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Demographics of the Montreal Jewish Community In 2001 there were 92,970 Jews in Montreal, which represents 2.8% of the total population of the city. 21,215, or 22.8% of the total are Sephardic. 17,110 Jews in Montreal, more than 18% of the population, live below the poverty line. Montreal has the second largest Jewish community in Canada, and approximately one-quarter (25.1%) of the country's Jewish population. The Jewish population ranks seventh among ethnic groups in Montreal, behind those identifying themselves as Canadian, French, Italian, British, Arab, or Caribbean. Jews rank fifth in size among religious groups. Catholics are the largest, followed by Protestants, Muslims, and Christian Orthodox. 18,195 or 19.6% of the total Jewish population are children under 14 years of age. The level of child poverty in the Montreal Jewish population is 21.1%. There are 3,845 children in the local Jewish community who live in economically disadvantaged circumstances. 20,105, or 21.6% of the population are seniors over the age of 65. More than one of five elderly Jews are poor, but senior women are more than twice as likely to be disadvantaged as men. There are 6,795 Holocaust survivors residing in Montreal, representing 23.7% of Jews over 56 years of age. There are 3,225 "working poor" in the local Jewish community who earn wages that are not sufficient to push their income above the poverty line. Based on Statistics Canada data from 2001 census. Demographics of the Montreal Jewish Community
The Jewish Community of Montreal Part I: Basic Demographics
Based upon data from the 2001 census, Montreal was revealed to have the second largest Jewish community in Canada, with 92,970 individuals, which represents 2.8% of the city’s population. More than one-quarter of all Jews in Canada reside in Montreal. Averaging more than 41 years of age, the Jewish community is older than the Canadian Jewish population as a whole. There are considerably more seniors within the community than in the general population of Montreal. As an ethnic group, the Jewish community ranks seventh in size; as a religious group, it ranks fifth.
The Jewish Community of Montreal Part II: Jewish Populations in Geographic Areas
Jews reside throughout the island of Montreal. Cote St. Luc has the largest Jewish population, with 19,785, while Hampstead has the highest density, with Jews making up more than 74% of the total population. The West Island, with the second largest Jewish community, is also the fastest growing community, and is among the youngest populations, with 3,590 children, 2,130 young adults, and 3,540 Jewish residents between the ages of 25 and 44.
The Jewish Community of Montreal Part III: The Jewish Elderly
The percentage of elderly in Montreal’s Jewish community is much higher than in the general population of Montreal (21.6% as compared with 12.2%). It is also higher than in the broader Canadian Jewish population (16.7%). Poverty is a significant issue among the elderly, as 21% of Jewish seniors live below the poverty line. Female seniors, who are more likely than men to live alone, are almost twice as likely as their male counterparts to live in poverty. Montreal has a large population of Holocaust survivors, totaling nearly 7,000. Statistical projections suggest that the elderly population will diminish over the coming years, only to rebound by 2021 with the aging of the baby boomer generation. The Jewish Community of Montreal Part IV: The Jewish Poor
Nearly one in five Montreal Jews live below the poverty line. In terms of pure numbers, this means that more than 17,000 Jews are economically disadvantaged. The level of child poverty (21.2%) is particularly disturbing. Female single parent families are the most likely to be poor, and the poverty level of children in such circumstances (59.6%) is remarkably high. There are more than 3,000 “working poor,” that is to say, people who earn wages that are insufficient to push their income above the poverty line. |
Jewish Montreal
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