French and English among health care workers in Quebec, 2021
Release date: March 19, 2025
Description: French and English among health care workers in Quebec, 2021
Section 1
In 2021, 55.4% of health care workers in Quebec were French–English bilingual, up from 52.5% in 2016.
The proportion of those who knew French remained stable over the period from 2016 (97.8%) to 2021 (97.3%).
Section 2
Health care workers who lived in Montréal used English at work more often than health care workers who lived in another region.
| Place of residence in 2021 | Used English primarily at work | Used French primarily at work | Used English regularly at work | Used French regularly at work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montréal Island | 21.1% | 68.5% | 53.7% | 89.9% |
| Montérégie | 6.1% | 89.1% | 31.6% | 97.4% |
| Laval | 8.8% | 84.0% | 39.4% | 96.4% |
| Rest of Quebec | 3.1% | 95.2% | 14.7% | 97.9% |
Section 3
From 2016 to 2021, the proportion of health care workers who could have a conversation in English rose in every region of Quebec.
| Proportion of health care workers who could have a conversation in English, by region | 2016 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Montréal Island | 75.1% | 75.7% |
| Laval | 64.6% | 68.0% |
| Montégérie | 58.8% | 61.9% |
| Rest of Quebec | 44.3% | 48.4% |
Section 4
The proportion of health care workers who knew English or used it primarily at work varied by occupation
| Occupation | Knew English | Used English primarly at work |
|---|---|---|
| General practitioners and family physicians | 92.0% | 9.1% |
| Dentists | 92.3% | 11.7% |
| Pharmacists | 85.6% | 6.1% |
| Psychologists | 74.8% | 10.1% |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 60.1% | 9.1% |
| Paramedical occupations | 69.7% | 3.5% |
| Nurse aides, health care aides and patient service associates | 40.1% | 9.0% |
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2016 and 2021.
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