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Profile of languages in Canada: English, French and many others

Canada

• A more multilingual society
• Nine out of 10 people speak English or French most often at home
• Chinese position reaffirmed as Canada's third most common mother tongue
• Aboriginal languages: Cree the largest language group

Provinces and territories

• Allophones: Main source of population increase in largest provinces
• Francophones: Increase in numbers outside Quebec
• Anglophones: Decline accelerates in Quebec
• Use of French at home increases in Montréal Urban Community
• Fewer francophones outside Quebec speak French most often at home - but many of them speak it regularly
• Almost one-third of anglophones in Quebec have a francophone spouse
• Quebec allophones speaking French more frequently at home

English-French bilingualism

• Increase in rate of English-French bilingualism nationally
• Bilingualism losing some ground among young anglophones outside Quebec
• Bilingualism on the rise in Quebec

Sub-provincial

• Four out of 10 people in the census metropolitan area of Toronto are allophones
• Municipalities outside Quebec with the highest proportions of francophones
• Municipalities inside Quebec with the highest proportions of anglophones
• Highlights of Selected Census Metropolitan Areas

Methodological notes

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