Immigration and language in Canada, 2011 and 2016
14 Saskatchewan
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14.1 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 | 918,590 | 65,315 | 25,050 | 991,700 | 932,020 | 105,315 | 43,750 | 1,048,995 |
| French | 11,735 | 1,125 | 395 | 13,035 | 12,055 | 1,890 | 680 | 14,195 |
| Neither | 1,385 | 2,340 | 1,480 | 4,025 | 1,735 | 5,285 | 3,510 | 7,360 |
| Total | 931,710 | 68,775 | 26,925 | 1,008,760 | 945,810 | 112,495 | 47,940 | 1,070,555 |
| percent | ||||||||
| English | 98.6 | 95.0 | 93.0 | 98.3 | 98.5 | 93.6 | 91.3 | 98.0 |
| French | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.3 |
| Neither | 0.1 | 3.4 | 5.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 4.7 | 7.3 | 0.7 |
| 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 Saskatchewan, more than 9 in 10 immigrants (93.6%) had English as their first official language spoken (FOLS) in 2016, compared with 1.7% who had French, and 4.7% who had neither language.
Of the 47,900 recent immigrants who settled in Saskatchewan between 2011 and 2016, 91.3% (43,800 people) had English as their FOLS, 1.4% (700 people) had French, and 7.3% (3,500 people) had neither language.
Increase in the proportion of immigrants who had neither English nor French as their first official language spoken
Between 2011 and 2016, the percentage of immigrants who had English as their FOLS fell slightly from 95.0% to 93.6%, while those who had French as their FOLS remained virtually unchanged over this period (from 1.6% to 1.7%). In contrast, those who had neither of these two languages as their FOLS rose from 3.4% in 2011 to 4.7% 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.
The proportion of recent immigrants who had English or French as their FOLS decreased slightly between 2011 and 2016, from 93.0% to 91.3%, and from 1.5% to 1.4%, respectively. In contrast, the percentage of those who had neither English nor French as their FOLS rose from 5.5% to 7.3% over this period.
Smaller proportion of immigrants with English as their first official language spoken than non-immigrants
In 2016, 98.5% of non-immigrants had English as their FOLS, a higher proportion than that of all immigrants (93.6%) and that of recent immigrants (91.3%). Meanwhile, 1.4% of recent immigrants had French as their FOLS, barely higher than for non-immigrants (1.3%), but slightly lower than for all immigrants (1.7%).
14.2 Mother tongue
| Mother tongue | 2011 | 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recent 2006 to 2011 |
Established before 2006 |
Total | Recent 2011 to 2016 |
Established before 2011 | Total | |
| number | ||||||
| English | 4,475 | 15,170 | 19,640 | 8,180 | 18,875 | 27,055 |
| French | 175 | 540 | 715 | 360 | 740 | 1,100 |
| Other languages | 22,275 | 26,145 | 48,415 | 39,400 | 44,945 | 84,335 |
| Total | 26,920 | 41,855 | 68,775 | 47,940 | 64,560 | 112,495 |
| percent | ||||||
| English | 16.6 | 36.2 | 28.6 | 17.1 | 29.2 | 24.0 |
| French | 0.7 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.0 |
| Other languages | 82.7 | 62.5 | 70.4 | 82.2 | 69.6 | 75.0 |
| 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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More than four in five recent immigrants reported a language other than English or French as their mother tongue
In Saskatchewan, 82.2% of recent immigrants reported a language other than English or French as their mother tongue in 2016, compared with 82.7% in 2011. The proportion of established immigrants who reported a language other than English or French as their mother tongue rose from 62.5% in 2011 to 69.6% in 2016, an increase of 7.2 percentage points.
Between 2011 and 2016, the share of recent immigrants whose mother tongue is French changed very little, from 0.7% to 0.8%, while the proportion of recent immigrants with English as their mother tongue rose slightly from 16.6% to 17.1%.
Decrease in the percentage of established immigrants who reported English as their mother tongue
The proportion of established immigrants who reported French as their mother tongue edged down from 1.3% in 2011 to 1.1% in 2016. The share of those who reported English as their mother tongue fell 7.0 percentage points during this period, from 36.2% to 29.2%.
14.3 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 | 9,550 | 29,350 | 38,900 | 17,380 | 37,545 | 54,920 |
| French | 120 | 285 | 400 | 335 | 505 | 835 |
| Other languages | 17,250 | 12,230 | 29,480 | 30,215 | 26,530 | 56,740 |
| Total | 26,920 | 41,855 | 68,775 | 47,940 | 64,560 | 112,495 |
| percent | ||||||
| English | 35.5 | 70.1 | 56.6 | 36.3 | 58.2 | 48.8 |
| French | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| Other languages | 64.1 | 29.2 | 42.9 | 63.0 | 41.1 | 50.4 |
| 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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In 2016, 0.7% of immigrants in Saskatchewan reported speaking French most often at home, compared with 1.0% of them who reported that French was their mother tongue. In contrast, 24.0% of immigrants reported English as their mother tongue, while nearly half (48.8%) of them reported speaking mainly English at home in 2016.
Nearly half of immigrants reported speaking English or French most often at home
In 2016, 49.6% of immigrants reported speaking English or French most often at home, down from 2011 (57.1%). The proportion of immigrants who spoke French most often at home edged up from 0.6% in 2011 to 0.7% in 2016. The share of immigrants who reported speaking mainly English at home fell from 56.6% to 48.8% during this period, a decrease of 7.7 percentage points.
Over 6 in 10 recent immigrants reported speaking a language other than English or French most often at home
In 2016, 63.0% of recent immigrants reported that they mainly spoke a language other than English or French at home, down from 2011 (64.1%). In contrast, in 2016, a higher percentage of recent immigrants reported that they spoke English (36.3% versus 35.5%) or French (0.7% versus 0.4%) most often at home, compared with 2011.
14.4 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 | 96.1 | 94.6 | 94.9 | 95.7 | 94.6 | 95.0 |
| French | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| English and French | 3.2 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 3.4 | 5.1 | 4.6 | |
| Neither | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.4 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| French | English | 22.9 | 11.1 | 14.0 | 5.5 | 6.8 | 6.4 |
| French | 0.0 | 3.7 | 2.8 | 16.4 | 6.8 | 10.0 | |
| English and French | 68.6 | 84.3 | 80.4 | 79.5 | 84.4 | 82.7 | |
| Neither | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| Other languages | English | 90.3 | 92.2 | 91.3 | 89.1 | 91.7 | 90.5 |
| French | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | |
| English and French | 2.7 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 1.7 | 4.2 | 3.0 | |
| Neither | 6.8 | 3.3 | 4.9 | 8.9 | 4.0 | 6.3 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| Total | English | 90.8 | 92.0 | 91.5 | 89.6 | 91.7 | 90.8 |
| French | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | |
| English and French | 3.2 | 5.9 | 4.8 | 2.6 | 5.4 | 4.2 | |
| Neither | 5.8 | 2.1 | 3.5 | 7.5 | 2.8 | 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 Saskatchewan, 92.5% of the 47,900 recent immigrants reported being able to conduct a conversation in English or French in 2016, down from 2011 (94.2%).Note 1 This means that 7.5% of recent immigrants reported they could not conduct a conversation in either of the country’s official languages, up from 2011 (5.8%). In 2016, 89.6% of these immigrants could conduct a conversation in English only, 0.3% in French only, and 2.6% in English and French.
Thus, the share of recent immigrants who could conduct a conversation in French (French + English and French) was 2.9% in 2016, down from 2011 (3.4%).
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 (2.8%) of established immigrants could not conduct a conversation in English or French
Among the 64,600 established immigrants, 97.2% could conduct a conversation in English or French in 2016, compared with 97.9% in 2011. In 2016, 91.7% of these immigrants knew English only, 0.2% French only, and 5.4% English and French. Thus, 2.8% of established immigrants could not conduct a conversation in English or French, up from 2011 (2.1%).
The share of established immigrants who could conduct a conversation in French (French + English and French) was 5.5% in 2016, down from 2011 (5.9%).
Decline in English–French bilingualism among recent immigrants whose mother tongue is a language other than English or French
In 2016, 1.7% of recent immigrants whose mother tongue is a language other than English or French reported being bilingual (English–French), down from 2011 (2.7%). However, the share of those who reported they could conduct a conversation only in French (and not in English) remained stable at 0.2% during this period.
Among recent immigrants whose mother tongue is English, the rate of English–French bilingualism changed little, from 3.2% in 2011 to 3.4% in 2016. Similarly, the proportion who reported they could conduct a conversation only in English (and not in French) remained practically unchanged during this period, edging down from 96.1% to 95.7%.
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) decreased from 90.3% to 89.1%, while the share of those who knew neither English nor French increased from 6.8% to 8.9%.
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 between 2011 and 2016, from 91.4% to 84.9%.
14.5 Top countries of birth of immigrants
14.5.A Recent immigrants with French as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household SurveyTable 14.5.A Note 3 | 1 | Haiti | 35 | 15.6 |
| 2 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 35 | 15.6 | |
| 3 | France | 15 | 6.7 | |
| Total | 85 | 37.8 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | Mauritius | 95 | 18.8 |
| 2 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 70 | 13.9 | |
| 3 | Burundi | 65 | 12.9 | |
| 4 | France | 50 | 9.9 | |
| 5 | Tunisia | 35 | 6.9 | |
| 6 | Tanzania | 25 | 5.0 | |
| 7 | Morocco | 25 | 5.0 | |
| 8 | Cameroon | 25 | 5.0 | |
| 9 | Senegal | 15 | 3.0 | |
| 10 | Belgium | 10 | 2.0 | |
| Total | 415 | 82.2 | ||
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, there were 500 recent immigrants in Saskatchewan whose first official language spoken is French. Close to half (45.5%)Note 2 of these immigrants were born in Mauritius (18.8%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (13.9%) or Burundi (12.9%).
In 2016, 8 of the top 10 countries of birth of French-speakingNote 3 recent immigrants were in Africa, while the 2 others were in Europe.
14.5.B Established immigrants with French as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household SurveyTable 14.5.B Note 3 | 1 | France | 175 | 32.1 |
| 2 | United States | 55 | 10.1 | |
| 3 | Haiti | 55 | 10.1 | |
| 4 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 50 | 9.2 | |
| 5 | Morocco | 40 | 7.3 | |
| 6 | Mauritius | 35 | 6.4 | |
| 7 | Belgium | 25 | 4.6 | |
| 8 | Switzerland | 15 | 2.8 | |
| 9 | Senegal | 15 | 2.8 | |
| Total | 465 | 85.3 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 140 | 17.0 |
| 2 | France | 115 | 13.9 | |
| 3 | Burundi | 65 | 7.9 | |
| 4 | Cameroon | 55 | 6.7 | |
| 5 | Côte d'Ivoire | 50 | 6.1 | |
| 6 | Algeria | 40 | 4.8 | |
| 7 | Morocco | 40 | 4.8 | |
| 8 | United States | 30 | 3.6 | |
| 9 | Belgium | 25 | 3.0 | |
| 10 | Switzerland | 20 | 2.4 | |
| Total | 580 | 70.3 | ||
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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There were 825 French-speaking established immigrants in 2016. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, France and Burundi were the top three countries of origin of these immigrants.
In 2016, 6 of the top 10 countries of birth were in Africa, while the other 4 were the United States and countries in Europe.
14.5.C Recent immigrants with English as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | Philippines | 9,955 | 40.0 |
| 2 | China | 1,425 | 5.7 | |
| 3 | India | 1,275 | 5.1 | |
| 4 | United Kingdom | 1,040 | 4.2 | |
| 5 | Ukraine | 950 | 3.8 | |
| 6 | Pakistan | 755 | 3.0 | |
| 7 | United States | 695 | 2.8 | |
| 8 | South Korea | 545 | 2.2 | |
| 9 | Republic of South Africa | 500 | 2.0 | |
| 10 | Bangladesh | 470 | 1.9 | |
| Total | 17,610 | 70.8 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | Philippines | 16,560 | 38.0 |
| 2 | India | 5,970 | 13.7 | |
| 3 | Pakistan | 3,315 | 7.6 | |
| 4 | China | 2,225 | 5.1 | |
| 5 | Bangladesh | 1,415 | 3.2 | |
| 6 | Ukraine | 1,220 | 2.8 | |
| 7 | Nigeria | 1,035 | 2.4 | |
| 8 | United Kingdom | 850 | 2.0 | |
| 9 | United States | 740 | 1.7 | |
| 10 | Viet Nam | 640 | 1.5 | |
| Total | 33,970 | 78.0 | ||
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, nearly 6 in 10 recent immigrants (59.3%) whose first official language spoken is English were born in the Philippines (38.0%), India (13.7%) or Pakistan (7.6%).
Increase in the proportion of recent immigrants from Asia
In 2016, 69.1% of English-speaking recent immigrants were from Asia, compared with 58.0% of recent immigrants in 2011.
In 2016, as in 2011, 6 of the top 10 countries of birth of English-speaking recent immigrants were Asian countries.
14.5.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 | 6,310 | 15.7 |
| 2 | United States | 4,265 | 10.6 | |
| 3 | Philippines | 2,660 | 6.6 | |
| 4 | China | 2,535 | 6.3 | |
| 5 | Germany | 2,280 | 5.7 | |
| 6 | Pakistan | 2,125 | 5.3 | |
| 7 | India | 1,600 | 4.0 | |
| 8 | Netherlands | 1,270 | 3.2 | |
| 9 | Poland | 1,210 | 3.0 | |
| 10 | Viet Nam | 1,130 | 2.8 | |
| Total | 25,385 | 63.3 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | Philippines | 10,170 | 16.6 |
| 2 | United Kingdom | 6,160 | 10.1 | |
| 3 | United States | 4,070 | 6.7 | |
| 4 | China | 3,535 | 5.8 | |
| 5 | India | 3,270 | 5.3 | |
| 6 | Pakistan | 3,255 | 5.3 | |
| 7 | Germany | 2,340 | 3.8 | |
| 8 | Ukraine | 1,880 | 3.1 | |
| 9 | Viet Nam | 1,530 | 2.5 | |
| 10 | Republic of South Africa | 1,215 | 2.0 | |
| Total | 37,425 | 61.2 | ||
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 and decrease in the proportion of immigrants from Europe and the United States
Between 2011 and 2016, the proportion of English-speaking established immigrants from Asia rose 10.5 percentage points, from 25.1% to 35.6%. Conversely, the proportion of immigrants from Europe and the United States decreased 14.6 percentage points, from 38.3% in 2011 to 23.6% in 2016.
Notes
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