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:
“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)
“It is time for dead languages to be quiet.”
—Natalie Clifford Barney (18761972)
“No doubt, to a man of sense, travel offers advantages. As many languages as he has, as many friends, as many arts and trades, so many times is he a man. A foreign country is a point of comparison, wherefrom to judge his own.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (18031882)