Based on 2021 Census data, the following infographic is about English-French bilingualism in Canada.
Description - More than one language in the bag: The rate of English–French bilingualism is increasing in Quebec and decreasing outside Quebec
6.6 million people could conduct a conversation in English and French in 2021
The rate of English–French bilingualism in Canada in 2021 (18.0%) is relatively stable compared with 2001 (17.7%).
4 out of 5 bilingual people live in Quebec (59.2%) and Ontario (23.1%).
Recent trend: The rate of English–French bilingualism is increasing in Quebec and decreasing outside Quebec
| Year | Geography | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Quebec | Canada outside Quebec | |
| 1971 | 13.4% | 27.6% | 8.0% |
| 1981 | 15.3% | 32.4% | 9.1% |
| 1991 | 16.3% | 35.4% | 9.8% |
| 2001 | 17.7% | 40.8% | 10.3% |
| 2011 | 17.5% | 42.6% | 9.7% |
| 2021 | 18.0% | 46.4% | 9.5% |
Changes in the rate of bilingualism differ by mother tongue
| Mother tongue | English–French bilingualism rate | |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 2021 | |
| French only | 43.4% | 47.6% |
| English only | 9.0% | 9.0% |
| Neither English nor French | 11.8% | 11.5% |
English–French bilingualism rate by age group
| Age group | Proportion of bilingualism |
|---|---|
| 15 to 24 years | 25.2% |
| 25 to 64 years | 19.2% |
| 65 years and older | 13.7% |
Quebec
Proportion of English–French bilingual people
Mother tongue:
- French only: 4/10
- English only: 7/10
- Neither English nor French: 5/10
- Island of Montréal, Laval and Outaouais: 6/10
- Rest of Quebec: 4/10
English–French bilingualism in Canada by province or territory in 2021
| Geography | Percentage of bilingualism |
|---|---|
| Canada | 18.0% |
| Quebec | 46.4% |
| New Brunswick | 34.0% |
| Yukon | 14.2% |
| Prince Edward Island | 12.7% |
| Ontario | 10.8% |
| Northwest Territories | 10.6% |
| Nova Scotia | 10.3% |
| Manitoba | 8.3% |
| British Columbia | 6.6% |
| Alberta | 6.1% |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 5.1% |
| Saskatchewan | 4.7% |
| Nunavut | 3.8% |
New Brunswick
More than half of the population in northern and southeastern New Brunswick could conduct a conversation in English and in French at the time of the 2021 Census.
| Region | Percentage of bilingualism |
|---|---|
| North | 52.2% |
| Southeast | 53.2% |
| Rest of the province | 18.3% |
Ontario
In Ontario, 1.5 million people were able to conduct a conversation in English and French, mainly in the economic regions of Ottawa (495,000), Toronto (482,000) and the Northeast (160,000).
Among those whose mother tongue was not French, the bilingualism rate was 7.4%.
Nearly 9 in 10 Ontarians whose mother tongue was French were bilingual (English and French).
Two-thirds of English–French bilingual people did not have French as their mother tongue.
For more information, please consult The Daily.
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).