Immigration and language in Canada, 2011 and 2016
16 Calgary Census Metropolitan Area (CMA)
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16.1 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 | 842,105 | 290,235 | 64,340 | 1,154,135 | 921,190 | 373,315 | 84,275 | 1,319,960 |
| French | 15,785 | 5,685 | 1,700 | 21,910 | 16,895 | 7,820 | 2,085 | 25,310 |
| Neither | 4,035 | 17,960 | 4,670 | 23,075 | 4,705 | 23,575 | 6,895 | 29,385 |
| Total | 861,930 | 313,880 | 70,705 | 1,199,125 | 942,785 | 404,700 | 93,255 | 1,374,650 |
| percent | ||||||||
| English | 97.7 | 92.5 | 91.0 | 96.2 | 97.7 | 92.2 | 90.4 | 96.0 |
| French | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 1.8 |
| Neither | 0.5 | 5.7 | 6.6 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 5.8 | 7.4 | 2.1 |
| 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 Calgary, more than 9 out of 10 immigrants (92.2%) had English as their first official language spoken (FOLS) in 2016, compared with 1.9% who had French, and 5.8% who had neither language.
Of the 93,300 recent immigrants who settled in Calgary between 2011 and 2016, 90.4% (84,300 people) had English as their FOLS, 2.2% (2,100 people) had French, and 7.4% (6,900 people) had neither language.
The proportion of recent immigrants who had neither English nor French as their FOLS grew slightly from 6.6% to 7.4% over this period. The growth in this group is likely due to the increase in the number of refugees who arrived in the country during this period.
Lower proportion of immigrants with English as their first official language spoken than non-immigrants
In 2016, 90.4% of all recent immigrants had English as their FOLS, lower than that of all immigrants (92.2%) and that of non-immigrants (97.7%). Moreover, 2.2% of recent immigrants had French as their FOLS, a higher proportion than for all immigrants (1.9%) and for non-immigrants (1.8%).
16.2 Mother tongue
| Mother tongue | 2011 | 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recent 2006 to 2011 |
Established before 2006 |
Total | Recent 2011 to 2016 |
Established before 2011 | Total | |
| number | ||||||
| English | 13,005 | 60,635 | 73,635 | 18,385 | 75,915 | 94,290 |
| French | 810 | 2,005 | 2,815 | 1,255 | 3,070 | 4,320 |
| Other languages | 56,890 | 180,545 | 237,435 | 73,615 | 232,465 | 306,090 |
| Total | 70,705 | 243,175 | 313,880 | 93,255 | 311,440 | 404,700 |
| percent | ||||||
| English | 18.4 | 24.9 | 23.5 | 19.7 | 24.4 | 23.3 |
| French | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.1 |
| Other languages | 80.5 | 74.2 | 75.6 | 78.9 | 74.6 | 75.6 |
| 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 Calgary, 78.9% of recent immigrants reported a language other than English or French as their mother tongue in 2016, compared with 80.5% in 2011. The proportion of established immigrants who reported a language other than English or French as their mother tongue edged up from 74.2% in 2011 to 74.6% in 2016.
Between 2011 and 2016, the share of recent immigrants with French as their mother tongue rose slightly from 1.1% to 1.3%. Similarly, the proportion of recent immigrants whose mother tongue is English increased from 18.4% to 19.7% during this period.
The proportion of established immigrants who reported French as their mother tongue also edged up from 0.8% in 2011 to 1.0% in 2016. Meanwhile, the percentage of those who reported English as their mother tongue fell slightly over this period, from 24.9% to 24.4%.
16.3 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 | 25,195 | 128,225 | 153,420 | 35,355 | 160,735 | 196,090 |
| French | 550 | 1,210 | 1,760 | 1,000 | 2,000 | 2,995 |
| Other languages | 44,955 | 113,745 | 158,705 | 56,910 | 148,730 | 205,630 |
| Total | 70,705 | 243,175 | 313,880 | 93,255 | 311,440 | 404,700 |
| percent | ||||||
| English | 35.6 | 52.7 | 48.9 | 37.9 | 51.6 | 48.5 |
| French | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
| Other languages | 63.6 | 46.8 | 50.6 | 61.0 | 47.8 | 50.8 |
| 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 Calgary reported English as their mother tongue, while more than twice as many (48.5%) reported speaking mainly English at home. Moreover, 0.7% of immigrants reported speaking 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, nearly half (49.2%) of immigrants reported that they spoke English or French most often at home, practically the same percentage as in 2011 (49.4%). The percentage of immigrants who spoke French most often at home edged up from 0.6% in 2011 to 0.7% in 2016. The proportion of immigrants who reported speaking mainly English at home edged down over this period, from 48.9% to 48.5%.
Slightly over 6 in 10 recent immigrants reported speaking a language other than English or French most often at home
In 2016, 61.0% of recent immigrants reported mainly speaking a language other than English or French at home, down from 2011 (63.6%). In contrast, in 2016, a higher percentage of recent immigrants reported that English (37.9% versus 35.6%) or French (1.1% versus 0.8%) was spoken most often at home, compared with 2011.
16.4 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 | 94.8 | 93.4 | 93.7 | 95.3 | 94.6 | 94.8 |
| French | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| English and French | 4.5 | 6.4 | 6.1 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 5.1 | |
| Neither | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.2 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| French | English | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 3.2 | 8.6 | 7.1 |
| French | 7.4 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 13.2 | 2.4 | 5.4 | |
| English and French | 82.7 | 90.5 | 88.3 | 84.4 | 89.1 | 87.6 | |
| 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 | 87.6 | 87.9 | 87.8 | 87.4 | 88.3 | 88.1 |
| French | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | |
| English and French | 4.0 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 4.0 | |
| Neither | 8.3 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 9.4 | 7.2 | 7.7 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| Total | English | 88.0 | 88.6 | 88.5 | 87.8 | 89.1 | 88.8 |
| French | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.2 | |
| English and French | 5.0 | 5.8 | 5.6 | 4.4 | 5.4 | 5.2 | |
| Neither | 6.8 | 5.5 | 5.8 | 7.5 | 5.4 | 5.9 | |
| 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 Calgary, 92.5% of the 93,300 recent immigrants reported being able to conduct a conversation in English or French in 2016, down slightly from 2011 (93.2%).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 (6.8%). In 2016, 87.8% of these immigrants could conduct a conversation in English only, 0.3% in French only, and 4.4% in English and French.
Thus, the share of recent immigrants who could conduct a conversation in French (French + English and French) was 4.7% in 2016, down from 2011 (5.2%).
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 (5.4%) of established immigrants could not conduct a conversation in English or French
Among the 311,500 established immigrants, 94.6% could conduct a conversation in English or French in 2016, a share that has remained relatively unchanged from 2011 (94.5%). In 2016, 89.1% of these immigrants knew English only, 0.1% French only, and 5.4% English and French. Thus, 5.4% of these immigrants could not conduct a conversation in English or French, a proportion that has remained virtually unchanged from 2011 (5.5%).
The proportion of established immigrants who could conduct a conversation in French (French + English and French) was 5.5% in 2016, down slightly 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, 3.1% of recent immigrants whose mother tongue is a language other than English or French reported being bilingual (English–French), down from 2011 (4.0%). Meanwhile, the share of those who reported they could conduct a conversation only in French (and not in English) remained unchanged at 0.1% during this period.
The rate of English–French bilingualism among recent immigrants whose mother tongue is English decreased slightly, from 4.5% in 2011 to 4.2% in 2016. Conversely, the proportion who reported they could conduct a conversation only in English (and not in French) increased slightly during this period, from 94.8% to 95.3%.
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) changed little, decreasing from 87.6% to 87.4%, while the share of those who knew neither English nor French increased from 8.3% to 9.4%.
Decrease 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 90.7% to 87.6%.
16.5 Top countries of birth of immigrants
16.5.A Recent immigrants with French as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | France | 285 | 29.5 |
| 2 | Cameroon | 125 | 13.0 | |
| 3 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 65 | 6.7 | |
| 4 | Algeria | 55 | 5.7 | |
| 5 | Morocco | 55 | 5.7 | |
| 6 | Senegal | 45 | 4.7 | |
| 7 | Mauritius | 45 | 4.7 | |
| 8 | Angola | 40 | 4.1 | |
| 9 | Haiti | 35 | 3.6 | |
| 10 | Gabon | 30 | 3.1 | |
| Total | 780 | 80.8 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | France | 260 | 17.8 |
| 2 | Cameroon | 220 | 15.1 | |
| 3 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 140 | 9.6 | |
| 4 | Côte d'Ivoire | 120 | 8.2 | |
| 5 | Haiti | 70 | 4.8 | |
| 6 | Algeria | 65 | 4.5 | |
| 7 | Morocco | 60 | 4.1 | |
| 8 | Senegal | 55 | 3.8 | |
| 9 | Mauritius | 55 | 3.8 | |
| 10 | Tunisia | 35 | 2.4 | |
| Total | 1,080 | 74.0 | ||
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, 42.5%Note 2 of the 1,460 recent immigrants whose first official language spoken is French were born in France (17.8%), Cameroon (15.1%) or the Democratic Republic of the Congo (9.6%). This is down from 2011 (49.2%). In 2016, as in 2011, these countries were the top three countries of origin of recent immigrants.
No Western countries (excluding France) were among the top 10 most frequently reported countries of birth in 2016. Only France, Haiti and African countries were in the top 10. French-speakingNote 3 recent immigrants from these countries accounted for three quarters (74.0%) of French-speaking recent immigrants in 2016, compared with 80.8% in 2011.
Increase in the share of recent immigrants of African origin with French as their first official language spoken
In 2011, as in 2016, African countries accounted for 8 of the top 10 countries of birth of French-speaking recent immigrants, their proportion increasing from 47.7% in 2011 to 51.4% in 2016.
16.5.B Established immigrants with French as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | France | 550 | 22.0 |
| 2 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 260 | 10.4 | |
| 3 | Mauritius | 125 | 5.0 | |
| 4 | Algeria | 120 | 4.8 | |
| 5 | Colombia | 115 | 4.6 | |
| 6 | Morocco | 115 | 4.6 | |
| 7 | Lebanon | 100 | 4.0 | |
| 8 | United States | 90 | 3.6 | |
| 9 | Belgium | 80 | 3.2 | |
| 10 | Switzerland | 65 | 2.6 | |
| Total | 1,620 | 64.7 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | France | 745 | 20.4 |
| 2 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 345 | 9.4 | |
| 3 | Algeria | 205 | 5.6 | |
| 4 | Haiti | 180 | 4.9 | |
| 5 | Mauritius | 150 | 4.1 | |
| 6 | Cameroon | 145 | 4.0 | |
| 7 | Morocco | 140 | 3.8 | |
| 8 | Lebanon | 120 | 3.3 | |
| 9 | Belgium | 115 | 3.1 | |
| 10 | Colombia | 110 | 3.0 | |
| Total | 2,255 | 61.7 | ||
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) made up only 3.1% of the 3,700 French-speaking established immigrants, down from 2011 (9.4%). This is a decrease of 6.2 percentage points. However, the proportion of immigrants from African countries rose 2.2 percentage points during that period, from 24.8% to 26.9%.
16.5.C Recent immigrants with English as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | Philippines | 13,035 | 20.5 |
| 2 | India | 7,705 | 12.1 | |
| 3 | China | 4,665 | 7.3 | |
| 4 | United Kingdom | 3,475 | 5.5 | |
| 5 | Pakistan | 3,340 | 5.3 | |
| 6 | United States | 2,535 | 4.0 | |
| 7 | Nigeria | 2,120 | 3.3 | |
| 8 | South Korea | 1,575 | 2.5 | |
| 9 | Colombia | 1,475 | 2.3 | |
| 10 | Ethiopia | 1,265 | 2.0 | |
| Total | 41,190 | 64.8 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | Philippines | 21,790 | 26.0 |
| 2 | India | 11,480 | 13.7 | |
| 3 | China | 4,335 | 5.2 | |
| 4 | Pakistan | 4,040 | 4.8 | |
| 5 | Nigeria | 3,900 | 4.7 | |
| 6 | United Kingdom | 2,865 | 3.4 | |
| 7 | Iran | 2,115 | 2.5 | |
| 8 | United States | 2,025 | 2.4 | |
| 9 | Mexico | 1,820 | 2.2 | |
| 10 | South Korea | 1,750 | 2.1 | |
| Total | 56,120 | 67.1 | ||
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 (45.0%) of recent immigrants whose first official language spoken is English were born in the Philippines (26.0%), India (13.7%) or China (5.2%). This proportion was up from 2011 (39.9%). In 2016, as in 2011, these countries were the top three countries of origin of these immigrants.
Increase in the share of recent immigrants from Asia (including the Middle East)
In 2016, 54.4% of English-speaking recent immigrants were from Asia including the Middle East), compared with 47.7% in 2011.
In 2016, 6 of the top 10 countries of birth of English-speaking recent immigrants were Asian countries (including the Middle East).
16.5.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 | 21,615 | 9.6 |
| 2 | Philippines | 21,005 | 9.4 | |
| 3 | India | 20,240 | 9.0 | |
| 4 | China | 18,390 | 8.2 | |
| 5 | Viet Nam | 11,235 | 5.0 | |
| 6 | United States | 9,695 | 4.3 | |
| 7 | Hong Kong | 8,945 | 4.0 | |
| 8 | Pakistan | 7,660 | 3.4 | |
| 9 | Germany | 6,130 | 2.7 | |
| 10 | Poland | 5,795 | 2.6 | |
| Total | 130,710 | 58.2 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | Philippines | 31,250 | 10.9 |
| 2 | India | 29,885 | 10.4 | |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 23,265 | 8.1 | |
| 4 | China | 23,010 | 8.0 | |
| 5 | Pakistan | 12,880 | 4.5 | |
| 6 | Viet Nam | 11,555 | 4.0 | |
| 7 | Hong Kong | 10,050 | 3.5 | |
| 8 | United States | 9,955 | 3.5 | |
| 9 | Poland | 6,090 | 2.1 | |
| 10 | Germany | 5,960 | 2.1 | |
| Total | 163,900 | 57.1 | ||
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, there was a slight increase in the proportion of English-speaking established immigrants from Asia. This proportion rose 2.4 percentage points over this period, from 39.0% to 41.3%. In contrast, the proportion of immigrants from Europe and the United States fell 3.5 percentage points, from 19.3% in 2011 to 15.8% in 2016.
Notes
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