Immigration and language in Canada, 2011 and 2016
19 Vancouver Census Metropolitan Area (CMA)
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19.1 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 | 1,284,180 | 797,200 | 128,170 | 2,128,860 | 1,327,020 | 861,475 | 116,310 | 2,259,415 |
| French | 19,910 | 11,505 | 2,270 | 32,500 | 19,555 | 11,680 | 1,925 | 32,750 |
| Neither | 11,610 | 104,600 | 24,685 | 119,345 | 12,415 | 116,390 | 24,300 | 134,070 |
| Total | 1,315,695 | 913,310 | 155,120 | 2,280,695 | 1,358,990 | 989,545 | 142,530 | 2,426,235 |
| percent | ||||||||
| English | 97.6 | 87.3 | 82.6 | 93.3 | 97.6 | 87.1 | 81.6 | 93.1 |
| French | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.3 |
| Neither | 0.9 | 11.5 | 15.9 | 5.2 | 0.9 | 11.8 | 17.0 | 5.5 |
| 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 Vancouver, close to 9 in 10 immigrants (87.1%) had English as their first official language spoken (FOLS) in 2016, compared with 1.2% who had French, and 11.8% who had neither language.
Of the 142,500 recent immigrants who settled in Vancouver between 2011 and 2016, 81.6% (116,300 people) had English as their FOLS, 1.4% (1,900 people) had French, and 17.0% (24,300 people) had neither language.
Increase in the proportion of recent immigrants who had neither English nor French as their first official language spoken
The share of recent immigrants who had English as their FOLS decreased slightly between 2011 and 2016, from 82.6% to 81.6%. The proportion of those who had French as their FOLS remained virtually unchanged over this period (edging down from 1.5% to 1.4%), while recent immigrants who had neither English nor French as their FOLS rose 1.1 percentage points, from 15.9% to 17.0%. 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.
Smaller proportion of immigrants who had English or French as their first official language spoken than non-immigrants
In 2016, almost all (97.6%) non-immigrants had English as their FOLS, a higher proportion than that of recent immigrants (81.6%) and of all immigrants (87.1%). Furthermore, 1.4% of all non-immigrants had French as their FOLS, which was the same as for recent immigrants and slightly higher than for all immigrants (1.2%).
19.2 Mother tongue
| Mother tongue | 2011 | 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recent 2006 to 2011 |
Established before 2006 |
Total | Recent 2011 to 2016 |
Established before 2011 | Total | |
| number | ||||||
| English | 22,005 | 147,885 | 169,890 | 20,045 | 160,505 | 180,555 |
| French | 980 | 4,690 | 5,665 | 1,035 | 5,225 | 6,275 |
| Other languages | 132,140 | 605,630 | 737,765 | 121,455 | 681,265 | 802,720 |
| Total | 155,120 | 758,190 | 913,310 | 142,530 | 846,995 | 989,545 |
| percent | ||||||
| English | 14.2 | 19.5 | 18.6 | 14.1 | 18.9 | 18.2 |
| French | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| Other languages | 85.2 | 79.9 | 80.8 | 85.2 | 80.4 | 81.1 |
| 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 8 in 10 recent immigrants reported a language other than English or French as their mother tongue
In Vancouver, the proportion of recent immigrants who reported a language other than English or French as their mother tongue remained unchanged at 85.2% in both 2011 and 2016. The share of established immigrants who reported a language other than English or French as their mother tongue increased slightly, from 79.9% in 2011 to 80.4% in 2016.
The proportion of recent immigrants whose mother tongue is French (0.6% in 2011 compared with 0.7% in 2016) and English (14.2% in 2011 compared with 14.1% in 2016) showed little change between 2011 and 2016.
The percentage of established immigrants who reported French as their mother tongue remained unchanged (0.6%) between 2011 and 2016. The proportion of those who reported that English was their mother tongue fell slightly from 19.5% to 18.9% during this period.
19.3 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 | 45,635 | 335,190 | 380,825 | 43,905 | 374,165 | 418,070 |
| French | 585 | 2,295 | 2,880 | 675 | 2,890 | 3,565 |
| Other languages | 108,900 | 420,705 | 529,605 | 97,960 | 469,960 | 567,915 |
| Total | 155,120 | 758,190 | 913,310 | 142,530 | 847,020 | 989,545 |
| percent | ||||||
| English | 29.4 | 44.2 | 41.7 | 30.8 | 44.2 | 42.2 |
| French | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Other languages | 70.2 | 55.5 | 58.0 | 68.7 | 55.5 | 57.4 |
| 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, 18.2% of immigrants in Vancouver reported English as their mother tongue, while more than twice as many (42.2%) reported speaking mainly English at home in 2016. Moreover, 0.4% of immigrants reported that they spoke French most often at home, compared with 0.6% of them who reported that French was their mother tongue.
Over 4 in 10 immigrants reported speaking English or French most often at home
In 2016, 42.6% of immigrants reported that they spoke English or French most often at home, up from 2011 (42.0%). The share of immigrants who spoke French most often at home increased from 0.3% in 2011 to 0.4% in 2016. The proportion of immigrants who reported speaking mainly English at home increased slightly during this period, from 41.7% to 42.2%.
Nearly 7 in 10 recent immigrants reported speaking a language other than English or French most often at home
In 2016, 68.7% of recent immigrants reported that they mainly spoke a language other than English or French at home, a decline compared with 2011 (70.2%). In contrast, in 2016, a higher percentage of recent immigrants reported speaking English at home (30.8% versus 29.4%). The proportion of those who spoke French most often at home showed little change (0.4% versus 0.5%) between 2011 and 2016.
19.4 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 | 93.1 | 92.4 | 92.5 | 94.4 | 93.5 | 93.6 |
| French | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| English and French | 5.9 | 7.4 | 7.2 | 4.6 | 6.3 | 6.1 | |
| Neither | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.3 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| French | English | 6.6 | 7.5 | 7.2 | 2.4 | 7.0 | 6.2 |
| French | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 2.2 | |
| English and French | 90.3 | 90.1 | 90.2 | 95.2 | 90.7 | 91.5 | |
| Neither | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.4 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| Other languages | English | 78.3 | 83.2 | 82.3 | 77.8 | 83.3 | 82.4 |
| French | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| English and French | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 2.2 | 3.2 | 3.0 | |
| Neither | 18.8 | 13.3 | 14.3 | 20.0 | 13.5 | 14.5 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| Total | English | 79.9 | 84.5 | 83.7 | 79.6 | 84.7 | 84.0 |
| French | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | |
| English and French | 3.9 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 4.1 | |
| Neither | 16.1 | 10.6 | 11.6 | 17.2 | 10.9 | 11.8 | |
| 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 8 out of 10 recent immigrants could conduct a conversation in English or French
In Vancouver, 82.8% of the 142,500 recent immigrants reported being able to conduct a conversation in English or French in 2016, down slightly from 2011 (83.9%).Note 1 This means that 17.2% of recent immigrants reported they could not conduct a conversation in either of the country’s official languages, up from 2011 (16.1%). In 2016, 79.6% of these immigrants could conduct a conversation in English only, 0.1% in French only, and 3.2% in English and French.
Thus, the share of recent immigrants who could conduct a conversation in French (French + English and French) was 3.2% in 2016, down from 2011 (4.0%).
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.
Just over 1 out of 10 established immigrants could not conduct a conversation in English or French
Among the 847,000 established immigrants, 89.1% could conduct a conversation in English or French in 2016, slightly down from 2011 (89.4%). In 2016, 84.7% of these immigrants knew English only, 0.1% French only, and 4.3% English and French. Thus, 10.9% of these immigrants could not conduct a conversation in English or French, a slight increase from 2011 (10.6%).
The share of established immigrants who could conduct a conversation in French (French + English and French) was 4.3% in 2016, down from 2011 (4.8%).
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 1.2 percentage points, from 5.9% in 2011 to 4.6% in 2016. The proportion who reported they could conduct a conversation only in English (and not in French) increased by at least that amount (1.3 percentage points) during this period, from 93.1% to 94.4%.
In 2016, 2.2% of recent immigrants whose mother tongue is a language other than English or French reported being bilingual (English–French), down from 2011 (2.9%).
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 78.3% to 77.8%, while the share of those who knew neither English nor French increased from 18.8% to 20.0%.
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 96.9% to 97.6%.
19.5 Top countries of birth of immigrants
19.5.A Recent immigrants with French as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | France | 530 | 45.5 |
| 2 | Mauritius | 105 | 9.0 | |
| 3 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 60 | 5.2 | |
| 4 | China | 35 | 3.0 | |
| 5 | Togo | 30 | 2.6 | |
| 6 | Morocco | 30 | 2.6 | |
| 7 | Switzerland | 25 | 2.1 | |
| 8 | Tunisia | 25 | 2.1 | |
| 9 | Viet Nam | 25 | 2.1 | |
| 10 | Guyana | 20 | 1.7 | |
| Total | 885 | 76.0 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | France | 720 | 59.8 |
| 2 | Mauritius | 65 | 5.4 | |
| 3 | Morocco | 45 | 3.7 | |
| 4 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 40 | 3.3 | |
| 5 | United States | 20 | 1.7 | |
| 6 | Belgium | 20 | 1.7 | |
| 7 | Burundi | 20 | 1.7 | |
| 8 | Brazil | 15 | 1.2 | |
| 9 | Germany | 15 | 1.2 | |
| 10 | Romania | 15 | 1.2 | |
| Total | 975 | 80.9 | ||
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
Strong increase in the proportion of recent immigrants from France
In 2016, 59.8%Note 2 of the 1,200 recent immigrants whose first official language spoken is French were born in France, compared with 45.5% in 2011. This is an increase of 14.3 percentage points.
19.5.B Established immigrants with French as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | France | 2,235 | 42.1 |
| 2 | Belgium | 395 | 7.4 | |
| 3 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 235 | 4.4 | |
| 4 | Mauritius | 210 | 4.0 | |
| 5 | Algeria | 195 | 3.7 | |
| 6 | Morocco | 195 | 3.7 | |
| 7 | Lebanon | 175 | 3.3 | |
| 8 | Switzerland | 160 | 3.0 | |
| 9 | Haiti | 150 | 2.8 | |
| 10 | United States | 130 | 2.4 | |
| Total | 4,080 | 76.8 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | France | 2,115 | 36.8 |
| 2 | Mauritius | 455 | 7.9 | |
| 3 | Morocco | 290 | 5.0 | |
| 4 | Belgium | 250 | 4.3 | |
| 5 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 245 | 4.3 | |
| 6 | Algeria | 225 | 3.9 | |
| 7 | Switzerland | 200 | 3.5 | |
| 8 | Lebanon | 125 | 2.2 | |
| 9 | Iran | 110 | 1.9 | |
| 10 | United States | 105 | 1.8 | |
| Total | 4,120 | 71.6 | ||
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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In 2016, as in 2011, France was the number one country of birth among French-speakingNote 3 established immigrants. However, its proportion fell 5.3 percentage points during this period, going from 42.1% to 36.8%.
The proportion of French-speaking established immigrants from Western countries (other than France) was 9.6%, a much lower proportion than for non-Western countries (25.2%).
19.5.C Recent immigrants with English as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | Philippines | 24,675 | 19.4 |
| 2 | China | 22,830 | 18.0 | |
| 3 | India | 15,620 | 12.3 | |
| 4 | South Korea | 7,520 | 5.9 | |
| 5 | Iran | 5,730 | 4.5 | |
| 6 | United States | 5,155 | 4.1 | |
| 7 | United Kingdom | 4,800 | 3.8 | |
| 8 | Taiwan | 4,510 | 3.5 | |
| 9 | Japan | 1,975 | 1.6 | |
| 10 | Mexico | 1,965 | 1.5 | |
| Total | 94,780 | 74.6 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | China | 22,460 | 19.4 |
| 2 | Philippines | 20,075 | 17.4 | |
| 3 | India | 16,530 | 14.3 | |
| 4 | Iran | 7,240 | 6.3 | |
| 5 | South Korea | 5,795 | 5.0 | |
| 6 | United States | 3,995 | 3.5 | |
| 7 | United Kingdom | 3,840 | 3.3 | |
| 8 | Mexico | 2,205 | 1.9 | |
| 9 | Taiwan | 2,050 | 1.8 | |
| 10 | Japan | 1,735 | 1.5 | |
| Total | 85,925 | 74.3 | ||
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, just over half (51.1%) of recent immigrants whose first official language spoken is English were born in China (19.4%), the Philippines (17.4%) or India (14.3%). This is an increase from 49.7% in 2011. 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 for English-speaking recent immigrants, fell slightly from 7.8% in 2011 to 6.8% in 2016. Meanwhile, the share of immigrants from Asia (including the Middle East) edged up during this period, from 65.2% to 65.7%.
In 2016, as in 2011, 7 of the top 10 countries of birth of English-speaking recent immigrants were in Asia (including the Middle East).
19.5.D Established immigrants with English as their first official language spoken (FOLS)
| Rank | Country of birth | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 National Household Survey | 1 | China | 82,640 | 12.4 |
| 2 | India | 74,330 | 11.2 | |
| 3 | Hong Kong | 63,935 | 9.6 | |
| 4 | Philippines | 62,365 | 9.4 | |
| 5 | United Kingdom | 56,370 | 8.5 | |
| 6 | Taiwan | 30,385 | 4.6 | |
| 7 | South Korea | 22,550 | 3.4 | |
| 8 | United States | 20,770 | 3.1 | |
| 9 | Iran | 20,105 | 3.0 | |
| 10 | Viet Nam | 17,055 | 2.6 | |
| Total | 450,505 | 67.7 | ||
| 2016 Census of Population | 1 | China | 105,400 | 14.2 |
| 2 | India | 85,465 | 11.5 | |
| 3 | Philippines | 75,810 | 10.2 | |
| 4 | Hong Kong | 63,870 | 8.6 | |
| 5 | United Kingdom | 52,610 | 7.1 | |
| 6 | Taiwan | 30,410 | 4.1 | |
| 7 | South Korea | 26,765 | 3.6 | |
| 8 | Iran | 25,055 | 3.4 | |
| 9 | United States | 22,120 | 3.0 | |
| 10 | Viet Nam | 17,695 | 2.4 | |
| Total | 505,200 | 68.2 | ||
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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Between 2011 and 2016, the proportion of English-speaking established immigrants from Asia (including the Middle East) rose slightly from 56.1% to 58.1%. In contrast, the share of immigrants from Europe and the United States fell from 11.6% in 2011 to 10.1% in 2016.
Notes
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