In the 2011 census, more than 200 languages were declared as a language spoken at home or as a mother tongue.
Nearly 6.6 million people reported speaking a language other than French or English at home.
Language spoken at home and language spoken on a regular basis
4.7 million people reported speaking another language than English or French most often at home, and nearly 1.9 million people reported speaking these languages on a regular basis as a second language (in addition to French or English).
Mother tongues outside of French and English in the six largest census metropolitan areas
Toronto:
1.8 million people speak their mother tongue at home.
Montreal:
626,000 people speak their mother tongue most often at home. Arabic and Spanish account for almost a third.
Vancouver:
712,000 people speak their mother tongue at home. Punjabi is the main immigrant language used at home, followed by Cantonese and Mandarin.
Calgary:
228,000 speak their mother tongue most often at home. Punjabi and Tagalog (Philippines) are the main mother tongues used at home, followed by Chinese (Cantonese and/or Mandarin).
Edmonton:
166,000 people speak their mother tongue most often at home. Tagalog and Punjabi are the most widely declared mother tongues spoken at home.
Ottawa – Gatineau:
141,000 people speak their mother tongue most often at home. Arabic and Spanish are the most widely spoken mother tongues at home.
Knowledge of official languages
Language Projection, 2011-2036
In 2036, more than a quarter of the Canadian population would have a mother tongue other than French or English.
Decrease in the proportion of English and French mother tongue populations by 2036
Increased diversity among official language populations.
