Languages
Languages in Canada | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Language | Percent | |||
English | 58% | |||
French | 22% | |||
English and French | 11% | |||
others | 9% |
Language used most often at work:
- English: 78.3%
- French: 21.7%
- Non-official languages: 2%
Languages by language used most often at home:
- English: 67.1%
- French: 21.5%
- Non-official languages: 11.4%
Languages by mother tongue:
First language | Population (2011) | % of total population (2011) | Population (2006) | % of total population (2006) | Increase (2006–2011) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Single language responses | 32,481,635 | 98.1% | 30,848,270 | 98.7% | 5.3% | |
Official languages | 25,913,955 | 78.2% | 24,700,425 | 79.1% | 4.9% | |
English | 18,858,980 | 56.9% | 17,882,775 | 57.2% | 5.5% | |
French | 7,054,975 | 21.3% | 6,817,650 | 21.8% | 3.5% | |
Non-official languages | 6,567,680 | 19.8% | 6,147,840 | 19.7% | 6.8% | |
Panjabi (Punjabi) | 430,705 | 1.3% | 367,505 | 1.2% | 17.2% | |
Chinese, n.o.s. | 425,210 | 1.3% | 456,705 | 1.5% | -6.9% | |
Spanish | 410,670 | 1.2% | 345,345 | 1.1% | 18.9% | |
German | 409,200 | 1.2% | 450,570 | 1.4% | -9.2% | |
Italian | 407,485 | 1.2% | 455,040 | 1.5% | -10.5% | |
Cantonese | 372,460 | 1.1% | 361,450 | 1.2% | 3% | |
Arabic | 327,870 | 1% | 261,640 | 0.8% | 25.3% | |
Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino) | 327,445 | 1% | 235,615 | 0.8% | 39% | |
Mandarin | 248,705 | 0.8% | 170,950 | 0.5% | 45.5% | |
Portuguese | 211,335 | 0.6% | 219,275 | 0.7% | -3.6% | |
Polish | 191,645 | 0.6% | 211,175 | 0.7% | -9.2% | |
Urdu | 172,800 | 0.5% | 145,805 | 0.5% | 18.5% | |
Persian (Farsi) | 170,045 | 0.5% | 134,080 | 0.4% | 26.8% | |
Russian | 164,330 | 0.5% | 133,580 | 0.4% | 23% | |
Vietnamese | 144,880 | 0.4% | 141,625 | 0.5% | 2.3% | |
Korean | 137,925 | 0.4% | 125,570 | 0.4% | 9.8% | |
Tamil | 131,265 | 0.4% | 115,880 | 0.4% | 13.3% | |
Ukrainian | 111,540 | 0.3% | 134,500 | 0.4% | -17.1% | |
Dutch | 110,490 | 0.3% | 128,900 | 0.4% | -14.3% | |
Greek | 108,925 | 0.3% | 117,285 | 0.4% | -7.1% | |
Gujarati | 91,450 | 0.3% | 81,465 | 0.3% | 12.3% | |
Hindi | 90,545 | 0.3% | 78,240 | 0.3% | 15.7% | |
Romanian | 90,300 | 0.3% | 78,495 | 0.3% | 15% | |
Cree, n.o.s. | 77,900 | 0.2% | 78,855 | 0.3% | -1.2% | In the 2006 Census, this language was referred to simply as 'Cree'. |
Hungarian | 67,920 | 0.2% | 73,335 | 0.2% | -7.4% | |
Creoles | 61,725 | 0.2% | 53,515 | 0.2% | 15.3% | |
Bengali | 59,370 | 0.2% | 45,685 | 0.1% | 30% | |
Serbian | 56,420 | 0.2% | 51,665 | 0.2% | 9.2% | |
Croatian | 49,730 | 0.2% | 55,330 | 0.2% | -10.1% | |
Japanese | 39,985 | 0.1% | 40,200 | 0.1% | -0.5% | |
Inuktitut | 33,500 | 0.1% | 32,015 | 0.1% | 4.6% | In the 2006 Census, this language was referred to as 'Inuktitut, n.i.e.'. |
Somali | 31,380 | 0.09% | 27,320 | 0.09% | 14.9% | |
Armenian | 29,795 | 0.09% | 30,130 | 0.1% | -1.1% | |
Turkish | 29,640 | 0.09% | 24,745 | 0.08% | 19.8% | |
Albanian | 23,820 | 0.07% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Czech | 23,585 | 0.07% | 24,450 | 0.08% | -3.5% | |
Khmer (Cambodian) | 19,440 | 0.06% | 19,105 | 0.06% | 1.8% | |
Bulgarian | 19,050 | 0.06% | 16,790 | 0.05% | 13.5% | |
Hebrew | 18,450 | 0.06% | 17,635 | 0.06% | 4.6% | |
Amharic | 18,020 | 0.05% | 14,555 | 0.05% | 23.8% | |
Ilocano | 17,915 | 0.05% | 13,450 | 0.04% | 33.2% | |
Ojibway | 17,625 | 0.05% | 24,190 | 0.08% | -27.1% | |
Slovak | 17,580 | 0.05% | 18,820 | 0.06% | -6.6% | |
Finnish | 17,415 | 0.05% | 21,030 | 0.07% | -17.2% | |
Macedonian | 17,245 | 0.05% | 18,435 | 0.06% | -6.5% | |
Semitic languages, n.i.e. | 16,970 | 0.05% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Bisayan languages | 16,240 | 0.05% | 11,240 | 0.04% | 44.5% | |
Malayalam | 16,080 | 0.05% | 11,925 | 0.04% | 34.8% | |
Yiddish | 15,205 | 0.05% | 16,295 | 0.05% | -6.7% | |
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | 14,185 | 0.04% | 10,180 | 0.03% | 39.3% | |
Danish | 14,145 | 0.04% | 18,735 | 0.06% | -24.5% | |
Niger–Congo languages, n.i.e. | 14,075 | 0.04% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Lao | 12,970 | 0.04% | 13,940 | 0.04% | -7% | |
Akan (Twi) | 12,680 | 0.04% | 12,780 | 0.04% | -0.8% | |
Pashto | 12,465 | 0.04% | 9,025 | 0.03% | 38.1% | |
Bosnian | 11,685 | 0.04% | 12,790 | 0.04% | -8.6% | |
Sindhi | 11,330 | 0.03% | 10,355 | 0.03% | 9.4% | |
Dene | 11,215 | 0.03% | 9,745 | 0.03% | 15.1% | |
Oromo | 11,140 | 0.03% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Malay | 10,910 | 0.03% | 9,490 | 0.03% | 15% | |
Innu/Montagnais | 10,785 | 0.03% | 10,975 | 0.04% | -1.7% | In the 2006 Census, this language was referred to as 'Montagnais-Naskapi'. |
Slovenian | 10,775 | 0.03% | 13,135 | 0.04% | -18% | |
Tigrigna | 10,220 | 0.03% | 7,105 | 0.02% | 43.8% | |
Serbo-Croatian | 10,155 | 0.03% | 12,510 | 0.04% | -18.8% | |
Swahili | 10,090 | 0.03% | 7,935 | 0.03% | 27.2% | |
Oji-Cree | 9,835 | 0.03% | 11,690 | 0.04% | -15.9% | |
Kurdish | 9,805 | 0.03% | 7,660 | 0.02% | 28% | |
Taiwanese | 9,635 | 0.03% | 9,620 | 0.03% | 0.2% | |
Telugu | 9,315 | 0.03% | 6,625 | 0.02% | 40.6% | |
African languages, n.i.e. | 9,125 | 0.03% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Afrikaans | 8,770 | 0.03% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Nepali | 8,480 | 0.03% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Thai | 7,935 | 0.02% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Mi'kmaq | 7,635 | 0.02% | 7,365 | 0.02% | 3.7% | |
Swedish | 7,350 | 0.02% | 8,220 | 0.03% | -10.6% | |
Lithuanian | 7,245 | 0.02% | 8,335 | 0.03% | -13.1% | |
Bantu languages, n.i.e. | 7,150 | 0.02% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Estonian | 6,385 | 0.02% | 8,240 | 0.03% | -22.5% | |
Maltese | 6,220 | 0.02% | 6,405 | 0.02% | -2.9% | |
Latvian | 6,200 | 0.02% | 7,000 | 0.02% | -11.4% | |
Fukien | 5,925 | 0.02% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Berber languages (Kabyle) | 5,855 | 0.02% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Marathi | 5,830 | 0.02% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Atikamekw | 5,820 | 0.02% | 5,250 | 0.02% | 10.9% | |
Norwegian | 5,800 | 0.02% | 7,225 | 0.02% | -19.7% | |
Indo-Iranian languages, n.i.e. | 5,255 | 0.02% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Hakka | 5,115 | 0.02% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Flemish | 4,690 | 0.01% | 5,660 | 0.02% | -17.1% | |
Tibetan languages | 4,640 | 0.01% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Sino-Tibetan languages, n.i.e. | 4,360 | 0.01% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Rundi (Kirundi) | 3,975 | 0.01% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Rwanda (Kinyarwanda) | 3,895 | 0.01% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Sign languages, n.i.e. | 3,815 | 0.01% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Slavic languages, n.i.e. | 3,630 | 0.01% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Lingala | 3,085 | 0.009% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Stoney | 3,050 | 0.009% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Burmese | 2,985 | 0.009% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Shanghainese | 2,920 | 0.009% | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Siouan languages (Dakota/Sioux) | N/A | N/A | 5,585 | 0.02% | N/A | |
Blackfoot | N/A | N/A | 3,085 | 0.01% | N/A | |
Frisian | N/A | N/A | 2,890 | 0.009% | N/A | |
Dogrib | N/A | N/A | 2,020 | 0.006% | N/A | |
Algonquin | N/A | N/A | 1,920 | 0.006% | N/A | |
South Slave | N/A | N/A | 1,605 | 0.005% | N/A | |
Carrier | N/A | N/A | 1,560 | 0.005% | N/A | |
Gitksan | N/A | N/A | 1,180 | 0.004% | N/A | |
Chilcotin | N/A | N/A | 1,070 | 0.003% | N/A | |
North Slave (Hare) | N/A | N/A | 1,065 | 0.003% | N/A | |
Shuswap | N/A | N/A | 935 | 0.003% | N/A | |
Nisga’a | N/A | N/A | 680 | 0.002% | N/A | |
Malecite | N/A | N/A | 535 | 0.002% | N/A | |
Chipewyan | N/A | N/A | 525 | 0.002% | N/A | |
Inuinnaqtun | N/A | N/A | 365 | 0.001% | N/A | |
Kutchin-Gwich’in (Loucheux) | N/A | N/A | 360 | 0.001% | N/A | |
Mohawk | N/A | N/A | 290 | 0.0009% | N/A | |
Tlingit | N/A | N/A | 80 | 0.0003% | N/A | |
Other languages | 77,890 | 0.2% | 172,650 | 0.6% | -54.9% | |
Multiple language responses | 639,540 | 1.9% | 392,760 | 1.3% | 62.8% | |
English and French | 144,685 | 0.4% | 98,630 | 0.3% | 46.7% | |
English and a non-official language | 396,330 | 1.2% | 240,005 | 0.8% | 65.1% | |
French and a non-official language | 74,430 | 0.2% | 43,335 | 0.1% | 71.8% | |
English, French, and a non-official language | 24,095 | 0.07% | 10,790 | 0.03% | 123.3% | |
Total | 33,121,175 | 100% | 31,241,030 | 100% | 6% | |
n.i.e. = not included elsewhere n.o.s. = not otherwise specified |
Read more about this topic: Demographics Of Canada
Famous quotes containing the word languages:
“It is time for dead languages to be quiet.”
—Natalie Clifford Barney (18761972)
“Science and technology multiply around us. To an increasing extent they dictate the languages in which we speak and think. Either we use those languages, or we remain mute.”
—J.G. (James Graham)
“The very natural tendency to use terms derived from traditional grammar like verb, noun, adjective, passive voice, in describing languages outside of Indo-European is fraught with grave possibilities of misunderstanding.”
—Benjamin Lee Whorf (18971934)