Armenian Canadians (Western Armenian: գանատահայեր, Eastern Armenian: կանադահայեր, kanadahayer; French: Arméno-Canadiens) are citizens and permanent residents of Canada who have total or partial Armenian ancestry. According to the 2016 Canadian Census they number almost 64,000, while independent estimates claim around 80,000 Canadians of Armenian origin, with the highest estimates reaching 100,000. Though significantly smaller than the Armenian American community, the formation of both underwent similar stages beginning in the late 19th century and gradually expanding in the latter 20th century and beyond. Most Armenian Canadians are descendants of Armenian genocide survivors from the Middle East (Syria, Lebanon, Egypt), with less than 7% of all Canadian Armenians having been born in Armeni