Languages By Mother Tongue
| First language | Population (2011) | % of total population (2011) | Population (2006) | % of total population (2006) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single language responses | 32,481,635 | 98.1% | 30,848,270 | 98.7% | |
| Official languages | 25,913,955 | 78.2% | 24,700,425 | 79.1% | |
| English | 18,858,980 | 56.9% | 17,882,775 | 57.2% | |
| French | 7,054,975 | 21.3% | 6,817,650 | 21.8% | |
| Non-official languages | 6,567,680 | 19.8% | 6,147,840 | 19.7% | |
| Panjabi (Punjabi) | 430,705 | 1.3% | 367,505 | 1.2% | |
| Chinese, n.o.s. | 425,210 | 1.3% | 456,705 | 1.5% | |
| Spanish | 410,670 | 1.2% | 345,345 | 1.1% | |
| German | 409,200 | 1.2% | 450,570 | 1.4% | |
| Italian | 407,485 | 1.2% | 455,040 | 1.5% | |
| Cantonese | 372,460 | 1.1% | 361,450 | 1.2% | |
| Arabic | 327,870 | 1% | 261,640 | 0.8% | |
| Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino) | 327,445 | 1% | 235,615 | 0.8% | |
| Mandarin | 248,705 | 0.8% | 170,950 | 0.5% | |
| Portuguese | 211,335 | 0.6% | 219,275 | 0.7% | |
| Polish | 191,645 | 0.6% | 211,175 | 0.7% | |
| Urdu | 172,800 | 0.5% | 145,805 | 0.5% | |
| Persian (Farsi) | 170,045 | 0.5% | 134,080 | 0.4% | |
| Russian | 164,330 | 0.5% | 133,580 | 0.4% | |
| Vietnamese | 144,880 | 0.4% | 141,625 | 0.5% | |
| Korean | 137,925 | 0.4% | 125,570 | 0.4% | |
| Tamil | 131,265 | 0.4% | 115,880 | 0.4% | |
| Ukrainian | 111,540 | 0.3% | 134,500 | 0.4% | |
| Dutch | 110,490 | 0.3% | 128,900 | 0.4% | |
| Greek | 108,925 | 0.3% | 117,285 | 0.4% | |
| Gujarati | 91,450 | 0.3% | 81,465 | 0.3% | |
| Hindi | 90,545 | 0.3% | 78,240 | 0.3% | |
| Romanian | 90,300 | 0.3% | 78,495 | 0.3% | |
| Cree, n.o.s. | 77,900 | 0.2% | 78,855 | 0.3% | In the 2006 Census, this language was referred to simply as 'Cree'. |
| Hungarian | 67,920 | 0.2% | 73,335 | 0.2% | |
| Creoles | 61,725 | 0.2% | 53,515 | 0.2% | |
| Bengali | 59,370 | 0.2% | 45,685 | 0.1% | |
| Serbian | 56,420 | 0.2% | 51,665 | 0.2% | |
| Croatian | 49,730 | 0.2% | 55,330 | 0.2% | |
| Japanese | 39,985 | 0.1% | 40,200 | 0.1% | |
| Inuktitut | 33,500 | 0.1% | 32,015 | 0.1% | In the 2006 Census, this language was referred to as 'Inuktitut, n.i.e.'. |
| Somali | 31,380 | 0.09% | 27,320 | 0.09% | |
| Armenian | 29,795 | 0.09% | 30,130 | 0.1% | |
| Turkish | 29,640 | 0.09% | 24,745 | 0.08% | |
| Albanian | 23,820 | 0.07% | N/A | N/A | |
| Czech | 23,585 | 0.07% | 24,450 | 0.08% | |
| Khmer (Cambodian) | 19,440 | 0.06% | 19,105 | 0.06% | |
| Bulgarian | 19,050 | 0.06% | 16,790 | 0.05% | |
| Hebrew | 18,450 | 0.06% | 17,635 | 0.06% | |
| Amharic | 18,020 | 0.05% | 14,555 | 0.05% | |
| Ilocano | 17,915 | 0.05% | 13,450 | 0.04% | |
| Ojibway | 17,625 | 0.05% | 24,190 | 0.08% | |
| Slovak | 17,580 | 0.05% | 18,820 | 0.06% | |
| Finnish | 17,415 | 0.05% | 21,030 | 0.07% | |
| Macedonian | 17,245 | 0.05% | 18,435 | 0.06% | |
| Semitic languages, n.i.e. | 16,970 | 0.05% | N/A | N/A | |
| Bisayan languages | 16,240 | 0.05% | 11,240 | 0.04% | |
| Malayalam | 16,080 | 0.05% | 11,925 | 0.04% | |
| Yiddish | 15,205 | 0.05% | 16,295 | 0.05% | |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | 14,185 | 0.04% | 10,180 | 0.03% | |
| Danish | 14,145 | 0.04% | 18,735 | 0.06% | |
| Niger–Congo languages, n.i.e. | 14,075 | 0.04% | N/A | N/A | |
| Lao | 12,970 | 0.04% | 13,940 | 0.04% | |
| Akan (Twi) | 12,680 | 0.04% | 12,780 | 0.04% | |
| Pashto | 12,465 | 0.04% | 9,025 | 0.03% | |
| Bosnian | 11,685 | 0.04% | 12,790 | 0.04% | |
| Sindhi | 11,330 | 0.03% | 10,355 | 0.03% | |
| Dene | 11,215 | 0.03% | 9,745 | 0.03% | |
| Oromo | 11,140 | 0.03% | N/A | N/A | |
| Malay | 10,910 | 0.03% | 9,490 | 0.03% | |
| Innu/Montagnais | 10,785 | 0.03% | 10,975 | 0.04% | In the 2006 Census, this language was referred to as 'Montagnais-Naskapi'. |
| Slovenian | 10,775 | 0.03% | 13,135 | 0.04% | |
| Tigrigna | 10,220 | 0.03% | 7,105 | 0.02% | |
| Serbo-Croatian | 10,155 | 0.03% | 12,510 | 0.04% | |
| Swahili | 10,090 | 0.03% | 7,935 | 0.03% | |
| Oji-Cree | 9,835 | 0.03% | 11,690 | 0.04% | |
| Kurdish | 9,805 | 0.03% | 7,660 | 0.02% | |
| Taiwanese | 9,635 | 0.03% | 9,620 | 0.03% | |
| Telugu | 9,315 | 0.03% | 6,625 | 0.02% | |
| African languages, n.i.e. | 9,125 | 0.03% | N/A | N/A | |
| Afrikaans | 8,770 | 0.03% | N/A | N/A | |
| Nepali | 8,480 | 0.03% | N/A | N/A | |
| Thai | 7,935 | 0.02% | N/A | N/A | |
| Mi'kmaq | 7,635 | 0.02% | 7,365 | 0.02% | |
| Swedish | 7,350 | 0.02% | 8,220 | 0.03% | |
| Lithuanian | 7,245 | 0.02% | 8,335 | 0.03% | |
| Bantu languages, n.i.e. | 7,150 | 0.02% | N/A | N/A | |
| Estonian | 6,385 | 0.02% | 8,240 | 0.03% | |
| Maltese | 6,220 | 0.02% | 6,405 | 0.02% | |
| Latvian | 6,200 | 0.02% | 7,000 | 0.02% | |
| Fukien | 5,925 | 0.02% | N/A | N/A | |
| Berber languages (Kabyle) | 5,855 | 0.02% | N/A | N/A | |
| Marathi | 5,830 | 0.02% | N/A | N/A | |
| Atikamekw | 5,820 | 0.02% | 5,250 | 0.02% | |
| Norwegian | 5,800 | 0.02% | 7,225 | 0.02% | |
| Indo-Iranian languages, n.i.e. | 5,255 | 0.02% | N/A | N/A | |
| Hakka | 5,115 | 0.02% | N/A | N/A | |
| Flemish | 4,690 | 0.01% | 5,660 | 0.02% | |
| Tibetan languages | 4,640 | 0.01% | N/A | N/A | |
| Sino-Tibetan languages, n.i.e. | 4,360 | 0.01% | N/A | N/A | |
| Rundi (Kirundi) | 3,975 | 0.01% | N/A | N/A | |
| Rwanda (Kinyarwanda) | 3,895 | 0.01% | N/A | N/A | |
| Sign languages, n.i.e. | 3,815 | 0.01% | N/A | N/A | |
| Slavic languages, n.i.e. | 3,630 | 0.01% | N/A | N/A | |
| Lingala | 3,085 | 0.009% | N/A | N/A | |
| Stoney | 3,050 | 0.009% | N/A | N/A | |
| Burmese | 2,985 | 0.009% | N/A | N/A | |
| Shanghainese | 2,920 | 0.009% | N/A | N/A | |
| Siouan languages (Dakota/Sioux) | N/A | N/A | 5,585 | 0.02% | |
| Blackfoot | N/A | N/A | 3,085 | 0.01% | |
| Frisian | N/A | N/A | 2,890 | 0.009% | |
| Dogrib | N/A | N/A | 2,020 | 0.006% | |
| Algonquin | N/A | N/A | 1,920 | 0.006% | |
| South Slave | N/A | N/A | 1,605 | 0.005% | |
| Carrier | N/A | N/A | 1,560 | 0.005% | |
| Gitksan | N/A | N/A | 1,180 | 0.004% | |
| Chilcotin | N/A | N/A | 1,070 | 0.003% | |
| North Slave (Hare) | N/A | N/A | 1,065 | 0.003% | |
| Shuswap | N/A | N/A | 935 | 0.003% | |
| Nisga’a | N/A | N/A | 680 | 0.002% | |
| Malecite | N/A | N/A | 535 | 0.002% | |
| Chipewyan | N/A | N/A | 525 | 0.002% | |
| Inuinnaqtun | N/A | N/A | 365 | 0.001% | |
| Kutchin-Gwich’in (Loucheux) | N/A | N/A | 360 | 0.001% | |
| Mohawk | N/A | N/A | 290 | 0.0009% | |
| Tlingit | N/A | N/A | 80 | 0.0003% | |
| Other languages | 77,890 | 0.2% | 172,650 | 0.6% | |
| Multiple language responses | 639,540 | 1.9% | 392,760 | 1.3% | |
| English and French | 144,685 | 0.4% | 98,630 | 0.3% | |
| English and a non-official language | 396,330 | 1.2% | 240,005 | 0.8% | |
| French and a non-official language | 74,430 | 0.2% | 43,335 | 0.1% | |
| English, French, and a non-official language | 24,095 | 0.07% | 10,790 | 0.03% | |
| Total | 33,121,175 | 100% | 31,241,030 | 100% | |
n.i.e. = not included elsewhere n.o.s. = not otherwise specified |
Read more about this topic: Languages Of Canada
Famous quotes containing the words languages, mother and/or tongue:
“It is time for dead languages to be quiet.”
—Natalie Clifford Barney (18761972)
“It is not always possible to predict the response of a doting Jewish mother. Witness the occasion on which the late piano virtuoso Oscar Levant telephoned his mother with some important news. He had proposed to his beloved and been accepted. Replied Mother Levant: Good, Oscar, Im happy to hear it. But did you practice today?”
—Liz Smith (20th century)
“Why, what a wasp-stung and impatient fool
Are thou to break into this womans mood,
Tying thine ear to no tongue but thine own!”
—William Shakespeare (15641616)