Immigration and language in Canada, 2011 and 2016
12 Ottawa–Gatineau Census Metropolitan Area (CMA), Ontario part
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12.1 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 | 568,240 | 174,215 | 24,665 | 751,695 | 592,045 | 182,540 | 22,170 | 787,715 |
| French | 132,165 | 23,210 | 5,965 | 156,965 | 144,300 | 26,330 | 4,695 | 172,170 |
| Neither | 2,565 | 8,005 | 2,160 | 11,140 | 2,090 | 10,835 | 3,380 | 13,465 |
| Total | 702,970 | 205,425 | 32,785 | 919,805 | 738,430 | 219,705 | 30,250 | 973,345 |
| percent | ||||||||
| English | 80.8 | 84.8 | 75.2 | 81.7 | 80.2 | 83.1 | 73.3 | 80.9 |
| French | 18.8 | 11.3 | 18.2 | 17.1 | 19.5 | 12.0 | 15.5 | 17.7 |
| Neither | 0.4 | 3.9 | 6.6 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 4.9 | 11.2 | 1.4 |
| 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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Over 8 out of 10 immigrants had English as their first official language spoken
In Ottawa, over 8 in 10 immigrants (83.1%) had English as their first official language spoken (FOLS) in 2016, compared with 12.0% who had French, and 4.9% who had neither language.
Of the 30,300 recent immigrants who settled in Ottawa between 2011 and 2016, 73.3% (22,200 people) had English as their FOLS, 15.5% (4,700 people) had French, and 11.2% (3,400 people) had neither language.
Between 2011 and 2016, the percentage of immigrants who had English as their FOLS fell slightly from 84.8% to 83.1%, while the proportion of those whose FOLS is French edged up from 11.3% to 12.0%. Similarly, those who had neither of these two languages as their FOLS rose from 3.9% in 2011 to 4.9% in 2016. 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.
Increase in the proportion of recent immigrants who had neither English nor French as their FOLS
The share of recent immigrants who had English or French as their FOLS decreased between 2011 and 2016, from 75.2% to 73.3%, and from 18.2% to 15.5%, respectively. By comparison, those who had neither English nor French as their FOLS rose 4.6 percentage points over the same period, from 6.6% to 11.2%.
A lower share of recent immigrants with French as their first official language spoken than non-immigrants
In 2016, 73.3% of recent immigrants had English as their FOLS. This proportion was lower than that of non-immigrants (80.2%) and of all immigrants (83.1%). Moreover, 15.5% of recent immigrants had French as their FOLS, a lower share than for non-immigrants (19.5%), but higher than that of all immigrants (12.0%).
12.2 Mother tongue
| Mother tongue | 2011 | 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recent 2006 to 2011 |
Established before 2006 |
Total | Recent 2011 to 2016 |
Established before 2011 | Total | |
| number | ||||||
| English | 5,225 | 45,060 | 50,285 | 4,645 | 46,800 | 51,445 |
| French | 2,485 | 7,715 | 10,200 | 2,240 | 10,220 | 12,455 |
| Other languages | 25,070 | 119,870 | 144,940 | 23,365 | 132,435 | 155,805 |
| Total | 32,785 | 172,645 | 205,430 | 30,250 | 189,460 | 219,705 |
| percent | ||||||
| English | 15.9 | 26.1 | 24.5 | 15.4 | 24.7 | 23.4 |
| French | 7.6 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 7.4 | 5.4 | 5.7 |
| Other languages | 76.5 | 69.4 | 70.6 | 77.2 | 69.9 | 70.9 |
| 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 Ottawa, 77.2% of recent immigrants reported a language other than English or French as their mother tongue in 2016, compared with 76.5% in 2011. Similarly, the proportion of established immigrants who reported a language other than English or French as their mother tongue increased slightly, from 69.4% in 2011 to 69.9% in 2016.
Between 2011 and 2016, the share of recent immigrants whose mother tongue is French (7.6% versus 7.4%) or English (15.9% to 15.4%) decreased slightly.
Increase in the proportion of established immigrants who reported French as their mother tongue
The percentage of established immigrants who reported French as their mother tongue increased from 4.5% in 2011 to 5.4% in 2016. In contrast, the proportion of those who reported English as their mother tongue fell from 26.1% to 24.7% during this period.
The higher 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.
12.3 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 | 11,020 | 95,405 | 106,425 | 10,245 | 101,975 | 112,210 |
| French | 3,435 | 9,000 | 12,435 | 3,035 | 12,185 | 15,225 |
| Other languages | 18,330 | 68,240 | 86,570 | 16,965 | 75,300 | 92,265 |
| Total | 32,785 | 172,645 | 205,430 | 30,250 | 189,460 | 219,705 |
| percent | ||||||
| English | 33.6 | 55.3 | 51.8 | 33.9 | 53.8 | 51.1 |
| French | 10.5 | 5.2 | 6.1 | 10.0 | 6.4 | 6.9 |
| Other languages | 55.9 | 39.5 | 42.1 | 56.1 | 39.7 | 42.0 |
| 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, 23.4% of immigrants in Ottawa reported English as their mother tongue, while more than twice as many (51.1%) reported that they spoke mainly English at home. Similarly, 6.9% of immigrants reported speaking French most often at home, compared with 5.7% of them who reported that French was their mother tongue.
Close to 6 in 10 immigrants reported speaking English or French most often at home
In 2016, nearly 6 in 10 immigrants (58.0%) reported that they spoke English or French most often at home, almost the same percentage as in 2011 (57.9%). The proportion of immigrants who spoke French most often at home increased from 6.1% in 2011 to 6.9% in 2016. In contrast, the percentage of immigrants who reported speaking mainly English at home fell slightly from 51.8% to 51.1% during this period.
In 2016, the proportion of recent immigrants who reported mainly speaking a language other than English or French at home was 56.1%, little changed from 2011 (55.9%). Similarly, between 2011 and 2016, the share of recent immigrants who reported speaking English most often at home saw little change (33.6% versus 33.9%). Moreover, the proportion of recent immigrants who reported speaking French most often at home was 10.0% in 2016, down from 2011 (10.5%).
12.4 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 | 81.8 | 77.3 | 77.8 | 83.1 | 79.4 | 79.7 |
| French | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | |
| English and French | 17.9 | 22.5 | 22.0 | 16.3 | 20.5 | 20.1 | |
| Neither | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.1 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| French | English | 2.8 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 2.0 |
| French | 36.4 | 11.2 | 17.3 | 31.3 | 11.1 | 14.7 | |
| English and French | 61.0 | 84.4 | 78.6 | 66.5 | 86.8 | 83.2 | |
| Neither | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| Other languages | English | 67.4 | 71.4 | 70.7 | 68.1 | 71.6 | 71.0 |
| French | 4.9 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 1.6 | 2.0 | |
| English and French | 19.0 | 22.4 | 21.8 | 13.6 | 21.2 | 20.0 | |
| Neither | 8.7 | 4.9 | 5.6 | 14.5 | 5.6 | 7.0 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| Total | English | 64.8 | 69.9 | 69.1 | 65.5 | 69.7 | 69.2 |
| French | 6.5 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 5.3 | 1.7 | 2.2 | |
| English and French | 22.0 | 25.2 | 24.7 | 17.9 | 24.5 | 23.6 | |
| Neither | 6.7 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 11.3 | 4.0 | 5.0 | |
| 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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Decrease in the share of recent immigrants who could conduct a conversation in English or French
In Ottawa, 88.7% of the 30,200 recent immigrants reported being able to conduct a conversation in English or French in 2016, down from 2011 (93.3%).Note 1 This means that 11.3% of recent immigrants reported they could not conduct a conversation in either of the country’s official languages, up from 2011 (6.7%). In 2016, 65.5% of these immigrants could conduct a conversation in English only, 5.3% in French only, and 17.9% in English and French.
Thus, the share of recent immigrants who could conduct a conversation in French (French + English and French) was 23.2% in 2016, down from 2011 (28.5%).
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
Among the 189,500 established immigrants, 96.0% could conduct a conversation in English or French in 2016, slightly down from 2011 (96.5%). In 2016, 69.7% of these immigrants knew English only, 1.7% French only, and 24.5% English and French. Thus, 4.0% of these immigrants could not conduct a conversation in English or French, up from 2011 (3.5%).
The share of established immigrants who could conduct a conversation in French (French + English and French) was 26.3% in 2016, down slightly from 2011 (26.6%).
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 1.6 percentage points, from 17.9% in 2011 to 16.3% in 2016. Conversely, the proportion who reported they could conduct a conversation only in English (and not in French) increased 1.3 percentage points over this period, from 81.8% to 83.1%.
In 2016, 13.6% of recent immigrants whose mother tongue is a language other than English or French reported being bilingual (English–French), down from 2011 (19.0%). Similarly, the share of those who reported they could conduct a conversation only in French (and not in English) declined from 4.9% in 2011 to 3.9% 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
The proportion of recent immigrants whose mother tongue is a language other than English or French who knew only English (and not French) increased from 67.4% to 68.1% between 2011 and 2016. The proportion of those who knew neither English nor French rose from 8.7% to 14.5%.
Increase in the share of recent immigrants whose mother tongue is French 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) increased 4.5 percentage points between 2011 and 2016, from 63.8% to 68.3%.
12.5 Top countries of birth of immigrants
12.5.A Recent immigrants with French as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | Haiti | 1,530 | 31.6 |
| 2 | Burundi | 425 | 8.8 | |
| 3 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 365 | 7.5 | |
| 4 | Cameroon | 305 | 6.3 | |
| 5 | France | 290 | 6.0 | |
| 6 | Morocco | 200 | 4.1 | |
| 7 | Lebanon | 190 | 3.9 | |
| 8 | Djibouti | 185 | 3.8 | |
| 9 | United States | 150 | 3.1 | |
| 10 | Algeria | 150 | 3.1 | |
| Total | 3,790 | 78.3 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | Haiti | 935 | 23.5 |
| 2 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 525 | 13.2 | |
| 3 | Burundi | 425 | 10.7 | |
| 4 | Djibouti | 280 | 7.0 | |
| 5 | France | 260 | 6.5 | |
| 6 | Cameroon | 245 | 6.2 | |
| 7 | Côte d'Ivoire | 165 | 4.2 | |
| 8 | Lebanon | 115 | 2.9 | |
| 9 | Morocco | 105 | 2.6 | |
| 10 | United States | 90 | 2.3 | |
| Total | 3,145 | 79.1 | ||
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 (47.4%)Note 2 of the 4,000 recent immigrants whose first official language spoken is French were born in Haiti (23.5%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (13.2%) or Burundi (10.7%). This is slightly down from 47.9% in 2011. In 2016, as in 2011, these countries were the top three countries of origin of these immigrants.
Nearly three quarters of recent immigrants were from France, Haiti or Africa
In 2016, 74.0% of French-speakingNote 3 recent immigrants were from France, Haiti or Africa, up from 71.3% in 2011.
France and Haiti’s share fell 7.5 percentage points from 37.6% in 2011 to 30.1% in 2016. Africa’s share rose 10.2 percentage points over this period, from 33.7% to 43.9%.
In 2016, as in 2011, 6 of the top 10 countries of birth of French-speaking recent immigrants were in Africa.
12.5.B Established immigrants with French as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | Haiti | 3,245 | 26.1 |
| 2 | France | 1,510 | 12.1 | |
| 3 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1,160 | 9.3 | |
| 4 | Lebanon | 630 | 5.1 | |
| 5 | Algeria | 495 | 4.0 | |
| 6 | Morocco | 475 | 3.8 | |
| 7 | United States | 385 | 3.1 | |
| 8 | Burundi | 370 | 3.0 | |
| 9 | Egypt | 335 | 2.7 | |
| 10 | Djibouti | 250 | 2.0 | |
| Total | 8,855 | 71.2 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | Haiti | 4,015 | 24.8 |
| 2 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1,720 | 10.6 | |
| 3 | France | 1,640 | 10.1 | |
| 4 | Lebanon | 930 | 5.7 | |
| 5 | Burundi | 755 | 4.7 | |
| 6 | Morocco | 510 | 3.1 | |
| 7 | Algeria | 465 | 2.9 | |
| 8 | United States | 440 | 2.7 | |
| 9 | Cameroon | 365 | 2.3 | |
| 10 | Côte d'Ivoire | 345 | 2.1 | |
| Total | 11,185 | 69.0 | ||
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 the United States (the only Western country, other than France, on the list of top countries of birth) was 2.7% in 2016, a share that has remained relatively unchanged from 2011 (3.1%). The share of immigrants from African countries rose from 24.8% to 25.6% during this period.
12.5.C Recent immigrants with English as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | Philippines | 2,515 | 10.7 |
| 2 | China | 1,870 | 7.9 | |
| 3 | United States | 1,535 | 6.5 | |
| 4 | India | 1,480 | 6.3 | |
| 5 | United Kingdom | 805 | 3.4 | |
| 6 | Lebanon | 715 | 3.0 | |
| 7 | Iran | 685 | 2.9 | |
| 8 | Egypt | 640 | 2.7 | |
| 9 | Iraq | 580 | 2.5 | |
| 10 | Pakistan | 570 | 2.4 | |
| Total | 11,395 | 48.4 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | Philippines | 2,600 | 12.1 |
| 2 | India | 1,810 | 8.4 | |
| 3 | China | 1,690 | 7.9 | |
| 4 | United States | 1,070 | 5.0 | |
| 5 | Iraq | 795 | 3.7 | |
| 6 | Syria | 710 | 3.3 | |
| 7 | Iran | 640 | 3.0 | |
| 8 | United Kingdom | 620 | 2.9 | |
| 9 | Egypt | 620 | 2.9 | |
| 10 | Pakistan | 595 | 2.8 | |
| Total | 11,150 | 52.0 | ||
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, one third (33.4%) of recent immigrants whose first official language spoken is English were born in the Philippines (12.1%), India (8.4%), China (7.9%) or the United States (5.0%). This is down from 31.4% in 2011. In 2016, as in 2011, these countries were the top four countries of origin of these immigrants.
In 2016, as in 2011, Asian countries (including those in the Middle East) accounted for 7 of the top 10 countries of birth of English-speaking recent immigrants. Their proportion rose from 35.7% in 2011 to 41.2% in 2016.
In 2016, 41.2% of English-speaking recent immigrants were from Asia (including the Middle East), compared with 35.7% in 2011.
In 2016, as in 2011, 7 of the top 10 countries of birth of English-speaking recent immigrants were Asian countries (including those in the Middle East).
12.5.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 | 17,400 | 12.0 |
| 2 | China | 10,940 | 7.6 | |
| 3 | India | 7,200 | 5.0 | |
| 4 | United States | 6,955 | 4.8 | |
| 5 | Lebanon | 5,900 | 4.1 | |
| 6 | Philippines | 4,825 | 3.3 | |
| 7 | Viet Nam | 4,735 | 3.3 | |
| 8 | Italy | 4,715 | 3.3 | |
| 9 | Germany | 3,990 | 2.8 | |
| 10 | Poland | 3,680 | 2.5 | |
| Total | 70,340 | 48.6 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | United Kingdom | 15,835 | 10.2 |
| 2 | China | 11,815 | 7.6 | |
| 3 | India | 8,215 | 5.3 | |
| 4 | Lebanon | 6,895 | 4.4 | |
| 5 | United States | 6,825 | 4.4 | |
| 6 | Philippines | 6,220 | 4.0 | |
| 7 | Italy | 4,655 | 3.0 | |
| 8 | Viet Nam | 4,210 | 2.7 | |
| 9 | Germany | 3,810 | 2.5 | |
| 10 | Poland | 3,790 | 2.4 | |
| Total | 72,270 | 46.6 | ||
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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Between 2011 and 2016, the proportion of English-speaking established immigrants from Asia (including the Middle East) rose slightly from 23.2% to 24.1%. Meanwhile, the proportion of immigrants from Western countries fell 2.9 percentage points, from 25.4% in 2011 to 22.5% in 2016.
Notes
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