Infographic: Language Projections for Canada – 2011 to 2036

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Release date: January 25, 2017
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Infographic: Language Projections for Canada – 2011 to 2036
Description for Infographic: Language Projections for Canada – 2011 to 2036

Mother tongue

In 2036, the percentage of the population with and English or French mother tongue could decrease in Canada while the share of the population with a mother tongue other than English or French could increase.

  • English Mother tongue
    • 59% in 2011, between 52% and 56%Footnote 1 in 2036.
  • French Mother tongue
    • 21% in 2011, between 17% and 18% in 2036.
  • Mother tongue other than English or French
    • 20% in 2011, between 26% and 31% in 2036.

First official language spoken

The changes would not be the same for these populations defined by their first official language spoken (FOLS).

Canada

  • FLOS English
    • 75% in 2011, between 77% and 78% in 2036.
  • FLOS French
    • 23% in 2011, between 20% and 21% in 2036.

Quebec

  • FLOS English
    • 14% in 2011, between 16% and 17% in 2036.
  • FLOS French
    • 85% in 2011, between 82% and 83% in 2036.

Canada outside Quebec

  • FLOS English
    • 94% in 2011 to 94% and 95% in 2036.
  • FLOS French
    • 3.9% in 2011, to around 3.0% and 3.6% in 2036.

French-English bilingualism

In 2036, the English-French bilingual population could represent between 18.3% and 18.8%Footnote 1 of Canada's population, up from 2011 (17.5%).

Between 2011 and 2036, the bilingualism rate could vary:

  • In Quebec: 43% in 2011, between 51% and 52% in 2036.
  • In Canada outside Quebec: 9.8% in 2011, between 8.9% and 9.2% in 2036.

Knowledge of English or French

Knowledge of English

  • Canada
    • 86% in 2011, between 88.7% and 88.9% in 2036.
  • Quebec
    • 47.6% in 2011, between 57.6% and 57.8% in 2036.
  • Canada outside Quebec
    • 97.6% in 2011, between 97.4% and 98.0% in 2036.

Knowledge of French

  • Canada
    • 29.8% in 2011, between 27.6% and 28.4% in 2036.
  • Quebec
    • 94.4% in 2011, between 93.2% and 93.9% in 2036.
  • Canada outside Quebec
    • 10.2% in 2011, between 9.3% and 9.5% in 2036.

Source: Statistics Canada. Language Projections for Canada, 2011 to 2036. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 89-657.

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Copyright

Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2017

Use of this publication is governed by the Statistics Canada Open Licence Agreement.

Catalogue no. 11-627-M

Frequency: Occasional

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