Immigration and language in Canada, 2011 and 2016
13 Manitoba
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13.1 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 | 942,790 | 172,695 | 52,005 | 1,123,400 | 957,510 | 212,720 | 57,400 | 1,185,380 |
| French | 35,195 | 3,150 | 1,250 | 38,575 | 35,555 | 4,030 | 1,465 | 40,020 |
| Neither | 3,220 | 8,665 | 4,405 | 12,380 | 3,800 | 10,715 | 4,345 | 15,300 |
| Total | 981,205 | 184,500 | 57,655 | 1,174,350 | 996,860 | 227,465 | 63,210 | 1,240,700 |
| percent | ||||||||
| English | 96.1 | 93.6 | 90.2 | 95.7 | 96.1 | 93.5 | 90.8 | 95.5 |
| French | 3.6 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 3.2 |
| Neither | 0.3 | 4.7 | 7.6 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 4.7 | 6.9 | 1.2 |
| 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 9 out of 10 immigrants had English as their first official language spoken
In Manitoba, more than 9 in 10 immigrants (93.5%) had English as their first official language spoken (FOLS) in 2016, compared with 1.8% who had French, and 4.7% who had neither language.
Of the 63,200 recent immigrants who settled in Manitoba between 2011 and 2016, 90.8% (57,400 people) had English as their FOLS, 2.3% (1,500 people) had French, and 6.9% (4,300 people) had neither language.
Slight decrease in the proportion of recent immigrants who had neither English nor French as their first official language spoken
The proportion of recent immigrants who had English or French as their FOLS did not vary much between 2011 and 2016, edging up from 90.2% to 90.8%, and from 2.2% to 2.3%, respectively. In contrast, the percentage who had neither English nor French as their FOLS fell slightly over this period, from 7.6% to 6.9%.
Lower proportion of immigrants who had English or French as their first official language spoken than non-immigrants
In 2016, 96.1% of non-immigrants had English as their FOLS. This proportion was higher than that of all immigrants (93.5%) and that of recent immigrants (90.8%). Furthermore, 3.6% of non-immigrants had French as their FOLS, a higher share than for all immigrants (1.8%) and for recent immigrants (2.3%).
13.2 Mother tongue
| Mother tongue | 2011 | 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recent 2006 to 2011 |
Established before 2006 |
Total | Recent 2011 to 2016 |
Established before 2011 | Total | |
| number | ||||||
| English | 6,690 | 34,165 | 40,850 | 8,935 | 37,735 | 46,665 |
| French | 580 | 1,250 | 1,830 | 795 | 1,610 | 2,410 |
| Other languages | 50,395 | 91,415 | 141,805 | 53,480 | 124,920 | 178,395 |
| Total | 57,660 | 126,845 | 184,505 | 63,210 | 164,265 | 227,465 |
| percent | ||||||
| English | 11.6 | 26.9 | 22.1 | 14.1 | 23.0 | 20.5 |
| French | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.1 |
| Other languages | 87.4 | 72.1 | 76.9 | 84.6 | 76.0 | 78.4 |
| 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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Decrease in the proportion of recent immigrants who reported a language other than English or French as their mother tongue
In Manitoba, 84.6% of recent immigrants reported a language other than English or French as their mother tongue in 2016, down from 2011 (87.4%). Conversely, the proportion of established immigrants who reported a language other than English or French as their mother tongue increased from 72.1% in 2011 to 76.1% in 2016.
Slight 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 edged up from 1.0% to 1.3%. Similarly, the share of recent immigrants who had English as their mother tongue also rose from 11.6% in 2011 to 14.1% in 2016, an increase of 2.5 percentage points.
Decrease in the proportion of established immigrants who reported English as their mother tongue
The percentage of established immigrants who reported French as their mother tongue remained unchanged (1.0%) between 2011 and 2016. In contrast, the proportion of those who reported English as their mother tongue decreased 4.0 percentage points over this period, going from 26.9% to 23.0%.
13.3 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 | 16,310 | 75,895 | 92,205 | 20,880 | 87,765 | 108,630 |
| French | 570 | 765 | 1,340 | 800 | 1,260 | 2,055 |
| Other languages | 40,770 | 50,200 | 90,970 | 41,535 | 75,250 | 116,775 |
| Total | 57,660 | 126,845 | 184,505 | 63,210 | 164,260 | 227,465 |
| percent | ||||||
| English | 28.3 | 59.8 | 50.0 | 33.0 | 53.4 | 47.8 |
| French | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| Other languages | 70.7 | 39.6 | 49.3 | 65.7 | 45.8 | 51.3 |
| 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, 20.5% of immigrants in Manitoba reported English as their mother tongue, while more than twice as many (47.8%) reported speaking mainly English at home in 2016. Moreover, 0.9% of immigrants reported that they spoke French most often at home, compared with 1.1% of them who reported that French was their mother tongue.
Nearly half of immigrants reported speaking English or French most often at home
In 2016, 48.7% of immigrants reported speaking English or French most often at home, down from 2011 (50.7%).
Slight increase in the proportion of immigrants who reported speaking mainly French at home
The share of immigrants who spoke French most often at home edged up from 0.7% in 2011 to 0.9% in 2016. In contrast, the proportion of immigrants who reported speaking mainly English at home fell from 50.0% to 47.8% during this period.
Nearly two thirds of recent immigrants reported speaking a language other than English or French most often at home
In 2016, 65.7% of recent immigrants reported mainly speaking a language other than English or French at home, a decrease from 2011 (70.7%). In contrast, in 2016, a higher percentage of recent immigrants reported speaking English (33.0% versus 28.3%) or French (1.3% versus 1.0%) most often at home, compared with 2011.
13.4 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 | 95.4 | 95.5 | 95.5 | 96.0 | 95.1 | 95.3 |
| French | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| English and French | 3.4 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 4.5 | |
| Neither | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.2 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| French | English | 8.6 | 10.4 | 9.8 | 3.1 | 6.8 | 5.6 |
| French | 13.8 | 6.0 | 8.5 | 18.2 | 2.8 | 7.9 | |
| English and French | 75.9 | 84.0 | 81.4 | 79.9 | 90.1 | 86.7 | |
| Neither | 0.0 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.2 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| Other languages | English | 88.3 | 91.6 | 90.4 | 89.1 | 92.0 | 91.1 |
| French | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | |
| English and French | 2.5 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 2.7 | |
| Neither | 8.9 | 4.7 | 6.2 | 8.1 | 5.1 | 6.0 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| Total | English | 88.3 | 91.8 | 90.7 | 89.0 | 91.9 | 91.1 |
| French | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.2 | |
| English and French | 3.3 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.0 | |
| Neither | 7.9 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 7.0 | 3.9 | 4.8 | |
| 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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More than 9 out of 10 recent immigrants could conduct a conversation in English or French
In Manitoba, 93.0% of the 63,200 recent immigrants reported being able to conduct a conversation in English or French in 2016, up slightly from 2011 (92.1%).Note 1 This means that 7.0% of recent immigrants reported they could not conduct a conversation in either of the country’s official languages, down from 2011 (7.9%). In 2016, 89.0% of these immigrants could conduct a conversation in English only, 0.5% in French only, and 3.5% in English and French.
Thus, the share of recent immigrants who could conduct a conversation in French (French + English and French) was 4.0% in 2016, up slightly from 2011 (3.8%).
A small share (3.9%) of established immigrants could not conduct a conversation in English or French
Of the 164,300 established immigrants, 96.1% could conduct a conversation in English or French in 2016, a slight increase from 2011 (96.5%). In 2016, 91.9% of these immigrants knew English only, 0.1% French only, and 4.2% English and French. Thus, 3.9% 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 4.2% in 2016, down from 2011 (4.7%).
The rate of English–French bilingualism among recent immigrants whose mother tongue is English or a language other than English or French has changed little
The rate of English–French bilingualism among recent immigrants whose mother tongue is English changed little, edging up from 3.4% in 2011 to 3.5% in 2016. Similarly, the proportion who reported they could conduct a conversation only in English (and not in French) changed little during this period, from 95.4% to 96.0%.
In 2016, 2.4% of recent immigrants whose mother tongue is a language other than English or French reported being bilingual (English–French), a share that has remained relatively unchanged from 2011 (2.5%). In addition, the share of those who reported they could conduct a conversation only in French (and not in English) remained stable at 0.3% during this period.
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) increased from 88.3% to 89.1%, while the share of those who knew neither English nor French decreased from 8.9% to 8.1%.
Decline 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) decreased slightly between 2011 and 2016, from 84.5% to 83.0%.
13.5 Top countries of birth of immigrants
13.5.A Recent immigrants with French as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 200 | 22.0 |
| 2 | France | 110 | 12.1 | |
| 3 | Mauritius | 70 | 7.7 | |
| 4 | Republic of the Congo | 55 | 6.0 | |
| 5 | Senegal | 50 | 5.5 | |
| 6 | Togo | 50 | 5.5 | |
| 7 | Côte d'Ivoire | 45 | 4.9 | |
| 8 | Morocco | 45 | 4.9 | |
| 9 | Rwanda | 40 | 4.4 | |
| 10 | Cameroon | 40 | 4.4 | |
| Total | 705 | 77.5 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 430 | 37.6 |
| 2 | France | 135 | 11.8 | |
| 3 | Côte d'Ivoire | 90 | 7.9 | |
| 4 | Mauritania | 65 | 5.7 | |
| 5 | Cameroon | 50 | 4.4 | |
| 6 | Mauritius | 40 | 3.5 | |
| 7 | Morocco | 35 | 3.1 | |
| 8 | Mali | 30 | 2.6 | |
| 9 | Togo | 25 | 2.2 | |
| 10 | Tunisia | 25 | 2.2 | |
| Total | 925 | 80.8 | ||
Notes: To ensure the confidentiality of responses collected for the 2016 Census of Population, a random rounding process is used to alter the values reported in individual cells. As a result, when these data are summed or grouped, the total value may not match the sum of the individual values, since the total and subtotals are independently rounded. Similarly, percentage distributions, which are calculated on rounded data, may not necessarily add up to 100%. 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, 57.2%Note 2 of the 1,100 recent immigrants whose first official language spoken is French came from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (37.6%), France (11.8%) or the Ivory Coast (7.9%).
In 2011, as in 2016, 9 of the top 10 countries of birth of French-speakingNote 3 recent immigrants were in Africa.
13.5.B Established immigrants with French as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | France | 445 | 31.2 |
| 2 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 160 | 11.2 | |
| 3 | Morocco | 95 | 6.7 | |
| 4 | Belgium | 90 | 6.3 | |
| 5 | Haiti | 50 | 3.5 | |
| 6 | Rwanda | 50 | 3.5 | |
| 7 | Viet Nam | 50 | 3.5 | |
| 8 | United States | 45 | 3.2 | |
| 9 | Germany | 45 | 3.2 | |
| 10 | Mali | 40 | 2.8 | |
| Total | 1,070 | 75.1 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | France | 480 | 25.3 |
| 2 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 335 | 17.7 | |
| 3 | Belgium | 120 | 6.3 | |
| 4 | Morocco | 80 | 4.2 | |
| 5 | Mauritius | 75 | 4.0 | |
| 6 | Cameroon | 75 | 4.0 | |
| 7 | Burundi | 65 | 3.4 | |
| 8 | Republic of the Congo | 45 | 2.4 | |
| 9 | Haiti | 40 | 2.1 | |
| 10 | Senegal | 40 | 2.1 | |
| Total | 1,355 | 71.5 | ||
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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In Manitoba, there were 1,895 French-speaking established immigrants.
Between 2011 and 2016, the proportion of French-speaking established immigrants from Europe and the United States fell 12.2 percentage points, from 43.9% to 31.7%. In contrast, the share of immigrants from African countries rose from 24.2% to 37.7% during this period.
13.5.C Recent immigrants with English as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | Philippines | 22,545 | 43.6 |
| 2 | India | 5,545 | 10.7 | |
| 3 | Germany | 2,865 | 5.5 | |
| 4 | China | 2,270 | 4.4 | |
| 5 | Russian Federation | 1,300 | 2.5 | |
| 6 | South Korea | 1,065 | 2.1 | |
| 7 | United States | 1,015 | 2.0 | |
| 8 | Ukraine | 910 | 1.8 | |
| 9 | Nigeria | 895 | 1.7 | |
| 10 | United Kingdom | 785 | 1.5 | |
| Total | 39,195 | 75.9 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | Philippines | 22,715 | 39.8 |
| 2 | India | 9,975 | 17.5 | |
| 3 | Nigeria | 2,620 | 4.6 | |
| 4 | China | 2,460 | 4.3 | |
| 5 | Pakistan | 1,510 | 2.6 | |
| 6 | Ukraine | 1,185 | 2.1 | |
| 7 | South Korea | 1,080 | 1.9 | |
| 8 | United States | 950 | 1.7 | |
| 9 | Russian Federation | 940 | 1.6 | |
| 10 | Ethiopia | 790 | 1.4 | |
| Total | 44,225 | 77.5 | ||
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, close to 6 in 10 recent immigrants (57.3%) whose first official language spoken is English were born in the Philippines (39.8%) or India (17.5%). This is an increase over 2011 (54.4%). In 2016, as in 2011, these countries were the top two countries of origin of these immigrants.
The proportion of English-speaking recent immigrants from Asia was 66.1% in 2016, compared with 60.8% in 2011.
In 2016, 5 of the top 10 countries of birth of English-speaking recent immigrants were Asian countries.
13.5.D Established immigrants with English as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | Philippines | 22,075 | 18.4 |
| 2 | United Kingdom | 12,430 | 10.3 | |
| 3 | Germany | 7,720 | 6.4 | |
| 4 | United States | 6,315 | 5.3 | |
| 5 | Mexico | 5,635 | 4.7 | |
| 6 | India | 5,475 | 4.6 | |
| 7 | Poland | 5,115 | 4.3 | |
| 8 | Portugal | 3,495 | 2.9 | |
| 9 | China | 3,025 | 2.5 | |
| 10 | Paraguay | 2,965 | 2.5 | |
| Total | 74,250 | 61.8 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | Philippines | 38,595 | 25.0 |
| 2 | United Kingdom | 11,110 | 7.2 | |
| 3 | India | 10,140 | 6.6 | |
| 4 | Germany | 9,715 | 6.3 | |
| 5 | United States | 6,075 | 3.9 | |
| 6 | Mexico | 5,540 | 3.6 | |
| 7 | Poland | 4,870 | 3.1 | |
| 8 | China | 4,355 | 2.8 | |
| 9 | Paraguay | 3,610 | 2.3 | |
| 10 | Portugal | 3,610 | 2.3 | |
| Total | 97,620 | 63.1 | ||
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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Between 2011 and 2016, the proportion of English-speaking established immigrants from Asia saw an 8.9-percentage-point increase from 25.4% to 34.3%. In contrast, the proportion of immigrants from Europe and the United States fell 6.3 percentage points, from 29.2% in 2011 to 22.9% in 2016.
Notes
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