncertain.

Lost in the average

Treating all Muslims as one group misrepresents how Shi‘a communities live and grow.

Shi‘a Canada by the numbers

Do you know the answers?

Click a question to reveal the answer.

?Where have Shi‘a communities settled, beyond the Greater Toronto Area?Reveal the answerThere is no map.No one has charted where Shi‘a families have settled across the country. Knowing would show where new centres, schools and programs are needed.?How many Shi‘a mosques, imambargahs, centres and schools are there, and whom do they serve?Reveal the answerNobody has counted.There is no national list of Shi‘a institutions. Mapping them is the first phase of this project, and it will show where support is missing.?How are Shi‘a Canadians faring in education and work?Reveal the answerWe can’t say.Research on Canadian Muslims doesn’t separate out Shi‘a outcomes. Until it does, support can’t be aimed where young people and families need it most.?Are Shi‘a faith and culture being passed on to the next generation?Reveal the answerIt has never been studied.Diaspora communities face language loss and fading traditions, yet no one has looked closely at how Shi‘a families in Canada are holding on.?How does the Shi‘a experience differ from that of the wider Muslim population?Reveal the answerThe data lumps us together.Most research treats all Canadian Muslims as one group, so the differences stay hidden. Separating them gives an honest picture of Shi‘a Canadians.?How many Shi‘a Muslims actually live in Canada?Reveal the answerWe can only estimate.Our best estimate is between 300,000 and 600,000, a gap of 300,000 people. Real numbers would let communities plan services around reality, not guesswork.

These are basic questions about our own communities. The Shi‘ism in Canada project sets out to answer them.

What this research will make possible

Answering these questions gives communities and institutions evidence to act on. Among other things, it will help to:

Build where families are.

Comparing where Shi‘a Canadians live with where institutions stand will show areas with no nearby mosque, centre or weekend school, so new projects go where they are needed.

Teach in the right languages.

Mother-tongue data will show which languages families speak at home in each region, so classes, sermons and youth programs reach people in the languages they use.

Close education gaps.

Comparing Shi‘a education outcomes with the wider Muslim and Canadian populations will show where students fall behind, so scholarships, tutoring and mentoring can be aimed there.

Put skills to work.

Education, occupation and income data can reveal underemployment, such as foreign-trained doctors and engineers working outside their field, and guide mentoring and credential support.

Support newcomers.

Year-of-arrival data shows where recent immigrants and refugees are settling, so centres can offer settlement help where it is needed most.

Plan for every generation.

Age profiles show how many youth, young families and seniors each region has, informing youth programs, family services and seniors’ care.

Keep faith alive.

Survey findings will show where language and practice are fading across generations, and which programs help families pass on faith and culture.

Make the case with evidence.

Reliable numbers strengthen grant applications and help school boards, hospitals and universities with chaplaincy and religious accommodation, such as Ashura and Arba‘in observances.

A collaborative research initiative

Launched in summer 2026, the project is a partnership between the Shi‘a Research Institute, the Canadian Institute for Empirical Church Research (CIECR) at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto, and Saint Mary’s University. It brings together community vision and academic rigour to produce research that is scholarly and of practical use to Shi‘a communities.

What the project examines

The project looks at more than population counts. It examines:

✓Demographic trends and where communities have settled across Canada

✓The growth and role of Shi‘a institutions, including mosques, imambargahs, centres, schools and associations

✓Education, work and economic outcomes

✓How religious and cultural identity is preserved, or lost, across generations

✓How the Shi‘a experience compares with that of the wider Muslim population in Canada

How the research is done

The research team draws on several sources:

1Original Shi‘ism in Canada surveys

2Interviews with leaders of Shi‘a institutions across Canada

3Canadian Census data from 2001, 2011 and 2021, covering immigration, ethnic and cultural identity, country of birth and mother tongue

4Geographic data on religious institutions across Canada

5Pew Research Center’s 2025 study of the global religious landscape

The road ahead

Phase 1 · Underway

Building the foundation

The first phase is laying the groundwork. It will produce:

an interactive map portal of Shi‘a institutions across Canada
a census-based population map showing where Shi‘a communities live
interviews with institutional leaders on their history, needs and challenges
a preliminary report on Shi‘ism in Canada, with key findings and priorities for future study

Phase 2 · Looking ahead

From mapping to community research

Building on Phase 1, the second phase will move from mapping to large-scale community research on religious life, identity, passing faith and culture to the next generation, and participation in community institutions. The portal will also grow into a public cultural and religious repository, preserving the history, thought and lived experience of Shi‘a communities in Canada.

Stay tuned

Data collection and analysis are underway. The public data portal and the preliminary report will be shared once they are ready, so please check back for updates.