Ethnicity, Language and Immigration Thematic Series
The French Language in Newfoundland and Labrador, 2001 to 2016: Facts and Figures

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by Alejandro A. Páez Silva and Émilie Lavoie

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The purpose of this document is to present an overview of the prevailing language trends observed between 2001 and 2016^Note in Newfoundland and Labrador. To this end, the document provides census-based information on the population^Note who reported having French as their first official language spoken, mother tongue, language spoken at home or language used at work as well as on the population who reported speaking French well enough to conduct a conversation.

• In 2016, the number of persons with French as their first official language spoken reached 2,430 and represented 0.5% of Newfoundland and Labrador’s total population that year. In both relative and absolute terms, these are the highest figures the province has seen for this population since at least 2001.
  • In the 2001 to 2016 period, the number of persons whose first official language spoken is French rose by 330 additional persons, that is, by 15.7%. In relative terms, however, this population has remained relatively stable increasing slightly by 0.1 percentage point over the 15 year period.

• As of 2016, 26,065 persons reported being able to conduct a conversation in French, either exclusively or with another language – more than ten times the number of persons with French as their first official language spoken. They represented 5.1% of the province’s total population that year.
  • Between 2001 and 2016, the number of persons who reported being able to conduct a conversation in French increased by an additional 5,030 persons which represents a 23.9% increase over that period. In relative terms, this population has increased by 0.9 percentage points.

• In both absolute and relative terms English-French bilingualism in Newfoundland and Labrador has reached new heights as of 2016.
  • In fact, that year, 25,945 persons reported being able to conduct a conversation in both official languages, up 24.2% since 2001 (+5,055 persons). Collectively, they represented 5.0% of the population in 2016 compared to 4.1% in 2001.

• In 2016, there were 3,020 persons in Newfoundland and Labrador who reported having French as their mother tongue^Note either exclusively or in combination with other languages, representing 0.6% of the province’s total population.
  • Compared to 2001, this population has increased by an additional 510 persons which represents a 20.3% increase over the 15 year period.

• In 2016, 4,675 persons reported speaking French at home at least regularly, they represented 0.9% of the province’s population that year. In the 2001 to 2016 period, this population increased by 1,615 additional persons which represents a 52.8% increase.
  • Among those who reported speaking French at least regularly in 2016, there were 1,415 persons who reported speaking French most often at home whereas more than twice that number (3,260 persons) reported speaking French as a secondary language at home (in addition to the main language). Respectively, these populations represented 0.3% and 0.6% of the province’s total population.
  • Between 2001 and 2016, the number of persons who reported speaking French most often at home increased by an additional 325 persons, that is, by 29.8%. By comparison, the number of persons who reported speaking French as a secondary language at home increased by an additional 1,290 persons which represents a 65.5% increase.
  • In the 2001 to 2016 period, the growth in the number of persons who reported speaking French equally often with another language at home (+290 persons) accounted for 89.2% of the growth in the number of persons who speak French most often.

• In the 15 years leading to 2016, the number of workers who reported using French at work at least regularly increased from 3,040 in 2001 to 4,155 in 2016, a 36.7% increase. However, in relative terms, their size as a proportion of the total working population has increased only slightly from 1.2% in 2001 to 1.5% in 2016.
  • Among those who use French at least regularly at work, 1,435 use French most often while 2,720 use French as their secondary language at work (in addition to the main language). Respectively, these workers represented 0.5% and 1.0% of Newfoundland and Labrador’s total working population.
  • Between 2001 and 2016, the number of workers who reported using French most often at work rose by 515 workers which translates to a 56.0% increase. By contrast, the number of workers who reported using French as their secondary language at work have increased by half as much with a 28.3% increase (+600 workers) over the same period.

Notes