Infographic: Language Projections for Canada – 2011 to 2036

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Release date: January 25, 2017
Infographic: Language Projections for Canada – 2011 to 2036
Description for Infographic: Language Projections for Canada – 2011 to 2036

Mother tongue

In 2036, the percentage of the population with and English or French mother tongue could decrease in Canada while the share of the population with a mother tongue other than English or French could increase.

  • English Mother tongue
    • 59% in 2011, between 52% and 56%Footnote 1 in 2036.
  • French Mother tongue
    • 21% in 2011, between 17% and 18% in 2036.
  • Mother tongue other than English or French
    • 20% in 2011, between 26% and 31% in 2036.

First official language spoken

The changes would not be the same for these populations defined by their first official language spoken (FOLS).

Canada

  • FLOS English
    • 75% in 2011, between 77% and 78% in 2036.
  • FLOS French
    • 23% in 2011, between 20% and 21% in 2036.

Quebec

  • FLOS English
    • 14% in 2011, between 16% and 17% in 2036.
  • FLOS French
    • 85% in 2011, between 82% and 83% in 2036.

Canada outside Quebec

  • FLOS English
    • 94% in 2011 to 94% and 95% in 2036.
  • FLOS French
    • 3.9% in 2011, to around 3.0% and 3.6% in 2036.

French-English bilingualism

In 2036, the English-French bilingual population could represent between 18.3% and 18.8%Footnote 1 of Canada's population, up from 2011 (17.5%).

Between 2011 and 2036, the bilingualism rate could vary:

  • In Quebec: 43% in 2011, between 51% and 52% in 2036.
  • In Canada outside Quebec: 9.8% in 2011, between 8.9% and 9.2% in 2036.

Knowledge of English or French

Knowledge of English

  • Canada
    • 86% in 2011, between 88.7% and 88.9% in 2036.
  • Quebec
    • 47.6% in 2011, between 57.6% and 57.8% in 2036.
  • Canada outside Quebec
    • 97.6% in 2011, between 97.4% and 98.0% in 2036.

Knowledge of French

  • Canada
    • 29.8% in 2011, between 27.6% and 28.4% in 2036.
  • Quebec
    • 94.4% in 2011, between 93.2% and 93.9% in 2036.
  • Canada outside Quebec
    • 10.2% in 2011, between 9.3% and 9.5% in 2036.

Source: Statistics Canada. Language Projections for Canada, 2011 to 2036. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 89-657.

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