Indigenous languages

Proportion of the Indigenous population with the ability to speak or understand an Indigenous language.

This indicator is measured in the Census of Population and the Indigenous Peoples Survey (IPS).

In the 2022 IPS, survey respondents are asked:

Do you understand or speak an Indigenous language, even if only a few words?

• Yes
• No

How would you rate your ability to speak this language?

• Very well
• Relatively well
• With effort
• Only a few words
• Does not speak

How would you rate your ability to understand this language?

• Very well
• Relatively well
• With effort
• Only a few words

In the Census of Population, survey respondents in First Nations communities, Métis settlements, Inuit regions and other remote areas (form 2A-R) are asked:

What language(s), other than English or French, can this person speak well enough to conduct a conversation?

Examples of Indigenous languages:
Montagnais (Innu), Plains Cree, Mi'kmaq, Severn Ojibway, Denesuline, Inuktitut, Mohawk, Michif, Shuswap, Stoney, Gitxsan, Kwakiutl, etc.

• None
• Other language(s) – specify:

In the rest of Canada, Census respondents to the long-form survey (form 2A-L) are similarly asked:

What language(s), other than English or French, can this person speak well enough to conduct a conversation?

• None
• Other language(s) — specify:

This indicator is measured in the Indigenous Peoples Survey (IPS) and the Census of Population. Estimates can vary between data sources due to differences in reference periods, targeted or sampled populations, data collection and other methodology. It is also important to note that the Census of Population includes all of Canada, including Indigenous communities (reserve areas). The Indigenous Peoples survey is not administered on reserve.

The 2022 IPS data will be released in spring 2024.

• Census of Population
  • Table 98-10-0298-01 – Indigenous mother tongue by single and multiple mother tongue responses and Indigenous identity: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions
  • Table 98-10-0297-01 – Knowledge of Indigenous languages by single and multiple knowledge of languages responses and age: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions
  • Table 98-10-0296-01 – Indigenous mother tongue by single and multiple mother tongue responses and active and silent speakers of an Indigenous mother tongue: Canada, provinces and territories
  • Table 98-10-0294-01 – Knowledge of Indigenous languages by single and multiple knowledge of languages responses and Indigenous language acquisition: Canada, provinces and territories
  • Table 98-10-0199-01 – English spoken at home by French spoken at home, Indigenous language spoken at home, other non-official language spoken at home and mother tongue: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions
  • Table 98-10-0270-01 – Knowledge of Indigenous languages by single and multiple knowledge of languages responses, Indigenous identity and residence by Indigenous geography: Canada, provinces and territories
  • Table 98-10-0274-01 – Indigenous language spoken at home by single and multiple responses of language spoken at home, Indigenous identity and residence by Indigenous geography: Canada, provinces and territories
  • Table 98-10-0275-01 – Indigenous language spoken at home by single and multiple responses of language spoken at home and Indigenous identity: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts
  • Table 98-10-0230-01 – Indigenous mother tongue, Indigenous language spoken most often at home and other Indigenous language(s) spoken regularly at home: Canada, provinces and territories
  • Table 98-10-0272-01 – Indigenous mother tongue by single and multiple mother tongue responses, Indigenous identity and residence by Indigenous geography: Canada, provinces and territories
  • Table 98-10-0273-01 – Indigenous mother tongue by single and multiple mother tongue responses and Indigenous identity: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts
  • Table 98-10-0216-01 – Knowledge of languages by age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions
  • Table 98-10-0217-01 – Knowledge of languages by age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts
  • Table 98-10-0211-01 – Mother tongue by knowledge of official languages for children in couple families: Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts
  • Table 98-10-0183-01 – Mother tongue by language spoken most often at home, other language(s) spoken regularly at home, knowledge of official languages and first official language spoken: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts
  • Table 98-10-0191-01 – First official language spoken by language spoken most often at home, other language(s) spoken regularly at home, and knowledge of official languages: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions
  • Table 98-10-0198-01 – English spoken at home by French spoken at home, Indigenous language spoken at home, other non-official language spoken at home and mother tongue: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts
• Indigenous Peoples Survey (IPS)
  • Table 41-10-0043-01 – Self-rated ability to understand and speak an Aboriginal language by Aboriginal identity, age group and sex

• Indigenous languages in Canada, 2021 (Statistics Canada – Infographics, March 29, 2023)
• Portrait of Youth in Canada: Data Visualization Tool (Statistics Canada – Data Visualization Products)
• Portrait of youth in Canada: Indigenous peoples (Statistics Canada – Infographics, December 21, 2021)
• Aboriginal languages in Canada, 2016 Census of Population (Statistics Canada – Infographics, October 27, 2017)

• National Indigenous Languages Day - Statistics Canada (StatsCAN Plus, March 30, 2023)
• Indigenous languages across Canada (Analytical products, 2021 Census, March 29, 2023)
• Indigenous women and girls: Socioeconomic conditions in remote communities compared with more accessible areas (Insights on Canadian Society, June 20, 2022)
• Indigenous women and girls: Socioeconomic conditions in remote communities compared with more accessible areas (Insights on Canadian Society, June 20, 2022)
• National Indigenous History Month (StatsCAN Plus, June 10, 2022)

More information can be found on Statistics Canada's Indigenous Statistics Portal, a central location for data on First Nations people, Métis and Inuit, including community profiles.

Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages

The IPS includes many other questions on Indigenous languages, beyond those mentioned above. Examples of these questions include:

How would you rate your ability to read and write this language?

• Very well
• Relatively well
• With effort
• Only a few words
• Does not read or write
• Not applicable or not a written language

How important is it to you that you speak and understand an Indigenous language?

• Very important
• Somewhat important
• Not very important
• Not important
• No opinion

At home, how often are you exposed to an Indigenous language?

• Every day
• A few times a week
• Once a week
• Less than once a week
• Never