Muslims and Jews seen as the main target for Hate and prejudice in Canada Today

March 23, 2026

A majority of Canadians believe that several of the country’s most vulnerable populations regularly encounter prejudice and hate in Canada today. These findings emerge from a survey conducted by the firm Leger for the Association for Canadian Studies to mark International day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Muslims (70%) and immigrants/refugees (68%) were most frequently identified, followed by Indigenous peoples, Black persons, Jews, and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals. While Muslims and immigrants/refugees rank somewhat higher, the weighted results suggest that the gaps between groups are not especially large, pointing to a broadly shared perception that discrimination affects multiple communities in Canada. When asked to rank groups most likely to face prejudice and discrimination, Muslims were placed first, immigrants/refugees second, and Jews third, while Indigenous peoples and Black persons were ranked lowest among those listed. The data also reveal important differences across linguistic and demographic groups, as well as a strong perceived link between prejudice against Muslims and immigrants/refugees. Overall, the results underscore persistent concerns about racism and discrimination in Canada. The findings are based on surveys conducted via web panel by the firm Leger for the Association for Canadian Studies between March 6 to 8, 2026 with 1579 Canadians. While no margin of error can be associated with a non-probability sample of 1579 respondents would have a margin of error of ±2.52%, 19 times out of 20