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==The two official languages== ===Home language: rates of language use 1971–2011=== [[File:Language used most often at home 1981-2006.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.2|''Languages – Statistics Canada''<ref>1981: Statistics Canada, 1981, Population by Selected Mother Tongues and Sex, Showing Official Language and Home Language, for Canada and Provinces, Urban and Rural, (table 2), 1981 Census.<br /> 1986: Statistics Canada, 1986, Population by Selected Mother Tongues and Sex, Showing Official Language and Home Language, for Canada and Provinces, Urban and Rural, (table 2), 1986 Census.<br /> 1991: Statistics Canada, 1991, 2B Profile, 1991 – Provinces and Territories in Canada (table), 1991 (2b) detailed questionnaire, Provinces to Municipalities (database), using E-Stat (distributor), [http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-402-x/2011000/chap/lang/lang-eng.htm] (accessed 10.05.26).<br /> 1996: Statistics Canada, Mother Tongue, Home Languages, Official and Non-official languages, 1996 – Provinces and Territories in Canada (table), 1996 Census of Population (Provinces, Census Divisions, Municipalities) (database), Using E-Stat (distributor), [http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-402-x/2011000/chap/lang/lang-eng.htm] (accessed 10.05.26).<br /> 2001: Statistics Canada, Languages, Mobility and Migration, 2001 – Provinces and Territories in Canada (table), 2001 Census of Population (Provinces, Census Divisions, Municipalities) (Database), Using E-STAT (Distributor). [http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-402-x/2011000/chap/lang/lang-eng.htm] (accessed 10.05.26).<br /> 2006: Statistics Canada, Cumulative Profile, 2006 – Provinces and Territories in Canada (table), 2006 Census of Population (Provinces, Census Divisions, Municipalities) (database), Using E-STAT (distributor), [http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-402-x/2011000/chap/lang/lang-eng.htm]. Retrieved 10.05.26.</ref>]] The percentage of the population speaking English, French or both languages most often at home has declined since 1986; the decline has been greatest for French. The proportion of the population who speak neither English nor French in the home has increased. Geographically, this trend remains constant, as usage of English and French have declined in both English and French speaking regions of the country, but French has declined more rapidly both inside and outside Quebec. The table below shows the percentage of the total Canadian population who speak Canada's official languages most often at home from 1971 to 2006.<ref>Given the large discrepancies in the data for both official languages and neither language in 1971 and 1981, it is reasonable to assume that the manner in which the data collected for these years was different from for 1986–2006</ref> Note that there are nuances between "language most spoken at home", "mother-language" and "first official language": data is collected for all three, which together provide a more detailed and complete picture of language-use in Canada. ===Use of English=== {{Further|Canadian English}} In 2011, just under 21.5 million Canadians, representing 65% of the population, spoke English most of the time at home, while 58% declared it their mother language.<ref name="pop1" /> English is the major language everywhere in Canada except [[Quebec]] and [[Nunavut]], and most Canadians (85%) can speak English.<ref name="www12.statcan.gc.ca">{{Cite web|url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/hlt-fst/lang/Pages/highlight.cfm?TabID=1&Lang=E&Asc=1&PRCode=01&OrderBy=999&View=1&Age=1&tableID=402&queryID=1|title=Population by knowledge of official languages, age groups (total), 2011 counts, for Canada, provinces and territories|access-date=May 18, 2020}}</ref> While English is not the preferred language in Quebec, 36.1% of [[Québécois people|Québécois]] can speak English.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.spl.gouv.qc.ca/documentation/rapportssondagesstatistiques/dynamiquedeslangues/tableaux |title=La dynamique des langues en quelques chiffres : Tableaux |access-date=2014-03-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161207100029/http://www.spl.gouv.qc.ca/documentation/rapportssondagesstatistiques/dynamiquedeslangues/tableaux// |archive-date=2016-12-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Nationally, [[French language|Francophones]] are five times more likely to speak English than Anglophones are to speak French – 44% and 9% respectively.<ref>Marmen, Louise and Corbeil, Jean-Pierre, "New Canadian Perspectives, Languages in Canada 2001 Census," Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication, Statistics Canada Cat. No. Ch3-2/8-2004, (Canadian Heritage, 2004), pg. 60.</ref> Only 3.2% of Canada's English-speaking population resides in Quebec—mostly in Montreal.{{refn|group="nb"|18,858,908 Canadians identify their mother tongue as English. 599,230 Québécois identify their mother tongue as English and of that 309,885 live in Montreal.<ref name="Navigator">{{Cite web|url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/map-carte/index-eng.cfm|title=Census Data Navigator|access-date=May 18, 2020}}</ref>}} In 2011, 28.4 million Canadians had knowledge of English while only 21.6 million Canadians spoke it most often at home.<ref name="Navigator"/><ref>1931–1991: Statistics Canada, The 1997 Canada Year Book, "3.14 Official Language Knowledge," Catalogue No. 11-402XPE/1997.<br /> 1996: Statistics Canada. Population by Knowledge of Official Languages (20% sample data), (table), 1996 Census of Population (Provinces, Census Divisions, Municipalities) (database), Using E-STAT (distributor). [https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/hlt-fst/lang/Pages/highlight.cfm?TabID=1&Lang=E&Asc=1&PRCode=01&OrderBy=999&View=1&Age=1&tableID=402&queryID=1] (accessed: June 28, 2010).<br /> 2001: Statistics Canada. Languages, Mobility and Migration, 2001 – Provinces and Territories in Canada (table), 2001 Census of Population (Provinces, Census Divisions, Municipalities) (database), Using E-STAT (distributor). [https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/hlt-fst/lang/Pages/highlight.cfm?TabID=1&Lang=E&Asc=1&PRCode=01&OrderBy=999&View=1&Age=1&tableID=402&queryID=1] (accessed: June 28, 2010)<br /> 2006: Statistics Canada. Languages, Mobility and Migration, 2006 – Provinces and Territories in Canada (table), 2006 Census of Population (Provinces, Census Divisions, Municipalities) (database), Using E-STAT (distributor). [https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/hlt-fst/lang/Pages/highlight.cfm?TabID=1&Lang=E&Asc=1&PRCode=01&OrderBy=999&View=1&Age=1&tableID=402&queryID=1] (accessed: June 28, 2010).</ref> ===Use of French=== {{Further|Canadian French|French language in Canada}} In 2011, just over 7.1 million Canadians spoke French most often at home, this was a rise of 4.2%, although the proportion of people in Canada who spoke French "most often" at home fell slightly from 21.7% to 21.5% . Of these, about 6.1 million or 85% resided in Quebec.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/98-314-x/98-314-x2011003_1-eng.cfm|title=French and the francophonie in Canada|access-date=May 18, 2020}}</ref> Outside Quebec, the largest French-speaking populations are found in New Brunswick (which is home to 3.1% of Canada's Francophones) and [[Ontario]] (4.2%, residing primarily in the [[Eastern Ontario|eastern]] and [[Northeastern Ontario|northeastern]] parts of the province and in Toronto and Ottawa). Overall, 22% of people in Canada declare French to be their mother language, while one in three Canadians speak French and 70% are unilingual Anglophones.{{refn|group="nb"|Of the 33,121,175 Canadians only 9,960,590 report to having knowledge of the French language.<ref name="www12.statcan.gc.ca"/>}} Smaller indigenous French-speaking communities exist in some other provinces.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/demo15-eng.htm|title=Census Program|date=15 January 2001|access-date=May 18, 2020}}</ref> For example, a vestigial community exists on Newfoundland's [[Port au Port Peninsula]], a remnant of the "[[French Shore]]" along the island's west coast. The percentage of the population who speak French both by mother tongue and home language has decreased over the past three decades. Whereas the number of those who speak English at home is higher than the number of people whose mother tongue is English, the opposite is true for Francophones. There are fewer people who speak French at home, than learned French after birth.<ref>Statistics Canada, The Evolving Linguistic Portrait, 2006 Census, Catalogue no. 97-555-XIE, Ottawa, December 2007, pp. 15–16.</ref> Ethnic diversity is growing in [[French Canadians|French Canada]] but still lags behind the English-speaking parts of the country. In 2006, 91.5% of [[French-speaking Quebecer|Quebecers]] considered themselves to be of either "French" or "Canadian" origin. As a result of the growth in immigration, since the 1970s, from countries in which French is a widely used language, 3.4% of Quebecers indicated that they were of Haitian, Belgian, Swiss, Lebanese or Moroccan origin.<ref>[http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/hlt/97-557/T404-eng.cfm?SR=1 Statistics Canada, Place of birth for the immigrant population by period of immigration, 2006 counts and percentage distribution, for Canada, provinces and territories – 20% sample data, 2006 Census of Population] . {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524150110/http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/hlt/97-557/T404-eng.cfm?SR=1 |date=May 24, 2012 }}</ref> Other groups of non-francophone immigrants (Irish Catholics, Italian, Portuguese, etc.) have also assimilated into French over the generations. The Irish, who started arriving in large numbers in Quebec in the 1830s, were the first such group, which explains why it has been possible for Quebec to have had five [[Premier of Quebec|premiers]] of Irish ethnic origin: [[John Jones Ross]] (1884–87), [[Edmund James Flynn]] (1896–97), [[Daniel Johnson Sr.]] (1966–68), [[Pierre-Marc Johnson]] (1985), and [[Daniel Johnson Jr.]] (1994). In 1991, due to linguistic assimilation of Francophones outside Quebec, over one million Canadians who claimed English as their mother tongue were of French ethnic origin (1991 Census). ===Bilingualism and multilingualism versus English–French bilingualism=== {{gallery |width=500 |height=300 |align=center |File:Knowledge of official languages.JPG|Ability of Canadians to speak English and French 1931–2001<ref name="knowledge"> 1931–1991: Statistics Canada, The 1997 Canada Year Book, "3.14 Official Language Knowledge," Catalogue No. 11-402XPE/1997. 1996: Statistics Canada. Population by Knowledge of Official Languages (20% sample data), (table), 1996 Census of Population (Provinces, Census Divisions, Municipalities) (database), Using E-STAT (distributor). [http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-402-x/11-402-x2012000-eng.htm] (accessed: June 28, 2010).<br /> 2001: Statistics Canada. Languages, Mobility and Migration, 2001 – Provinces and Territories in Canada (table), 2001 Census of Population (Provinces, Census Divisions, Municipalities) (database), Using E-STAT (distributor). [http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-402-x/11-402-x2012000-eng.htm] (accessed: June 28, 2010)<br /> 2006: Statistics Canada. Languages, Mobility and Migration, 2006 – Provinces and Territories in Canada (table), 2006 Census of Population (Provinces, Census Divisions, Municipalities) (database), Using E-STAT (distributor). [http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-402-x/11-402-x2012000-eng.htm] (accessed: June 28, 2010).</ref> |File:Bilingualism in Canada, Quebec, ROC.JPG|Rate of bilingualism (French and English) in Quebec and the rest of Canada, 1941–2006<ref> 1941: Dominion Bureau of Statistics, "Table II. Percentage Distribution of the Population Classified According to Sex, by Official Language, For Canada and the Provinces, 1941," Eighth Census of Canada, 1941.<br /> 1951: Dominion Bureau of Statistics, "Table 54. Population by a) official language and sex, and b) mother tongue and sex, for provinces and territories, 1951," Ninth Census of Canada.<br /> 1961: Statistics Canada, "Table 64. Population by a) official language and sex, and b) mother tongue and sex, for provinces and territories, 1961," 1961 Census of Canada, Catalogue:92-549, Vol: I – Part: 2.<br /> 1971: Statistics Canada, "Table 26. Population by A) Official Language, B) Language Most Often Spoken at Home, and Sex, For Canada and Provinces, 1971," 1971 Census of Canada, Catalogue 92-726 Vol: 1-Part:3.<br /> 1981: Statistics Canada, "Table 3. Population by Selected Mother Tongues, age groups and sex, Showing Official Language and Home Language for Canada and Provinces, Urban and Rural, 1981," 1981 Census of Canada, Catalogue 92–910 (Volume 1).<br /> 1986: Statistics Canada, "Table 7. Population by Official Languages and Sex, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, 1986 Census – 20% Sample Data," 1986 Census, Catalogue 93–103.<br /> 1991: Statistics Canada, "Table 1A. Population by Knowledge of Official Languages and Sex, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, 1991 – 20% Sample Data," 1991 Census, Catalogue 93–318.<br /> 1996: Statistics Canada, "Table 1. Selected Characteristics for Census Subdivisions, 1996 Census – 100% Data and 20% Sample Data," 1996 Census, Catalogue 95-186-XPB.<br /> 2001: Statistics Canada, Languages, Mobility and Migration, 2001 – Provinces and Territories in Canada (table), 2001 Census of Population (Provinces, Census Divisions, Municipalities) (Database), Using E-STAT (Distributor). [http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-402-x/11-402-x2012000-eng.htm] (accessed 10.05.26).<br /> 2006: Statistics Canada, Cumulative Profice, 2006 – Provinces and Territories in Canada (table), 2006 Census of Population (Provinces, Sensus Divisions, Municipalities) (database), Using E-STAT (distributor), [http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-402-x/11-402-x2012000-eng.htm] Retrieved 10.05.26.</ref> }} According to the 2011 census, 98.2% of Canadian residents have knowledge of one or both of the country's two official languages,<ref name="www12.statcan.gc.ca"/> Between 2006 and 2011, the number of persons who reported being able to conduct a conversation in both of Canada's official languages increased by nearly 350,000 to 5.8 million. The bilingualism rate of the Canadian population edged up from 17.4% in 2006 to 17.5% in 2011.<ref name="LC">{{Cite web|url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/98-314-x/98-314-x2011001-eng.cfm|title=Linguistic Characteristics of Canadians|access-date=May 18, 2020}}</ref> This growth of English-French bilingualism in Canada was mainly due to the increased number of Quebecers who reported being able to conduct a conversation in English and French.<ref name="LC" /> Bilingualism with regard to nonofficial languages also increased, most individuals speaking English plus an immigrant language such as Punjabi or Mandarin.<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/bilingualism-growing-but-not-in-french-and-english-1.1176469 Bilingualism growing, but not in French and English]</ref> ====Geographic distribution of English–French bilingualism==== {{Further|Bilingual belt}} {{gallery |width=500 |height=300 |align=center |File:Geographical distribution of bilingual Canadians, as proportion of overall population.JPG|Geographical distribution of bilingual Canadians as compared to total Canadian population 1941–2006. (sources in table below)|Image:Bilinguisme au Canada-fr.svg|[[Bilingual belt|The Bilingual Belt]]. In most of Canada, either English or French is predominant. Only in the intermittent "belt" stretching between northern Ontario and northern New Brunswick, and in a few other isolated pockets, do the two languages mix on a regular basis.{{Legend|#FFE400|English}}{{Legend|#D8A820|English and French (Bilingual Belt)}}{{Legend|#B07400|French}}{{Legend|#F5F5DC|Sparsely populated areas (< 0.4 persons per km<sup>2</sup>)}} }} {{sticky header}} {|class="wikitable sortable sticky-header" style=text-align:center" style="margin:1em auto;" |+ style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 1.0em; margin-bottom: 0.5em" | Proportion of bilingual Canadians in Quebec and the rest of Canada compared to overall population distribution 1941–2016 |- ! Year !! # Bilingual Canadians !! % Quebec !! % Rest of Canada !! Total # Canadians !! % Quebec !! % Rest of Canada |- | 1941<ref>Dominion Bureau of Statistics, "Table II. Percentage Distribution of the Population Classified According to Sex, by Official Language, For Canada and the Provinces, 1941," Eighth Census of Canada, 1941.</ref><ref>[http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-516-x/sectiona/A2_14-eng.csv Series A2:Population of Canada, by province, census dates, 1851 to 1976] (retrieved, July 19, 2010).</ref> || 1,472,858 || 59.9% || 39.5% || 11,506,700 || 29.0% || 71.0% |- | 1951<ref>Dominion Bureau of Statistics, "Table 54. Population by a) official language and sex, and b) mother tongue and sex, for provinces and territories, 1951," Ninth Census of Canada.</ref> || 1,727,400 || 60.1% || 39.9% || 14,009,400 || 28.9% || 71.1% |- | 1961<ref>Statistics Canada, "Table 64. Population by a) official language and sex, and b) mother tongue and sex, for provinces and territories, 1961," 1961 Census of Canada, Catalogue:92-549, Vol: I – Part: 2.</ref> || 2,231,200 || 60.0% || 40.0% || 18,238,200 || 28.8% || 71.2% |- | 1971<ref>Statistics Canada, "Table 26. Population by A) Official Language, B) Language Most Often Spoken at Home, and Sex, For Canada and Provinces, 1971," 1971 Census of Canada, Catalogue 92-726 Vol: 1-Part:3.</ref> || 2,900,150 || 57.4% || 42.6% || 21,568,310 || 27.9% || 72.1% |- | 1981<ref>Statistics Canada, "Table 3. Population by Selected Mother Tongues, age groups and sex, Showing Official Language and Home Language for Canada and Provinces, Urban and Rural, 1981," 1981 Census of Canada, Catalogue 92–910 (Volume 1).</ref> || 3,681,955 || 56.1% || 43.9% || 24,083,495 || 26.4% || 73.6% |- | 1986<ref>Statistics Canada, "Table 7. Population by Official Languages and Sex, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, 1986 Census – 20% Sample Data," 1986 Census, Catalogue 93–103.</ref> || 4,056,155 || 54.9% || 45.1% || 25,022,005 || 25.8% || 74.2% |- | 1991<ref>Statistics Canada, "Table 1A. Population by Knowledge of Official Languages and Sex, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, 1991 – 20% Sample Data," 1991 Census, Catalogue 93–318.</ref> || 4,398,655 || 54.9% || 45.1% || 26,994,045 || 25.2% || 74.8% |- | 1996<ref>Statistics Canada, "Table 1. Selected Characteristics for Census Subdivisions, 1996 Census – 100% Data and 20% Sample Data," 1996 Census, Catalogue 95-186-XPB.</ref> || 4,841,320 || 55.0% || 45.0% || 28,528,120 || 24.2% || 75.8% |- | 2001<ref>Statistics Canada, Languages, Mobility and Migration, 2001 – Provinces and Territories in Canada (table), 2001 Census of Population (Provinces, Census Divisions, Municipalities) (Database), Using E-STAT (Distributor). [http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-402-x/11-402-x2012000-eng.htm] (accessed 10.05.26).</ref>|| 5,231,575 || 55.6% || 44.0% || 29,639,030 || 24.0% || 76.0% |- | 2006<ref>Statistics Canada, Cumulative Profile, 2006 – Provinces and Territories in Canada (table), 2006 Census of Population (Provinces, Census Divisions, Municipalities) (database), Using E-STAT (distributor), [http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-402-x/11-402-x2012000-eng.htm], retrieved 10.05.26.</ref>|| 5,448,850 || 55.4% || 44.6% || 31,241,030 || 23.8% || 76.2% |- |2016<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/hlt-fst/lang/Table.cfm?Lang=E&T=21&Geo=00|title=Knowledge of official languages by age (Total), 2016 counts for the population excluding institutional residents of Canada, provinces and territories, 2016 Census – 100% Data|date=August 2, 2017|website=Statistics Canada}}</ref> |6,251,485 |57.9% |42.1% |34,767,255 |23.2% |76.8% |} According to the [[Canada 2011 Census|2011 census]], 94.3% of Quebecers have knowledge of French, and 47.2% have knowledge of English.<ref name="www12.statcan.gc.ca"/> Bilingualism (of the two official languages) is largely limited to Quebec itself, and to a strip of territory sometimes referred to as the "[[bilingual belt]]", that stretches east from Quebec into northern New Brunswick and west into parts of Ottawa and northeastern Ontario. 85% of bilingual Canadians live within Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick.<ref name="www12.statcan.gc.ca"/> A majority of all bilingual Canadians, (57.4%) are themselves Quebecers,<ref name="www12.statcan.gc.ca"/> and a high percentage of the bilingual population in the rest of Canada resides in close proximity to the Quebec border. Similarly, the rate of bilingualism in Quebec has risen higher, and more quickly than in the rest of Canada. In Quebec, the rate of bilingualism has increased from 26% of the population being able to speak English and French in 1951 to 42.5% in 2011.<ref name="www12.statcan.gc.ca"/> As of 2011, in the rest of Canada (excluding Quebec) the rate of bilingualism was 7.5%.<ref name="www12.statcan.gc.ca"/> {{sticky header}} {|class="wikitable sortable sticky-header" style=text-align:right" style="margin:1em auto;" |+ Percentage of French-English bilingualism by province/territory (2016 census) |- !Province/territory !% of population !Total number !class="unsortable"|Ref. |- |align="left"|Quebec |44.5% |3,586,410 |<ref name=canquebec/> |- |align="left"|New Brunswick |34% |249,950 |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-new-brunswick|title=Infographic: The French presence in New Brunswick|publisher=Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages|website=www.clo-ocol.gc.ca|date=13 September 2018|access-date=12 August 2020|archive-date=23 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123132602/https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-new-brunswick|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- |align="left"|Northwest Territories |14% |4,900 |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-northwest-territories|title=Infographic: The French presence in Northwest Territories|publisher=Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages|website=www.clo-ocol.gc.ca|date=13 September 2018|access-date=12 August 2020|archive-date=24 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724145719/https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-northwest-territories|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- |align="left"|Prince Edward Island |13% |17,840 |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-prince-edward-island|title=Infographic: The French presence in Prince Edward Island|publisher=Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages|website=www.clo-ocol.gc.ca|date=13 September 2018|access-date=12 August 2020|archive-date=24 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724144330/https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-prince-edward-island|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- |align="left"|Ontario |11.2% |1,490,390 |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-ontario|title=Infographic: The French presence in Ontario|publisher=Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages|website=www.clo-ocol.gc.ca|date=13 September 2018|access-date=12 August 2020|archive-date=24 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724144854/https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-ontario|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- |align="left"|Nova Scotia |10.5% |95,380 |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-nova-scotia|title=Infographic: The French presence in Nova Scotia|publisher=Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages|website=www.clo-ocol.gc.ca|date=13 September 2018|access-date=12 August 2020|archive-date=24 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724144445/https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-nova-scotia|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- |align="left"|Yukon |10.3% |4,275 |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-yukon|title=Infographic: The French presence in Yukon|publisher=Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages|website=www.clo-ocol.gc.ca|date=13 September 2018|access-date=12 August 2020|archive-date=24 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724145551/https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-yukon|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- |align="left"|Manitoba |9% |108,460 |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-manitoba|title=Infographic: The French presence in Manitoba|publisher=Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages|website=www.clo-ocol.gc.ca|date=13 September 2018|access-date=12 August 2020|archive-date=25 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425005951/https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-manitoba|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- |align="left"|Alberta |7% |264,720 |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-alberta|title=Infographic: The French presence in Alberta|publisher=Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages|website=www.clo-ocol.gc.ca|date=13 September 2018|access-date=12 August 2020|archive-date=25 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425120750/https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-alberta|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- |align="left"|British Columbia |7% |314,925 |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-british-columbia|title=Infographic: The French presence in British Columbia|publisher=Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages|website=www.clo-ocol.gc.ca|date=13 September 2018|access-date=12 August 2020|archive-date=25 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425120959/https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-british-columbia|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- |align="left"|Saskatchewan |5% |51,560 |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-saskatchewan|title=Infographic: The French presence in Saskatchewan|publisher=Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages|website=www.clo-ocol.gc.ca|date=13 September 2018|access-date=12 August 2020|archive-date=10 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610024940/https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-saskatchewan|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- |align="left"|Newfoundland and Labrador |5% |25,940 |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-newfoundland-labrador|title=Infographic: The French presence in Newfoundland and Labrador|publisher=Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages|website=www.clo-ocol.gc.ca|date=13 September 2018|access-date=12 August 2020}}</ref> |- |align="left"|Nunavut |4.3% |1,525 |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-nunavut|title=Infographic: The French presence in Nunavut|publisher=Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages|website=www.clo-ocol.gc.ca|date=13 September 2018|access-date=12 August 2020|archive-date=24 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724145842/https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-nunavut|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- |align="left"|'''Canada'''—''Total'' |17.9% |6,216,065 |<ref name=canquebec>{{cite web|url=https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/canada|title=Fast figures on Canada's official languages (2016)|publisher=Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages|website=www.clo-ocol.gc.ca|date=4 July 2019|access-date=12 August 2020|archive-date=24 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724003019/https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/canada|url-status=dead}}</ref> |} ==== English–French bilingualism rates ==== English–French bilingualism is highest among members of local linguistic minorities. It is very uncommon for Canadians to be capable of speaking only the minority official language of their region (French outside Quebec or English in Quebec). Only 1.5% of Canadians are able to speak only the minority official language, and of these most (90%) live in the bilingual belt.<ref name="2006 knolwedge">Statistics Canada. "Cumulative Profile, 2006 – Canada (308 electoral districts)" (table), 2006 Census of Population (Federal Electoral Districts, 2003 Representation Order) (database), using E-STAT (distributor). [http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/ref/preview-avantgout/pop-stand-normal/cumul-eng.cfm] (accessed: June 28, 2010).</ref> As the table below shows, rates of bilingualism are much higher among individuals who belong to the linguistic minority group for their region of Canada, than among members of the local linguistic majority. For example, within Quebec around 37% of bilingual Canadians are Francophones, whereas Francophones only represent 4.5% of the population outside Quebec.<ref>O'Keefe, Michael, "Francophone Minorities: Assimilation and Community Vitality, second edition", New Canadian Percpectives, Canadian Heritage, (Cat. no. CH3-2/2001), 2001.</ref> {| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto;" |+ Rates of French-English bilingualism among linguistic groups.<ref name="bilinguism-rate">[http://www.salic-slmc.ca/showpage.asp?file=langues_en_presence/langues_off/taux_biling&language=en&updatemenu=true Bilingualism Rate in Canada, Site for Language Management in Canada] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213165703/http://www.salic-slmc.ca/showpage.asp?file=langues_en_presence%2Flangues_off%2Ftaux_biling&language=en&updatemenu=true |date=February 13, 2009 }} (SLMC).</ref> |- ! ! [[English Canadians|Anglophones]] ! [[French Canadians|Francophones]] ! [[Allophone (Quebec)|Allophones]] |- ! [[Quebec]] | style="text-align:center;"| 66.1% | style="text-align:center;"| 36.6% | style="text-align:center;"| 50.4% |- ! [[English Canada|Rest of Canada]] | style="text-align:center;"| 7.1% | style="text-align:center;"| 85.1% | style="text-align:center;"| 5.7% |} === Official language minority communities === French-speaking Canadians from outside Quebec and [[English-speaking Quebecers]] are, together, the official language minority communities. These communities are: {{sticky header}} {|class="wikitable sortable sticky-header" style=text-align:center" style="margin:1em auto;" |+ Official language minority communities ! Jurisdiction !! Community |- | {{flag|Quebec}} || [[English-speaking Quebecers|Anglo-Quebecers]] |- | {{flag|Ontario}} || [[Franco-Ontarian|Franco-Ontarians / Ontarois]] |- | {{flag|Manitoba}} || [[Franco-Manitoban]]s |- | {{flag|Saskatchewan}} || [[Fransaskois]] |- | {{flag|Alberta}} || [[Franco-Albertan]]s |- | {{flag|British Columbia}} || [[Franco-Columbian|Franco-Colombians]] |- | {{flag|Yukon}} || [[Franco-Yukonnais]] |- | {{flag|Northwest Territories}} || [[Franco-Ténois]] |- | {{flag|Nunavut}} || [[Franco-Nunavois]] |- | {{flag|Newfoundland and Labrador}} || [[Franco-Terreneuviens]] |- | {{flag|New Brunswick}}, {{flag|Prince Edward Island}}, {{flag|Nova Scotia}} || [[Acadiens]] |- | {{flag|New Brunswick}} ([[Madawaska County, New Brunswick|Madawaska]]) || [[Brayon]]s |- | [[File:Metis Blue.png|23px]] Michif Piyii:{{ref|reference_name_A|a}} {{flag|Manitoba}}, {{flag|Alberta}}, {{flag|British Columbia}},<br />{{flag|Northwest Territories}}, {{flag|Ontario}}, {{flag|Saskatchewan}} || [[Métis]]<ref name=MetisFR>{{cite web |last1=Doireau |first1=Ophélie |title=Au Manitoba, redonner de la force au mitchif-français |url=https://francopresse.ca/2021/11/01/au-manitoba-redonner-de-la-force-au-mitchif-francais/ |website=FrancoPresse |access-date=15 December 2021 |date=1 Nov 2021}}</ref><ref name="Papen1">{{cite journal |last1=Papen |first1=Robert A |title=La Variation dialectale dans le parler français des Métis de l'Ouest canadien |journal=Francophonies d'Amérique |date=1993 |volume=3 |url=https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/fa/1993-n3-fa1807525/1004439ar/ |access-date=15 December 2021}}</ref><ref name="Papen2" >{{cite journal |last1=Papen |first1=Robert A |title=Quelques remarques sur un parler français méconnu de l'Ouest canadien: le métis |journal=Revue québécoise de linguistique |date=1984 |volume=14 |issue=1 |page=113 |doi=10.7202/602530ar |url=https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/rql/1984-v14-n1-rql2923/602530ar.pdf |access-date=15 December 2021}}</ref> |- class=sortbottom !scope=row colspan=2 | Notes:{{note label|reference_name_A|a}}The Métis [[country|homeland]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=O'Toole |first1=Darren |title=Toward a Métis homeland |url=https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/toward-metis-homeland |website=Canadian Geographic |date=9 November 2017 |publisher=The Royal Canadian Geographical Society |access-date=15 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Teillet |first1=Jean |title=The Boundaries of the Métis Nation |url=https://www.metisportals.ca/cons/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Boundaries-of-the-Metis-Nation-2011.pdf |website=The Métis Nation Self-Determination Gateway |access-date=15 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Michif Piyii (Métis) |url=https://native-land.ca/maps/territories/metis/ |website=native-land.ca |publisher=Native Land Digital |access-date=15 December 2021}}</ref> |} ====French outside Quebec==== The language continuity index represents the relationship between the number of people who speak French most often at home and the number for whom French is their mother tongue. A continuity index of less than one indicates that French has more losses than gains – that more people with French as a mother tongue speak another language at home. Outside Quebec, New Brunswick has the highest French language continuity ratio. [[British Columbia]] and [[Saskatchewan]] have the lowest French language continuity ratio and thus the lowest retention of French. From 1971 to 2011, the overall ratio for French language continuity outside Quebec declined from 0.73 to 0.45. Declines were the greatest for [[Manitoba]], Saskatchewan, and [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]]. {{sticky header}} {|class="wikitable sortable sticky-header" style=text-align:center" style="margin:1em auto;" |+French language continuity ratio 1971–2011<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.stat.gouv.qc.ca/donstat/econm_finnc/conjn_econm/TSC/pdf/CHAP3.PDF|title=La Francophonie Canadienne|website=stat.gouv.qc.ca|publisher=[[Statistics Canada]]|location=[[Ottawa]], Ontario|language=fr|date=October 3, 2003|archive-date=October 3, 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031003191239/http://www.stat.gouv.qc.ca/donstat/econm_finnc/conjn_econm/TSC/pdf/CHAP3.PDF|url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>O'Keefe, Michael, "Francophone Minorities: Assimilation and Community Vitality, second edition", New Canadian Perspectives, Canadian Heritage, (Cat. no. CH3-2/2001), 2001, pg. 55.</ref> |- !Province/Territory !1971 !1981 !1991 !1996 !2001 !2006 !2011 !2021 |- |[[New Brunswick]] |align=left|0.92 |align=left|0.93 |align=left|0.93 |align=left|0.92 |align=left|0.91 |align=left|0.91 |align=left|0.89 |align=left|0.89 |- |[[Quebec]] |align=left|- |align=left|- |align=left|1.01 |align=left|1.01 |align=left|1.02 |align=left|1.03 |align=left|1.03 |align=left|1.03 |- |[[Nunavut]] |align=left|- |align=left|- |align=left|- |align=left|- |align=left|0.54 |align=left|0.57 |align=left|0.58 |align=left|0.65 |- |[[Canada]] |align=left|- |align=left|- |align=left|0.96 |align=left|0.96 |align=left|0.96 |align=left|0.97 |align=left|0.97 |align=left|0.98 |- |[[Ontario]] |align=left|0.73 |align=left|0.72 |align=left|0.63 |align=left|0.61 |align=left|0.60 |align=left|0.60 |align=left|0.57 |align=left|0.55 |- |[[Nova Scotia]] |align=left|0.69 |align=left|0.69 |align=left|0.59 |align=left|0.57 |align=left|0.56 |align=left|0.53 |align=left|0.51 |align=left|0.46 |- |[[Prince Edward Island]] |align=left|0.60 |align=left|0.64 |align=left|0.53 |align=left|0.53 |align=left|0.48 |align=left|0.49 |align=left|0.47 |align=left|0.45 |- |[[Manitoba]] |align=left|0.65 |align=left|0.60 |align=left|0.49 |align=left|0.47 |align=left|0.46 |align=left|0.45 |align=left|0.42 |align=left|0.40 |- |[[Yukon]] |align=left|0.30 |align=left|0.45 |align=left|0.43 |align=left|0.46 |align=left|0.46 |align=left|0.49 |align=left|0.57 |align=left|0.58 |- |[[Northwest Territories]] |align=left|0.50 |align=left|0.51 |align=left|0.47 |align=left|0.43 |align=left|0.39 |align=left|0.46 |align=left|0.51 |align=left|0.54 |- |[[Newfoundland and Labrador]] |align=left|0.63 |align=left|0.72 |align=left|0.47 |align=left|0.42 |align=left|0.42 |align=left|0.36 |align=left|0.46 |align=left|0.39 |- |[[Alberta]] |align=left|0.49 |align=left|0.49 |align=left|0.36 |align=left|0.32 |align=left|0.33 |align=left|0.33 |align=left|0.36 |align=left|0.35 |- |[[Saskatchewan]] |align=left|0.50 |align=left|0.41 |align=left|0.33 |align=left|0.29 |align=left|0.26 |align=left|0.26 |align=left|0.26 |align=left|0.25 |- |[[British Columbia]] |align=left|0.30 |align=left|0.35 |align=left|0.28 |align=left|0.29 |align=left|0.29 |align=left|0.30 |align=left|0.29 |align=left|0.30 |}
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