Immigration and language in Canada, 2011 and 2016
18 British Columbia
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18.1 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 | 3,009,835 | 1,060,725 | 155,480 | 4,130,740 | 3,105,700 | 1,146,800 | 145,625 | 4,344,965 |
| French | 43,820 | 15,435 | 2,800 | 60,450 | 46,550 | 15,865 | 2,405 | 64,205 |
| Neither | 13,935 | 115,725 | 26,845 | 133,260 | 14,910 | 130,015 | 27,530 | 151,070 |
| Total | 3,067,585 | 1,191,875 | 185,115 | 4,324,455 | 3,167,160 | 1,292,675 | 175,550 | 4,560,240 |
| percent | ||||||||
| English | 98.1 | 89.0 | 84.0 | 95.5 | 98.1 | 88.7 | 83.0 | 95.3 |
| French | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Neither | 0.5 | 9.7 | 14.5 | 3.1 | 0.5 | 10.1 | 15.7 | 3.3 |
| 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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Close to 9 out of 10 immigrants had English as their first official language spoken
In British Columbia, close to 9 in 10 immigrants (88.7%) had English as their first official language spoken (FOLS) in 2016, compared with 1.2% who had French, and 10.1% who had neither language.
Of the 175,600 recent immigrants who settled in British Columbia between 2011 and 2016, 83.0% (145,600 people) had English as their FOLS, 1.4% (2,400 people) had French, and 15.7% (27,500 people) had neither language.
The proportion of recent immigrants who had English or French as their FOLS decreased slightly between 2011 and 2016, from 84.0% to 83.0% and from 1.5% to 1.4%, respectively. In contrast, those who had neither English nor French as their FOLS rose 1.2 percentage points over this period, from 14.5% to 15.7%. 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.
Much lower share of immigrants with English as their first official language spoken than non-immigrants
In 2016, almost all (98.1%) non-immigrants had English as their FOLS. This proportion was much higher than that of recent immigrants (83.0%) and of all immigrants (88.7%). In addition, 1.5% of all non-immigrants had French as their FOLS, which was slightly higher than for recent immigrants (1.4%) and for all immigrants (1.2%).
18.2 Mother tongue
| Mother tongue | 2011 | 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recent 2006 to 2011 |
Established before 2006 |
Total | Recent 2011 to 2016 |
Established before 2011 | Total | |
| number | ||||||
| English | 33,160 | 269,745 | 302,905 | 29,600 | 285,530 | 315,135 |
| French | 1,310 | 7,380 | 8,690 | 1,330 | 8,210 | 9,540 |
| Other languages | 150,635 | 729,655 | 880,290 | 144,625 | 823,370 | 968,005 |
| Total | 185,120 | 1,006,760 | 1,191,880 | 175,550 | 1,117,125 | 1,292,675 |
| percent | ||||||
| English | 17.9 | 26.8 | 25.4 | 16.9 | 25.6 | 24.4 |
| French | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| Other languages | 81.4 | 72.5 | 73.9 | 82.4 | 73.7 | 74.9 |
| 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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Over four in five recent immigrants reported a language other than English or French as their mother tongue
In British Columbia, 82.4% of recent immigrants reported a language other than English or French as their mother tongue in 2016, up from 81.4% in 2011. The proportion of established immigrants who reported a language other than English or French as their mother tongue also increased by 1.2 percentage points, from 72.5% in 2011 to 73.7% in 2016.
Decrease in the share of recent and established immigrants who reported English as their mother tongue
Between 2011 and 2016, the proportion of recent immigrants with French as their mother tongue changed very little, from 0.7% to 0.8%. In contrast, the percentage of immigrants whose mother tongue is English decreased from 17.9% in 2011 to 16.9% in 2016.
The proportion of established immigrants who reported French as their mother tongue remained unchanged (0.7%) between 2011 and 2016. In contrast, the share of those who reported English as their mother tongue decreased from 26.8% to 25.6% during this period.
18.3 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 | 62,375 | 530,345 | 592,715 | 60,725 | 577,700 | 638,425 |
| French | 785 | 3,360 | 4,140 | 865 | 4,050 | 4,910 |
| Other languages | 121,965 | 473,060 | 595,020 | 113,970 | 535,370 | 649,340 |
| Total | 185,120 | 1,006,760 | 1,191,880 | 175,550 | 1,117,125 | 1,292,675 |
| percent | ||||||
| English | 33.7 | 52.7 | 49.7 | 34.6 | 51.7 | 49.4 |
| French | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Other languages | 65.9 | 47.0 | 49.9 | 64.9 | 47.9 | 50.2 |
| 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, 24.4% of immigrants in British Columbia reported English as their mother tongue, compared with more than twice as many (49.4%) who reported speaking mainly English at home. Moreover, 0.4% of immigrants reported that they spoke French most often at home, compared with 0.7% of them who reported that French was their mother tongue.
Half of immigrants reported speaking English or French most often at home
In 2016, 49.8% of immigrants reported that they spoke English or French most often at home, compared with 50.1% in 2011. The share of immigrants who spoke French most often at home edged up from 0.3% in 2011 to 0.4% in 2016. The proportion of immigrants who reported speaking mainly English at home edged down from 49.7% to 49.4% during this period.
Over 6 in 10 recent immigrants reported speaking a language other than English or French most often at home
In 2016, 64.9% of recent immigrants reported mainly speaking a language other than English or French at home, a lower percentage than in 2011 (65.9%). In contrast, in 2016, a higher percentage of recent immigrants reported speaking English (34.6% versus 33.7%) or French (0.5% versus 0.4%) most often at home, compared with 2011.
18.4 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 | 93.3 | 92.8 | 92.9 | 94.9 | 93.8 | 93.9 |
| French | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| English and French | 6.0 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 4.4 | 6.0 | 5.8 | |
| Neither | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| French | English | 6.1 | 7.9 | 7.6 | 3.4 | 7.4 | 6.8 |
| French | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.9 | |
| English and French | 91.2 | 90.0 | 90.2 | 94.7 | 90.3 | 90.9 | |
| Neither | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.3 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| Other languages | English | 79.0 | 83.9 | 83.1 | 78.6 | 84.1 | 83.3 |
| French | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| English and French | 3.0 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 3.2 | |
| Neither | 17.9 | 12.2 | 13.2 | 19.1 | 12.5 | 13.4 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| Total | English | 81.0 | 85.8 | 85.0 | 80.8 | 86.0 | 85.3 |
| French | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | |
| English and French | 4.2 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 3.4 | 4.7 | 4.5 | |
| Neither | 14.7 | 8.9 | 9.8 | 15.8 | 9.2 | 10.1 | |
| 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 8 out of 10 recent immigrants could conduct a conversation in English or French
In British Columbia, 84.2% of the 175,600 recent immigrants reported being able to conduct a conversation in English or French in 2016, down slightly from 2011 (85.3%).Note 1 This means that 15.8% of recent immigrants reported they could not conduct a conversation in either of the country’s official languages, up from 2011 (14.7%). In 2016, 80.8% of these immigrants could conduct a conversation in English only, 0.1% in French only, and 3.4% in English and French.
Thus, the share of recent immigrants who could conduct a conversation in French (French + English and French) was 3.4% in 2016, down from 2011 (4.3%).
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.
Nearly 1 out of 10 established immigrants could not conduct a conversation in English or French
Among the 1,117,100 established immigrants, 90.8% could conduct a conversation in English or French in 2016, a proportion that has remained virtually unchanged from 2011 (91.1%). In 2016, 86.0% of these immigrants knew English only and 4.7% English and French. Thus, 9.2% of these immigrants could not conduct a conversation in English or French, a slight increase from 2011 (8.9%).
The share of established immigrants who could conduct a conversation in French (French + English and French) was 4.8% in 2016, down slightly from 2011 (5.3%).
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 6.0% in 2011 to 4.4% in 2016. The proportion who reported they could conduct a conversation only in English (and not in French) increased by the same amount during this period, from 93.3% to 94.9%.
In 2016, 2.3% of recent immigrants whose mother tongue is a language other than English or French reported being bilingual (English–French), down from 2011 (3.0%).
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 slightly from 79.0% to 78.6%, while the share of those who knew neither English nor French increased from 17.9% to 19.1%.
Slight 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 slightly between 2011 and 2016, from 97.3% to 98.1%.
18.5 Top countries of birth of immigrants
Until the 1970s, immigrants came mainly from Western countries. Since then, growing numbers of people from Asia (including the Middle East), Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa have settled in British Columbia.
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.
18.5.A Recent immigrants with French as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | France | 720 | 46.6 |
| 2 | Mauritius | 110 | 7.1 | |
| 3 | Morocco | 75 | 4.9 | |
| 4 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 65 | 4.2 | |
| 5 | Haiti | 45 | 2.9 | |
| 6 | Algeria | 35 | 2.3 | |
| 7 | China | 35 | 2.3 | |
| 8 | Switzerland | 30 | 1.9 | |
| 9 | Togo | 30 | 1.9 | |
| 10 | United States | 25 | 1.6 | |
| Total | 1,170 | 75.7 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | France | 880 | 57.7 |
| 2 | Mauritius | 70 | 4.6 | |
| 3 | Morocco | 65 | 4.3 | |
| 4 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 65 | 4.3 | |
| 5 | Switzerland | 40 | 2.6 | |
| 6 | Belgium | 30 | 2.0 | |
| 7 | United States | 20 | 1.3 | |
| 8 | El Salvador | 20 | 1.3 | |
| 9 | Germany | 20 | 1.3 | |
| 10 | Burundi | 20 | 1.3 | |
| Total | 1,230 | 80.7 | ||
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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Top countries of origin
In 2016, 70.8%Note 2 of the 1,500 recent immigrants whose first official language spoken is French were born in France (57.7%), Mauritius (4.6%), Morocco (4.3%) or the Democratic Republic of the Congo (4.3%). This percentage rose from 2011 (62.8%). In 2016, as in 2011, these countries were the top four countries of origin of these immigrants.
Strong increase in the proportion of recent immigrants from France
The share of French-speakingNote 3 recent immigrants from France rose 11.1 percentage points between 2011 and 2016, from 46.6% to 57.7%. In contrast, the share from Africa decreased from 20.4% in 2011 to 14.4% in 2016.
18.5.B Established immigrants with French as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | France | 3,545 | 43.8 |
| 2 | Belgium | 600 | 7.4 | |
| 3 | Switzerland | 360 | 4.4 | |
| 4 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 300 | 3.7 | |
| 5 | Mauritius | 285 | 3.5 | |
| 6 | Algeria | 240 | 3.0 | |
| 7 | United States | 225 | 2.8 | |
| 8 | Morocco | 220 | 2.7 | |
| 9 | Lebanon | 180 | 2.2 | |
| 10 | Haiti | 175 | 2.2 | |
| Total | 6,130 | 75.8 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | France | 3,585 | 41.1 |
| 2 | Mauritius | 510 | 5.8 | |
| 3 | Switzerland | 455 | 5.2 | |
| 4 | Belgium | 440 | 5.0 | |
| 5 | Morocco | 370 | 4.2 | |
| 6 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 285 | 3.3 | |
| 7 | Algeria | 260 | 3.0 | |
| 8 | United States | 185 | 2.1 | |
| 9 | Haiti | 185 | 2.1 | |
| 10 | Lebanon | 140 | 1.6 | |
| Total | 6,415 | 73.5 | ||
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) and the United States fell from 14.6% in 2011 to 12.4% in 2016, down 2.3 percentage points. In contrast, the share of immigrants from African countries rose 3.4 percentage points during this period, from 12.9% to 16.3%.
18.5.C Recent immigrants with English as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | Philippines | 27,435 | 17.8 |
| 2 | China | 24,190 | 15.7 | |
| 3 | India | 19,505 | 12.6 | |
| 4 | United Kingdom | 8,945 | 5.8 | |
| 5 | South Korea | 8,710 | 5.6 | |
| 6 | United States | 8,580 | 5.6 | |
| 7 | Iran | 5,900 | 3.8 | |
| 8 | Taiwan | 4,905 | 3.2 | |
| 9 | Mexico | 2,495 | 1.6 | |
| 10 | Japan | 2,470 | 1.6 | |
| Total | 113,135 | 73.4 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | Philippines | 26,530 | 18.3 |
| 2 | China | 24,070 | 16.6 | |
| 3 | India | 20,915 | 14.4 | |
| 4 | Iran | 7,545 | 5.2 | |
| 5 | South Korea | 7,020 | 4.8 | |
| 6 | United Kingdom | 6,525 | 4.5 | |
| 7 | United States | 6,410 | 4.4 | |
| 8 | Mexico | 2,745 | 1.9 | |
| 9 | Taiwan | 2,215 | 1.5 | |
| 10 | Japan | 2,150 | 1.5 | |
| Total | 106,125 | 73.3 | ||
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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Top countries of origin
In 2016, nearly half (49.4%) of recent immigrants whose first official language spoken is English were born in the Philippines (18.3%), China (16.6%) or India (14.4%). This is up from 2011 (46.1%). In 2016, as in 2011, these countries were the top three countries of origin of these immigrants.
The proportion of recent immigrants from the United Kingdom and the United States, the only Western countries among the top 10 countries of birth, fell from 11.4% in 2011 to 8.9% in 2016. In contrast, the share of immigrants from Asia (including the Middle East) increased from 60.4% to 62.5% during this period.
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).
18.5.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 | 121,605 | 13.5 |
| 2 | India | 94,905 | 10.5 | |
| 3 | China | 87,920 | 9.8 | |
| 4 | Philippines | 68,160 | 7.6 | |
| 5 | Hong Kong | 66,155 | 7.3 | |
| 6 | United States | 48,955 | 5.4 | |
| 7 | Germany | 32,650 | 3.6 | |
| 8 | Taiwan | 31,220 | 3.5 | |
| 9 | South Korea | 24,440 | 2.7 | |
| 10 | Iran | 21,430 | 2.4 | |
| Total | 597,440 | 66.3 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | United Kingdom | 117,150 | 11.8 |
| 2 | China | 112,515 | 11.3 | |
| 3 | India | 109,845 | 11.0 | |
| 4 | Philippines | 84,715 | 8.5 | |
| 5 | Hong Kong | 66,160 | 6.6 | |
| 6 | United States | 50,955 | 5.1 | |
| 7 | Germany | 33,100 | 3.3 | |
| 8 | Taiwan | 31,610 | 3.2 | |
| 9 | South Korea | 29,720 | 3.0 | |
| 10 | Iran | 26,565 | 2.7 | |
| Total | 662,335 | 66.5 | ||
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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Between 2011 and 2016, the proportion of English-speaking established immigrants from Asia (including the Middle East) rose from 43.8% to 46.3%. In contrast, the proportion of immigrants from Europe and the United States fell from 22.6% in 2011 to 20.2% in 2016.
Notes
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