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This demolinguistic portrait of Newfoundland and Labrador Francophones contains considerable and varied information on the characteristics, practices and perceptions of this language group. What stands out from all this information? While the following items are not a complete list of the key points contained in this report, they provide a general picture.

1. From 1951 to 1991, the total population of Newfoundland and Labrador increased by 56%. Whereas the province had a population of 361,415 in 1951, the figure in 1991 was 563,925. Since then, the province's total population has declined from one census to the next, totalling 500,610 in 2006. However, an analysis of these statistics by mother tongue reveals that the province's different language groups have not evolved in the same way. On the one hand, the French-mother-tongue population grew from 1951 to 1971, (going from 2,320 to 3,610) fluctuated after that and then stood at 2,055 in 2006, a decline of 11% in 55 years. On the other hand, the English-mother-tongue population grew by 56% from 1951 to 1991, going from 357,325 to 555,925, then declined to 488,780 in 2006.
   
   
2. In Newfoundland and Labrador, use of the FOLS criterion results in a slightly smaller Francophone population, despite the presence of allophones. In fact, within the overall population of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Francophone minority population (according to first official language spoken) numbers 1,935 (0.4%), while the French-mother-tongue population numbers 2,055 (0.4%).
   
   
3. The Francophone minority constitutes 0.4% of Newfoundland and Labrador's overall population. More than 80% of Francophones live primarily in three census divisions (CDs): No. 1 (35% or 685 persons), No. 4 (27% or 510) and No. 10 (19% or 360). The CDNo. 1 includes the census subdivision of St. John's, while CDNo. 10 includes the census subdivision of Labrador City. These two census subdivisions account for the largest proportions of Francophones in the province, 23% and 10% respectively.
   
   
4. From 1971 to 2006, among all couples with one French-mother-tongue spouse, the proportion of French-English exogamous couples increased sharply, from 57% to 80%. Conversely, the proportion of endogamous couples with both spouses having French as their mother tongue fell sharply, from 41% to 14%. During the same period, the proportion of children from a French-English exogamous family among all families with at least one French-mother-tongue parent increased in Newfoundland and Labrador, from 58% to 85%.
   
   
5. Because of the increase in the proportion of French-English exogamous couples from 1971 to 2006 and the corresponding decrease in that of French-speaking endogamous couples, one might expect to see a decrease in the rate of transmission of the minority language (in this case, French) to children. But whereas French had been passed on to 7% of the children under age 18 of French-English exogamous couples in 1971, that proportion reached 14% in 2006.
   
   
6. From 1951 to 2006, this language group saw its numbers decline by 11%, from 2,320 to 2,055. In fact, all cohorts under 50 years of age decreased in size. Conversely, the number of persons aged 50 and over increased slightly, due to the aging of the population and increased life expectancy.
   
   
7. Through successive censuses, the language transfer rate has increased for persons with French as a mother tongue in Newfoundland and Labrador. Thus, in 1971, 43% of the province's Francophones with French as their mother tongue reported using another language, usually English, most often at home. Thirty-five years later, 68% of French-mother-tongue persons reported speaking a language other than French most often at home. Among English-mother-tongue persons, the proportion of language transfers was almost nil and remained stable over the period, registering 0.1% in 2006. Among "other"-mother-tongue persons, language transfers increased slightly over the past 35 years, going from 42% in 1971 to 48% in 2006.
   
   
8. In Newfoundland and Labrador as a whole, Francophones are more likely to report speaking English most often at home (complete and partial language transfers) than being more at ease in English than in French. Thus, 68% of Francophones in Newfoundland and Labrador report speaking English most often at home, while 41% report being more at ease in English than in French.
   
   
9. In Newfoundland and Labrador, persons whose first official language spoken (FOLS) is French mainly use English in both spheres. The predominant (main or only) use of English at home was reported by 67% of French FOLS persons, while 25% spoke mainly or only French at home. The most widespread use of English occurs in oral interactions taking place in institutions and stores: 90% of French FOLS persons use English predominantly (mainly or only) during such interactions, including 67% who use it exclusively.
   
   
10. In 2006, a greater proportion of persons in Newfoundland and Labrador reported being able to conduct a conversation in French (4.7%) than having French only or with another language as their mother tongue (0.4%) or having French as their first official language spoken (0.4%). The relative share of Newfoundlanders who are able to conduct a conversation in French is highly polarized by language group. Whereas 88% of persons with French as a mother tongue reported knowing both official languages, only 4% of persons with English as a mother tongue did so and 7% of persons with another mother tongue. Among the latter group, 8% reported that they could not conduct a conversation in either French or English.
    
    
11. In 2006, less than 40% of persons with French as their mother tongue were born in Newfoundland and Labrador. The proportion is substantially the same for persons with French as their first official language spoken. Regardless of the criterion used, nearly one in two Francophones residing in Newfoundland and Labrador was born in another province or territory of Canada, including 30% in Quebec. As for foreign-born persons, most of whom were immigrants, they comprised more than 8% of the French-mother-tongue population and 14% of the population with French as its first official language spoken.
    
    
12. From 1981 to 2006, Newfoundland and Labrador received between 300 and 600 Francophones per five-year period from other Canadian provinces and territories. On the other hand, during these same five-year periods, between 700 and 1,000 Francophones left the province to settle elsewhere in Canada. Consequently, since 1981, Francophones' interprovincial migratory balance has been negative and reached a low of -680 in the 2001 to 2006 period. Among the province's Anglophones too, greater numbers left Newfoundland and Labrador since 1981 than came to the province. As a result, Newfoundland and Labrador has recorded a negative net migration for more than two decades, which fluctuated from one five-year period to another. However, from 2001 to 2006 the province's net migration was at its least unfavourable level, at - 6,240. Five years earlier, from 1996 to 2001, it was at its most unfavourable level, at -30,610.
    
    
13. In the 2006 Census, very few doctors and nurses working in Newfoundland and Labrador reported being able to conduct a conversation in French or using French at least on a regular basis at work.
    
    
14. Results from the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities show that whatever their main language, the vast majority of Francophones (93%) use English in their contacts with the various health care professionals about whom the survey collected information: family doctors, nurses, telephone health line or telehealth service professionals and professionals in other places where people go to obtain care.
    
    
15. Results from the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities indicate that Francophones in Newfoundland and Labrador generally interact in English with municipal or provincial police and with lawyers. More than 9 in 10 Francophones used only English in their interactions with the municipal police, the provincial police or a lawyer.
    
    
16. In Newfoundland and Labrador, 520 children of Francophone parents were enrolled in preschool, kindergarten, elementary or secondary school at the time of the survey. Of those children, more than half were receiving an education in French, either in a French school or an immersion program of an English school, while 44% were receiving an education in English within an English school.
    
    
17. An examination of 2006 Census data reveals educational gaps between Francophones and Anglophones. As shown in Chart 4.1, 32% of Anglophones had no certificate, diploma or degree, compared with 27% of Francophones. On the other hand, Francophones (21%) were more likely to have a university degree at or above the bachelor's level than Anglophones (12%). In all other categories, the differences between these two language groups are quite small.
    
    
18. Of all Newfoundland and Labrador workers aged 15 and over, 1.5% use French most often or on a regular basis at work. Among those with only French as their first official language spoken, this proportion is 52%—including 27% who use French most often and 25% who use it regularly (that is, less often than the predominant language).
    
    
19. The 2006 Census statistics reveal that persons with French as their first official language spoken have higher mean and median incomes than Anglophones. On the one hand, men with French as their only first official language spoken (FOLS), have mean and median incomes respectively about $15,000 and $11,000 higher than those of men in the English FOLS group. On the other hand, for women, the mean income of Francophones is almost $2,600 higher than that of Anglophones, while the median income of both groups is quite similar.
    
    
20. An in-depth analysis of the census results, specifically using the multivariate statistical analysis technique, reveals the important role played by age, education, type of place of residence, industry sector and immigrant status, and helps to partly explain these differences. Thus, if Francophones and Anglophones in Newfoundland and Labrador had exactly the same profile with respect to these characteristics (which is not the case), the mean income of Anglophone men would be approximately $4,000 lower than that of Francophone men. For women, the analysis reveals no statistically significant difference between the mean incomes of Anglophones and Francophones.
    
    
21. As regards the phenomenon of identity, SVOLM results suggest that Francophones have a double ethnolinguistic identity: 47% of them report that they identify with both Francophone and Anglophone groups, compared with 34% who report identifying mainly or only with the Francophone group.
    
    
22. The majority of the province's Francophones (70%) reported that it is important or very important to them to be able to use French in their daily life. Also, they consider it important or very important for linguistic rights to be respected in their province (84%), for government services to be provided in French (78%) and for individuals or organizations to work at developing the French-speaking community (77%).