Non-official language speakers: Immigration status and period of immigration

Release date: January 22, 2025
More information PDF version
Infographic: Non-official language speakers: Immigration status and period of immigration
Description: Non-official language speakers: Immigration status and period of immigration

In 2021, more than 9 in 10 Hindi or Tagalog speakers in Canada were born outside the country, compared with less than 5 in 10 Greek or Italian speakers.

Table 1
Spanish, German and Ukrainian were the languages with the highest proportion of speakers born in Canada to Canadian-born parents. Table summary
The information is grouped by Language (appearing as row headers), Born outside Canada, Born in Canada to at least one parent born outside Canada and Born in Canada to Canadian-born parents, calculated using Proportion of speakers, by non-official language units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Language Born outside Canada Born in Canada to at least one parent born outside Canada Born in Canada to Canadian-born parents
Proportion of speakers, by non-official language
Spanish 57% 21% 22%
Mandarin 85% 14% 1%
Punjabi 76% 24% 1%
Arabic 80% 19% 1%
Hindi 92% 8% 0%
Tagalog 94% 6% 0%
Cantonese 76% 23% 1%
Italian 48% 41% 10%
German 56% 27% 17%
Urdu 77% 22% 0%
Portuguese 69% 27% 4%
Russian 84% 14% 3%
Persian 89% 11% 0%
Polish 71% 27% 2%
Greek 47% 42% 11%
Ukrainian 56% 28% 16%
Hebrew 64% 23% 13%
Vietnamese 77% 23% 1%
Korean 85% 14% 2%
Gujarati 85% 15% 0%
Romanian 83% 16% 1%
Bengali 81% 18% 0%
Tamil 75% 25% 0%

In 2021, one-fifth of all Hindi speakers in Canada were non-permanent residents.

More than 140,000 Hindi, Arabic or Tagalog speakers were admitted to Canada between 2016 and 2021.

More than half of Cantonese, Polish and Vietnamese speakers were admitted to Canada before 2001.

Table 2
Non-official languages spoken, by immigration status and period of immigration of speakers Table summary
The information is grouped by At least 15% of speakers of these languages were non-permanent residents: (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).
At least 15% of speakers of these languages were non-permanent residents: At least 15% of speakers of these languages immigrated to Canada between 2016 and 2021: At least 30% of speakers of these languages immigrated to Canada before 2001:
Note: The year of immigration is determined by the year in which the immigrant first obtained landed immigrant or permanent resident status.
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021.
Punjabi
Hindi
Gujarati		 Arabic
Hindi
Tagalog
Gujarati
Bengali		 Cantonese
Italian
German
Portuguese
Polish
Greek
Vietnamese
Romanian
Tamil

More information

Note of appreciation

Canada owes the success of its statistical system to a long-standing partnership between Statistics Canada, the citizens of Canada, its businesses, governments and other institutions. Accurate and timely statistical information could not be produced without their continued co-operation and goodwill.

Standards of service to the public

Statistics Canada is committed to serving its clients in a prompt, reliable and courteous manner. To this end, the Agency has developed standards of service which its employees observe in serving its clients.

Copyright

Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2025

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

Catalogue no. 11-627-M

Frequency: Occasional

Ottawa

Date modified: