Language
In terms of mother language (first language learned), the 2006 census reported that in the Greater Montreal Area, 66.5% spoke French as a first language, followed by English at 13.2%, while 0.8% spoke both as a first language. The remaining 22.5% of Montreal-area residents are allophones, speaking languages including Italian (3.5%), Arabic (3.1%), Spanish (2.6%), Creole (1.3%), Chinese (1.2%), Greek (1.2%), Portuguese (0.8%), Romanian (0.7%), Vietnamese (0.7%), and Russian (0.5%). In terms of additional languages spoken, a unique feature of Montreal among Canadian cities, noted by Statistics Canada, is the working knowledge of both French and English possessed by most of its residents.
| 1996 | 2001 | 2006 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| French | 71.2% | 72.1% | 70.5% | |
| English | 19.4% | 18.5% | 18.5% | |
| Other language | 13.4% | 13.1% | 14.6% | |
| Note that percentages add up to more than 100% because some people speak two or more languages at home. |
||||
| Language | Greater Montreal | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| French | 65.8% | 79.7% | 22.0% |
| English | 13.2% | 9.0% | 58.6% |
| Arabic | 3.9% | 2.1% | 1.1% |
| Spanish | 3.1% | 1.8% | 1.3% |
| Italian | 3.1% | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Creole | 1.5% | 0.8% | 0.2% |
| Greek | 1.1% | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| Chinese | 1.1% | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| Portuguese | 0.8% | 0.5% | 0.7% |
| Romanian | 0.7% | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Vietnamese | 0.7% | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Russian | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Farsi | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Tagalog | 0.4% | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Armenian | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Polish | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Tamil | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Punjabi | 0.3% | 0.2% | 1.4% |
| German | 0.3% | 0.2% | 1.3% |
| Bengali | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Cantonese | 0.3% | 0.1% | 1.2% |
| Urdu | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Mandarin | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.8% |
Read more about this topic: Demographics Of Montreal
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