Immigration and language in Canada, 2011 and 2016
1 Canada
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1.1 First official language spoken (FOLS)
| First official language spoken | 2011 | 2016 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-immigrants | Immigrants | Total population |
Non-immigrants | Immigrants | Total population |
|||
| Total immigrants |
Recent 2006 to 2011 |
Total immigrants |
Recent 2011 to 2016 |
|||||
| number | ||||||||
| English | 18,778,345 | 5,648,870 | 883,500 | 24,718,995 | 19,381,670 | 6,218,995 | 914,770 | 26,019,670 |
| French | 6,851,845 | 695,470 | 176,865 | 7,593,070 | 6,937,970 | 812,375 | 172,735 | 7,810,250 |
| Neither | 89,985 | 431,430 | 102,555 | 540,260 | 92,970 | 509,460 | 124,580 | 630,145 |
| Total | 25,720,175 | 6,775,765 | 1,162,915 | 32,852,325 | 26,412,615 | 7,540,825 | 1,212,075 | 34,460,065 |
| percent | ||||||||
| English | 73.0 | 83.4 | 76.0 | 75.2 | 73.4 | 82.5 | 75.5 | 75.5 |
| French | 26.6 | 10.3 | 15.2 | 23.1 | 26.3 | 10.8 | 14.3 | 22.7 |
| Neither | 0.3 | 6.4 | 8.8 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 6.8 | 10.3 | 1.8 |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
|
Notes: The “English-French” category has been equally redistributed between the “English” and “French” categories. Data on non-permanent residents are only included in the "Total population". Sources: Statistics Canada, 2011 National Household Survey and 2016 Census of Population. |
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More than 8 out of 10 immigrants had English as their first official language spoken
In Canada, more than 8 in 10 immigrants (82.5%) had English as their first official language spoken (FOLS) in 2016, compared with 10.8% who had French and 6.8% who had neither language.
Of the 1.2 million recent immigrants who settled in Canada between 2011 and 2016, 75.5% (914,800 people) had English as their FOLS, 14.3% (172,700 people) had French, and 10.3% (124,600 people) had neither language.
Slight decrease in the proportion of immigrants who had English as their first official language spoken
Between 2011 and 2016, the percentage of immigrants who had English as their FOLS fell slightly from 83.4% to 82.5%. In contrast, the proportion of those who had French and those who had neither of these two languages as their FOLS rose during this period, going from 10.3% to 10.8% and from 6.4% to 6.8%, respectively. The growth in the latter group is likely due to the increase in the number of refugees who arrived in the country during this period.
The proportion of recent immigrants who had English or French as their FOLS fell slightly between 2011 and 2016, going from 76.0% to 75.5% and from 15.2% to 14.3%, respectively. In contrast, the proportion of those who had neither English nor French as their FOLS rose 1.5 percentage points over this period from 8.8% to 10.3%.
Higher proportion of immigrants with English as their first official language spoken than non-immigrants
In 2016, 82.5% of all immigrants had English as their FOLS. This percentage was higher than for recent immigrants (75.5%) and non-immigrants (73.4%). Moreover, 10.8% of all immigrants had French as their FOLS, well below non-immigrants (26.3%) and slightly lower than recent immigrants (14.3%).
1.2 Mother tongue
| Mother tongue | 2011 | 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recent 2006 to 2011 |
Established before 2006 |
Total | Recent 2011 to 2016 |
Established before 2011 | Total | |
| number | ||||||
| English | 184,885 | 1,461,850 | 1,646,735 | 189,865 | 1,569,290 | 1,759,140 |
| French | 60,210 | 186,710 | 246,920 | 71,035 | 240,090 | 311,115 |
| Other languages | 917,820 | 3,964,295 | 4,882,115 | 951,175 | 4,519,400 | 5,470,570 |
| Total | 1,162,915 | 5,612,850 | 6,775,765 | 1,212,075 | 6,328,750 | 7,540,825 |
| percent | ||||||
| English | 15.9 | 26.0 | 24.3 | 15.7 | 24.8 | 23.3 |
| French | 5.2 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 5.9 | 3.8 | 4.1 |
| Other languages | 78.9 | 70.6 | 72.1 | 78.5 | 71.4 | 72.5 |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
|
Notes: The “Other languages” category refers to languages other than English and French. These include Aboriginal, immigrant and sign languages. Multiple responses have been equally redistributed between the “English”, “French” and “Other languages” categories. This table does not include data on non-permanent residents. Sources: Statistics Canada, 2011 National Household Survey and 2016 Census of Population. |
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Nearly four in five recent immigrants reported a language other than English or French as their mother tongue
In Canada, 78.5% of recent immigrants reported an “other” language (i.e., other than English or French) as their mother tongue in 2016, compared with 78.9% in 2011. Conversely, the proportion of established immigrants who reported a language other than English or French as their mother tongue rose from 70.6% in 2011 to 71.4% in 2016, an increase of 0.8 percentage points.
Increase in the proportion of recent and established immigrants who reported French as their mother tongue
Between 2011 and 2016, the share of recent immigrants whose mother tongue is French rose from 5.2% to 5.9%, while the share of immigrants whose mother tongue is English edged down from 15.9% to 15.7%.
The percentage of established immigrants who reported French as their mother tongue also increased, from 3.3% in 2011 to 3.8% in 2016. In contrast, the share of those who reported English as their mother tongue decreased 1.2 percentage points over this period, from 26.0% to 24.8%.
The increase in the proportion of immigrants who reported French as their mother tongue is largely attributable to the increasing number of immigrants from France and countries where French is one of the official languages.
1.3 Language spoken most often at home
| Language spoken most often at home | 2011 | 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recent 2006 to 2011 |
Established before 2006 |
Total | Recent 2011 to 2016 |
Established before 2011 | Total | |
| number | ||||||
| English | 356,650 | 2,852,770 | 3,209,420 | 380,175 | 3,120,375 | 3,500,545 |
| French | 95,320 | 293,260 | 388,580 | 102,870 | 376,140 | 479,005 |
| Other languages | 710,960 | 2,466,805 | 3,177,760 | 729,030 | 2,832,245 | 3,561,280 |
| Total | 1,162,915 | 5,612,850 | 6,775,765 | 1,212,075 | 6,328,750 | 7,540,825 |
| percent | ||||||
| English | 30.7 | 50.8 | 47.4 | 31.4 | 49.3 | 46.4 |
| French | 8.2 | 5.2 | 5.7 | 8.5 | 5.9 | 6.4 |
| Other languages | 61.1 | 43.9 | 46.9 | 60.1 | 44.8 | 47.2 |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
|
Notes: The “Other languages” category refers to languages other than English and French. These include Aboriginal, immigrant and sign languages. Multiple responses have been equally redistributed between the “English”, “French” and “Other languages” categories. This table does not include data on non-permanent residents. Sources: Statistics Canada, 2011 National Household Survey and 2016 Census of Population. |
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In 2016, 23.3% of immigrants in Canada reported English as their mother tongue, while nearly twice as many (46.4%) reported speaking mainly English at home. Moreover, 6.4% of immigrants reported that they spoke French most often at home, compared with 4.1% of them who reported it as their mother tongue.
More than half of immigrants reported speaking English or French most often at home
In 2016, more than half (52.8%) of immigrants reported speaking English or French most often at home, compared with 53.1% in 2011. The proportion of immigrants who spoke French most often at home increased from 5.7% in 2011 to 6.4% in 2016. On the other hand, the share of immigrants who reported speaking mainly English at home fell from 47.4% to 46.4% during this period.
Roughly 6 in 10 recent immigrants reported speaking a language other than English or French most often at home
In 2016, 60.1% of recent immigrants reported mainly speaking a language other than English or French at home, a lower proportion than in 2011 (61.1%). In contrast, in 2016, a higher percentage of recent immigrants reported speaking English (31.4% versus 30.7%) or French (8.5% versus 8.2%) most often at home, compared with 2011.
1.4 Knowledge of official languages by mother tongue
| Mother tongue | Knowledge of official languages | 2011 | 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recent 2006 to 2011 |
Established before 2006 |
Total Immigrants |
Recent 2011 to 2016 |
Established before 2011 | Total Immigrants |
||
| percent | |||||||
| English | English | 90.9 | 91.4 | 91.4 | 91.8 | 92.1 | 92.1 |
| French | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | |
| English and French | 8.3 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 7.6 | 7.8 | 7.7 | |
| Neither | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.1 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| French | English | 1.3 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| French | 44.3 | 30.9 | 34.2 | 44.9 | 31.6 | 34.6 | |
| English and French | 54.0 | 66.7 | 63.6 | 54.1 | 66.5 | 63.6 | |
| Neither | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| Other languages | English | 70.9 | 76.7 | 75.6 | 72.0 | 76.6 | 75.8 |
| French | 7.0 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 6.1 | 3.9 | 4.3 | |
| English and French | 10.8 | 11.5 | 11.4 | 8.8 | 11.0 | 10.6 | |
| Neither | 11.3 | 8.4 | 8.9 | 13.1 | 8.5 | 9.3 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| Total | English | 70.5 | 78.0 | 76.7 | 70.9 | 77.6 | 76.5 |
| French | 7.9 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 7.4 | 4.0 | 4.6 | |
| English and French | 12.6 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 11.2 | 12.3 | 12.1 | |
| Neither | 9.0 | 5.9 | 6.5 | 10.4 | 6.1 | 6.8 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
|
Notes: Multiples responses have been equally redistributed between the “English”, “French” and “Other languages” categories. The “Other languages” category refers to languages other than English and French. These include Aboriginal, immigrant and sign languages. This table does not include data on non-permanent residents. Sources: Statistics Canada, 2011 National Household Survey and 2016 Census of Population. |
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Nearly 9 out of 10 recent immigrants could conduct a conversation in English or French
In Canada, 89.6% of recent immigrants reported being able to conduct a conversation in English or French in 2016, down from 2011 (91.0%).Note 1 This means that 1 in 10 recent immigrants (10.4%) reported not being able to conduct a conversation in either of the country’s official languages, up from 2011 (9.0%). In 2016, 70.9% of these immigrants could conduct a conversation in English only, 7.4% in French only, and 11.2% in English and French.
The increase in the proportion of immigrants who reported knowing neither English nor French is likely due to the increase in the number of refugees, particularly among recent immigrants with a mother tongue other than English or French.
A small share (6.1%) of established immigrants could not conduct a conversation in English or French
Among established immigrants, 93.9% could conduct a conversation in English or French in 2016, a share that has remained relatively unchanged from 2011 (94.1%). In 2016, 77.6% of these immigrants knew English only, 4.0% French only, and 12.3% English and French. Thus, 6.1% of these immigrants could not conduct a conversation in English or French, compared with 5.9% in 2011.
Decline in English–French bilingualism among recent immigrants whose mother tongue is English or a language other than English or French
The rate of English–French bilingualism among recent immigrants whose mother tongue is English decreased 0.8 percentage points, from 8.3% in 2011 to 7.6% in 2016. Conversely, the proportion who reported they could conduct a conversation only in English (and not in French) rose by the same amount over this period, from 90.9% to 91.8%.
In 2016, 8.8% of recent immigrants whose mother tongue is a language other than English or French reported being bilingual (English–French), down from 2011 (10.8%). Similarly, the share of those who reported they could conduct a conversation only in French declined from 7.0% in 2011 to 6.1% in 2016.
Increase in the proportion of recent immigrants whose mother tongue is a language other than English or French who could not conduct a conversation in English or French
Among recent immigrants whose mother tongue is a language other than English or French, the proportion of those who knew only English (and not French) increased from 70.9% to 72.0% between 2011 and 2016. The share of those who knew neither English nor French rose from 11.3% to 13.1%.
Slight decline in the share of recent immigrants with a French mother tongue who reported being able to conduct a conversation in English
The self-reported ability of recent immigrants with French as their mother tongue to conduct a conversation in English (English + English and French) fell slightly between 2011 and 2016, from 55.3% to 54.9%.
1.5 Top countries of birth of immigrants
Until the 1970s, immigrants came mainly from Western countries and Eastern Europe. Since then, growing numbers of people from Asia (including the Middle East), Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa have settled in Canada.
The results of the 2016 Census of Population and the 2011 National Household Survey reflect the changes in source countries of immigration in recent decades.
1.5.A Recent immigrants with French as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | France | 19,790 | 13.2 |
| 2 | Algeria | 18,590 | 12.4 | |
| 3 | Morocco | 15,820 | 10.6 | |
| 4 | Haiti | 15,295 | 10.2 | |
| 5 | Colombia | 6,985 | 4.7 | |
| 6 | Lebanon | 4,380 | 2.9 | |
| 7 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 4,340 | 2.9 | |
| 8 | Cameroon | 4,270 | 2.8 | |
| 9 | Mexico | 4,020 | 2.7 | |
| 10 | Tunisia | 3,380 | 2.3 | |
| Total | 96,870 | 64.6 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | France | 23,465 | 15.7 |
| 2 | Haiti | 17,215 | 11.5 | |
| 3 | Algeria | 15,225 | 10.2 | |
| 4 | Morocco | 11,765 | 7.9 | |
| 5 | Cameroon | 8,390 | 5.6 | |
| 6 | Côte d'Ivoire | 6,065 | 4.1 | |
| 7 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 5,460 | 3.7 | |
| 8 | Tunisia | 5,135 | 3.4 | |
| 9 | Colombia | 4,580 | 3.1 | |
| 10 | Senegal | 2,945 | 2.0 | |
| Total | 100,245 | 67.2 | ||
This table does not include data on non-permanent residents. Sources: Statistics Canada, 2011 National Household Survey and 2016 Census of Population. |
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Top countries of origin
In 2016, more than 4 in 10 recent immigrants (45.4%)Note 2 with French as their first official language spoken (FOLS) were born in France (15.7%), Haiti (11.5%), Algeria (10.2%) or Morocco (7.9%). This is a decline compared with 2011 (46.4%). In 2016, as in 2011, these countries were the top four countries of origin of these immigrants.
Increase in the proportion of recent immigrants from France, Haiti or Africa
In 2016, 64.1% of French-speakingNote 3 recent immigrants were from France, Haiti or Africa, compared with 54.4% in 2011.
The share of France and Haiti rose 3.9 percentage points, from 23.4% in 2011 to 27.3% in 2016. Africa’s share rose 5.9 percentage points over this period, from 31.0% to 36.9%.
In 2016, 7 of the top 10 countries of birth of French-speaking recent immigrants were in Africa, compared with 5 out of 10 in 2011.
1.5.B Established immigrants with French as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | France | 62,270 | 14.7 |
| 2 | Haiti | 54,260 | 12.8 | |
| 3 | Morocco | 27,770 | 6.6 | |
| 4 | Algeria | 25,465 | 6.0 | |
| 5 | Italy | 24,345 | 5.8 | |
| 6 | Lebanon | 17,880 | 4.2 | |
| 7 | Viet Nam | 11,380 | 2.7 | |
| 8 | Portugal | 10,840 | 2.6 | |
| 9 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 10,475 | 2.5 | |
| 10 | United States | 10,425 | 2.5 | |
| Total | 255,110 | 60.4 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | France | 73,775 | 13.9 |
| 2 | Haiti | 65,395 | 12.3 | |
| 3 | Morocco | 43,900 | 8.3 | |
| 4 | Algeria | 40,465 | 7.6 | |
| 5 | Italy | 20,715 | 3.9 | |
| 6 | Lebanon | 20,630 | 3.9 | |
| 7 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 14,730 | 2.8 | |
| 8 | Colombia | 11,765 | 2.2 | |
| 9 | Portugal | 11,435 | 2.2 | |
| 10 | Viet Nam | 11,070 | 2.1 | |
| Total | 313,880 | 59.2 | ||
This table does not include data on non-permanent residents. Sources: Statistics Canada, 2011 National Household Survey and 2016 Census of Population. |
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In 2016, people from Western countries (excluding France), Viet Nam and Lebanon, the older source countries of immigration, accounted for only 12.0% of French-speaking established immigrants, down from 2011 (17.7%). In contrast, the share of those born in France, Haiti or Africa increased from 42.7% to 44.9%.
1.5.C Recent immigrants with English as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | Philippines | 149,670 | 17.5 |
| 2 | India | 104,710 | 12.2 | |
| 3 | China | 78,970 | 9.2 | |
| 4 | United States | 42,075 | 4.9 | |
| 5 | United Kingdom | 32,760 | 3.8 | |
| 6 | Pakistan | 31,995 | 3.7 | |
| 7 | Iran | 25,225 | 2.9 | |
| 8 | South Korea | 23,920 | 2.8 | |
| 9 | Sri Lanka | 18,670 | 2.2 | |
| 10 | Colombia | 14,610 | 1.7 | |
| Total | 522,605 | 61.0 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | Philippines | 186,830 | 21.0 |
| 2 | India | 128,400 | 14.4 | |
| 3 | China | 79,740 | 8.9 | |
| 4 | Pakistan | 38,220 | 4.3 | |
| 5 | Iran | 33,355 | 3.7 | |
| 6 | United States | 30,850 | 3.5 | |
| 7 | United Kingdom | 24,255 | 2.7 | |
| 8 | South Korea | 18,820 | 2.1 | |
| 9 | Nigeria | 17,170 | 1.9 | |
| 10 | Iraq | 15,435 | 1.7 | |
| Total | 573,075 | 64.3 | ||
This table does not include data on non-permanent residents. Sources: Statistics Canada, 2011 National Household Survey and 2016 Census of Population. |
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Top countries of origin
In 2016, more than 4 in 10 recent immigrants (44.3%) with English as their first official language spoken were born in the Philippines (21.0%), India (14.4%) or China (8.9%). In 2011, this proportion was 38.9%. In 2016, as in 2011, these countries were the top three countries of origin of these immigrants.
Increase in the proportion of recent immigrants from Asia (including the Middle East)
In 2016, 56.2% of English-speaking recent immigrants were from Asia (including the Middle East), compared with 50.6% in 2011.
In 2016, 7 of the top 10 countries of birth of English-speaking recent immigrants were Asian countries (including those in the Middle East).
1.5.D Established immigrants with English as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | United Kingdom | 502,870 | 10.8 |
| 2 | India | 374,655 | 8.0 | |
| 3 | China | 298,350 | 6.4 | |
| 4 | Philippines | 297,540 | 6.4 | |
| 5 | United States | 206,820 | 4.4 | |
| 6 | Italy | 191,400 | 4.1 | |
| 7 | Hong Kong | 182,370 | 3.9 | |
| 8 | Germany | 135,850 | 2.9 | |
| 9 | Poland | 134,170 | 2.9 | |
| 10 | Jamaica | 116,100 | 2.5 | |
| Total | 2,440,125 | 52.3 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | United Kingdom | 473,470 | 9.1 |
| 2 | India | 459,020 | 8.8 | |
| 3 | Philippines | 394,370 | 7.6 | |
| 4 | China | 368,160 | 7.1 | |
| 5 | United States | 208,510 | 4.0 | |
| 6 | Hong Kong | 186,550 | 3.6 | |
| 7 | Italy | 177,720 | 3.4 | |
| 8 | Pakistan | 151,710 | 2.9 | |
| 9 | Germany | 133,500 | 2.6 | |
| 10 | Poland | 130,075 | 2.5 | |
| Total | 2,683,085 | 51.6 | ||
This table does not include data on non-permanent residents. Sources: Statistics Canada, 2011 National Household Survey and 2016 Census of Population. |
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Increase in the proportion of immigrants from Asian countries and decrease in the proportion of immigrants from Western countries
Between 2011 and 2016, the share of English-speaking established immigrants from Asia increased 5.3 percentage points, from 24.7% to 30.0%. In contrast, the proportion of English-speaking established immigrants from Europe and the United States fell from 25.1% in 2011 to 21.6% in 2016, a decrease of 3.5 percentage points.
Notes
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