Immigration and language in Canada, 2011 and 2016
7 Quebec
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7.1 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 | 668,815 | 351,495 | 63,070 | 1,046,490 | 703,815 | 361,175 | 55,895 | 1,097,925 |
| French | 5,998,875 | 581,300 | 149,620 | 6,618,170 | 6,063,560 | 682,295 | 146,535 | 6,795,280 |
| Neither | 22,845 | 42,105 | 10,710 | 67,860 | 20,700 | 47,845 | 12,745 | 72,250 |
| Total | 6,690,530 | 974,890 | 223,400 | 7,732,520 | 6,788,080 | 1,091,310 | 215,170 | 7,965,450 |
| percent | ||||||||
| English | 10.0 | 36.1 | 28.2 | 13.5 | 10.4 | 33.1 | 26.0 | 13.8 |
| French | 89.7 | 59.6 | 67.0 | 85.6 | 89.3 | 62.5 | 68.1 | 85.3 |
| Neither | 0.3 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 4.4 | 5.9 | 0.9 |
| 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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One third of immigrants had English as their first official language spoken
In Quebec, nearly two thirds of all immigrants (62.5%) had French as their first official language spoken (FOLS) in 2016, compared with one third (33.1%) who had English, and 4.4% who had neither language.
Of the 215,200 recent immigrants who settled in Quebec between 2011 and 2016, 68.1% (146,500 people) had French as their FOLS, 26.0% (55,900 people) had English and 5.9% (12,700 people) had neither language.
Decline in the proportion of immigrants with English as their first official language spoken
Between 2011 and 2016, the percentage of immigrants who had English as their FOLS fell from 36.1% to 33.1%, while those whose FOLS is French rose from 59.6% to 62.5% over this period. Finally, the share of those who had neither of these two languages as their FOLS was 4.4% in 2016, which remained practically unchanged from 2011 (4.3%).
Decline in the share of recent immigrants with English as their first official language spoken
The share of recent immigrants whose FOLS is English declined from 28.2% in 2011 to 26.0% in 2016. In contrast, the proportion of those who had French as their FOLS increased from 67.0% to 68.1% over this period, while the share of those who had neither English nor French as their FOLS also grew over this period, from 4.8% to 5.9%. 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.
Higher proportion of immigrants with English as their first official language spoken than non-immigrants
In 2016, 33.1% of all immigrants had English as their FOLS. This proportion was higher than that of recent immigrants (26.0%) and considerably higher than that of non-immigrants (10.4%). Moreover, 62.5% of all immigrants had French as their FOLS, which was lower than for recent immigrants (68.1%), and much lower than for all non-immigrants (89.3%).
7.2 Mother tongue
| Mother tongue | 2011 | 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recent 2006 to 2011 |
Established before 2006 |
Total | Recent 2011 to 2016 |
Established before 2011 | Total | |
| number | ||||||
| English | 11,500 | 67,330 | 78,830 | 11,015 | 70,450 | 81,465 |
| French | 47,635 | 140,920 | 188,555 | 57,170 | 182,875 | 240,045 |
| Other languages | 164,255 | 543,255 | 707,510 | 146,990 | 622,805 | 769,800 |
| Total | 223,400 | 751,495 | 974,895 | 215,170 | 876,135 | 1,091,310 |
| percent | ||||||
| English | 5.1 | 9.0 | 8.1 | 5.1 | 8.0 | 7.5 |
| French | 21.3 | 18.8 | 19.3 | 26.6 | 20.9 | 22.0 |
| Other languages | 73.5 | 72.3 | 72.6 | 68.3 | 71.1 | 70.5 |
| 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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More than two thirds of recent immigrants reported a language other than English or French as their mother tongue
In Quebec, 68.3% of recent immigrants reported a language other than English or French as their mother tongue in 2016, down from 73.5% in 2011, or a decrease of 5.2 percentage points. The proportion of established immigrants who reported a language other than English or French as their mother tongue decreased from 72.3% in 2011 to 71.1% in 2016, a decrease of 1.2 percentage points.
Increase in the share of recent immigrants who reported French as their mother tongue
Between 2011 and 2016, the proportion of recent immigrants whose mother tongue is French increased from 21.3% to 26.6%, while the share of recent immigrants whose mother tongue is English remained stable at 5.1%.
Decrease in the proportion of established immigrants with English as their mother tongue
The percentage of established immigrants who reported French as their mother tongue also increased from 18.8% in 2011 to 20.9% in 2016. In contrast, the proportion of those who reported that English was their mother tongue decreased from 9.0% to 8.0% during this period.
The increase in the share 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.
7.3 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 | 22,085 | 145,915 | 168,000 | 20,665 | 156,470 | 177,125 |
| French | 83,300 | 262,180 | 345,480 | 89,490 | 332,515 | 421,995 |
| Other languages | 118,010 | 343,405 | 461,415 | 105,025 | 387,160 | 492,180 |
| Total | 223,400 | 751,495 | 974,895 | 215,170 | 876,135 | 1,091,310 |
| percent | ||||||
| English | 9.9 | 19.4 | 17.2 | 9.6 | 17.9 | 16.2 |
| French | 37.3 | 34.9 | 35.4 | 41.6 | 38.0 | 38.7 |
| Other languages | 52.8 | 45.7 | 47.3 | 48.8 | 44.2 | 45.1 |
| 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, 7.5% of immigrants in Quebec reported English as their mother tongue, while more than twice as many (16.2%) reported speaking mainly English at home. Also, 38.7% of immigrants reported that they spoke French most often at home, compared with 22.0% of them who reported that French was their mother tongue.
More than half of immigrants reported speaking French or English most often at home
In 2016, more than half (54.9%) of immigrants reported speaking English or French most often at home, compared with 52.7% in 2011. The proportion of immigrants who spoke French most often at home increased from 35.4% in 2011 to 38.7% in 2016.
Decrease in the share of immigrants who reported speaking English most often at home
The proportion of immigrants who reported speaking mainly English at home decreased from 17.2% in 2011 to 16.2% in 2016.
Nearly half of recent immigrants reported speaking a language other than English or French most often at home
In 2016, 48.8% of recent immigrants reported mainly speaking a language other than English or French at home, a lower percentage than in 2011 (52.8%). Similarly, the proportion of recent immigrants who reported speaking English most often at home edged down from 9.9% in 2011 to 9.6% in 2016. In contrast, the percentage of recent immigrants who spoke French most often at home rose from 37.3% to 41.6% during this period.
7.4 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 | 46.9 | 45.9 | 46.1 | 46.8 | 46.2 | 46.2 |
| French | 2.7 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 0.9 | 1.1 | |
| English and French | 49.7 | 53.2 | 52.7 | 49.8 | 52.8 | 52.4 | |
| Neither | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.2 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| French | English | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| French | 52.2 | 39.5 | 42.7 | 51.8 | 39.9 | 42.7 | |
| English and French | 47.1 | 60.1 | 56.8 | 47.9 | 59.8 | 57.0 | |
| Neither | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| Other languages | English | 15.9 | 17.8 | 17.4 | 15.9 | 16.5 | 16.4 |
| French | 37.6 | 24.6 | 27.6 | 37.8 | 27.5 | 29.4 | |
| English and French | 39.8 | 51.8 | 49.0 | 37.6 | 50.4 | 47.9 | |
| Neither | 6.6 | 5.8 | 6.0 | 8.7 | 5.6 | 6.2 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| Total | English | 14.2 | 17.0 | 16.4 | 13.3 | 15.5 | 15.1 |
| French | 39.0 | 25.3 | 28.4 | 39.7 | 27.9 | 30.2 | |
| English and French | 41.9 | 53.5 | 50.8 | 41.0 | 52.5 | 50.3 | |
| Neither | 5.0 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 6.0 | 4.0 | 4.4 | |
| 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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More than 9 out of 10 recent immigrants could conduct a conversation in French or English
In Quebec, 94.0% of the 215,200 recent immigrants reported being able to conduct a conversation in French or English in 2016, down slightly from 2011 (95.0%).Note 1 This means that 6.0% of recent immigrants reported in 2016 that they could not conduct a conversation in either of the country’s official languages, up from 2011 (5.0%). In 2016, 13.3% of these immigrants could conduct a conversation in English only, 39.7% in French only, and 41.0% in French and English.
Thus, the share of recent immigrants who could conduct a conversation in English (English + English and French) was 54.3% in 2016, down from 2011 (56.0%).
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 (4.0%) of established immigrants could not conduct a conversation in English or French
Of the 876,100 established immigrants, 96.0% could conduct a conversation in English or French in 2016, little changed from 2011 (95.7%). In 2016, 15.5% of these immigrants knew English only, 27.9% French only, and 52.5% English and French. Thus, 4.0% of these immigrants could not conduct a conversation in English or French, compared with 4.3% in 2011.
The share of established immigrants who could conduct a conversation in English (English + English and French) was 68.0% in 2016, down from 2011 (70.5%).
Decline in English–French bilingualism among recent immigrants whose mother tongue is a language other than English or French
In 2016, 37.6% of recent immigrants whose mother tongue is a language other than English or French reported being bilingual (English–French), down from 2011 (39.8%). Meanwhile, the share of those who reported they could conduct a conversation only in French (and not in English) remained stable, edging up from 37.6% in 2011 to 37.8% in 2016.
The rate of English–French bilingualism among recent immigrants whose mother tongue is English changed little, from 49.7% in 2011 to 49.8% in 2016. Similarly, the proportion among those who reported they could conduct a conversation only in English (and not in French) also changed little during this period, going from 46.9% to 46.8%.
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
Between 2011 and 2016, the proportion of recent immigrants whose mother tongue is a language other than English or French who knew only English (and not French) remained unchanged at 15.9%, while the share of those who knew neither English nor French increased from 6.6% to 8.7%.
Close to half of recent immigrants with French as their mother tongue reported they could 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) increased slightly between 2011 and 2016, from 47.3% to 48.0%.
7.5 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 Quebec.
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.
7.5.A Recent immigrants with French as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | Algeria | 18,045 | 13.7 |
| 2 | France | 16,665 | 12.7 | |
| 3 | Morocco | 14,900 | 11.3 | |
| 4 | Haiti | 12,795 | 9.7 | |
| 5 | Colombia | 6,920 | 5.3 | |
| 6 | Mexico | 3,935 | 3.0 | |
| 7 | Lebanon | 3,785 | 2.9 | |
| 8 | Cameroon | 3,160 | 2.4 | |
| 9 | Tunisia | 3,130 | 2.4 | |
| 10 | Côte d'Ivoire | 2,820 | 2.1 | |
| Total | 86,155 | 65.6 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | France | 19,800 | 15.2 |
| 2 | Haiti | 15,445 | 11.9 | |
| 3 | Algeria | 14,895 | 11.4 | |
| 4 | Morocco | 11,185 | 8.6 | |
| 5 | Cameroon | 7,030 | 5.4 | |
| 6 | Côte d'Ivoire | 4,995 | 3.8 | |
| 7 | Tunisia | 4,780 | 3.7 | |
| 8 | Colombia | 4,500 | 3.5 | |
| 9 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 3,095 | 2.4 | |
| 10 | Senegal | 2,585 | 2.0 | |
| Total | 88,310 | 67.8 | ||
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, nearly half of recent immigrants (47.1%)Note 2 whose first official language spoken is French were born in France (15.2%), Haiti (11.9%), Algeria (11.4%) or Morocco (8.6%). This is down from 2011 (47.5%). In 2016, as in 2011, these countries were the top four countries of origin of these immigrants.
Close to two thirds of recent immigrants were from France, Haiti or Africa
In 2016, 64.3% of French-speakingNote 3 recent immigrants were born in France, Haiti or Africa, compared with 54.4% in 2011.
The share of France and Haiti rose from 22.4% in 2011 to 27.1% in 2016, an increase of 4.6 percentage points. Africa’s share saw an increase of 5.3 percentage points over this period, going from 32.0% to 37.3%.
In 2016, 7 of the top 10 countries of birth of French-speaking recent immigrants were in Africa, compared with 5 in 2011.
7.5.B Established immigrants with French as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | France | 49,605 | 13.5 |
| 2 | Haiti | 49,540 | 13.5 | |
| 3 | Morocco | 25,175 | 6.9 | |
| 4 | Algeria | 23,980 | 6.5 | |
| 5 | Italy | 23,490 | 6.4 | |
| 6 | Lebanon | 15,925 | 4.3 | |
| 7 | Viet Nam | 10,715 | 2.9 | |
| 8 | Portugal | 10,315 | 2.8 | |
| 9 | Romania | 7,750 | 2.1 | |
| 10 | Egypt | 7,745 | 2.1 | |
| Total | 224,240 | 61.2 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | France | 59,845 | 13.0 |
| 2 | Haiti | 59,345 | 12.9 | |
| 3 | Morocco | 40,730 | 8.8 | |
| 4 | Algeria | 38,400 | 8.3 | |
| 5 | Italy | 19,895 | 4.3 | |
| 6 | Lebanon | 17,920 | 3.9 | |
| 7 | Colombia | 11,170 | 2.4 | |
| 8 | Portugal | 10,965 | 2.4 | |
| 9 | Viet Nam | 10,370 | 2.3 | |
| 10 | Romania | 9,965 | 2.2 | |
| Total | 278,605 | 60.5 | ||
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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The proportion of French-speaking established immigrants from Europe (excluding France) fell slightly (2.5 percentage points), from 11.3% in 2011 to 8.9% in 2016. In contrast, the share of immigrants from non-European countries increased by nearly as much (2.3 percentage points) during this period, from 36.3% to 38.6%.
7.5.C Recent immigrants with English as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | Philippines | 6,090 | 13.6 |
| 2 | China | 4,890 | 10.9 | |
| 3 | United States | 3,395 | 7.6 | |
| 4 | India | 2,230 | 5.0 | |
| 5 | Sri Lanka | 1,415 | 3.2 | |
| 6 | Iran | 1,385 | 3.1 | |
| 7 | Mexico | 1,335 | 3.0 | |
| 8 | Pakistan | 1,310 | 2.9 | |
| 9 | Egypt | 1,170 | 2.6 | |
| 10 | United Kingdom | 1,130 | 2.5 | |
| Total | 24,350 | 54.3 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | Philippines | 5,020 | 12.7 |
| 2 | China | 4,315 | 10.9 | |
| 3 | Iran | 2,950 | 7.4 | |
| 4 | United States | 2,535 | 6.4 | |
| 5 | India | 2,185 | 5.5 | |
| 6 | Syria | 2,175 | 5.5 | |
| 7 | Egypt | 1,425 | 3.6 | |
| 8 | Pakistan | 1,085 | 2.7 | |
| 9 | Lebanon | 760 | 1.9 | |
| 10 | United Kingdom | 745 | 1.9 | |
| Total | 23,195 | 58.5 | ||
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, nearly one third (31.0%) of recent immigrants whose first official language spoken was English were born in the Philippines (12.7%), China (10.9%) or Iran (7.4%). The United States, India, Syria, Egypt, Pakistan, Lebanon and the United Kingdom round out the list of countries of origin most frequently reported by these immigrants in 2016.
In 2016, 46.6% of English-speaking recent immigrants were from Asia (including the Middle East), compared with 41.2% in 2011.
In 2016, as in 2011, 7 of the top 10 countries of birth of English-speaking recent immigrants were in Asia (including the Middle East).
7.5.D Established immigrants with English as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | Italy | 15,285 | 6.9 |
| 2 | China | 13,835 | 6.2 | |
| 3 | Philippines | 13,630 | 6.1 | |
| 4 | United States | 13,515 | 6.1 | |
| 5 | Greece | 13,265 | 5.9 | |
| 6 | United Kingdom | 12,825 | 5.7 | |
| 7 | India | 10,470 | 4.7 | |
| 8 | Sri Lanka | 6,950 | 3.1 | |
| 9 | Germany | 5,890 | 2.6 | |
| 10 | Poland | 5,820 | 2.6 | |
| Total | 111,485 | 50.0 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | Philippines | 16,840 | 7.3 |
| 2 | China | 15,500 | 6.7 | |
| 3 | Italy | 14,475 | 6.3 | |
| 4 | United States | 13,985 | 6.1 | |
| 5 | Greece | 11,560 | 5.0 | |
| 6 | United Kingdom | 11,475 | 5.0 | |
| 7 | India | 11,165 | 4.8 | |
| 8 | Sri Lanka | 7,010 | 3.0 | |
| 9 | Lebanon | 5,910 | 2.6 | |
| 10 | Pakistan | 5,315 | 2.3 | |
| Total | 113,235 | 49.2 | ||
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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Increase in the proportion of immigrants from Asian countries (including the Middle East) and decrease in the proportion of immigrants from Western countries
Between 2011 and 2016, the proportion of English-speaking established immigrants from Asia (including the Middle East) rose 6.7 percentage points, from 20.1% to 26.8%. Conversely, the proportion of immigrants from Western countries fell from 29.9% in 2011 to 22.4% in 2016, a decrease of 7.5 percentage points.
Notes
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