Indigenous languages

Number of people who report the ability to speak an Indigenous language well enough to conduct a conversation, by specific Indigenous languages.

This indicator is measured in the Census of Population.

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 Census of Population. It is important to note that the Census of Population includes all of Canada, including Indigenous communities (reserve areas).

• Census of Population
  • 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 98-10-0294-01 – Knowledge of Indigenous languages by single and multiple knowledge of languages responses and Indigenous language acquisition: Canada, provinces and territories
  • Table 98-10-0270-01 – Knowledge of Indigenous languages by single and multiple knowledge of languages responses, Indigenous identity and residence by Indigenous geography: Canada, provinces and territories
  • Table 98-10-0216-01 – 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

• Indigenous languages in Canada, 2021 (Statistics Canada – Infographics, March 29, 2023)

• Languages in Nunavut, 2021 (Ethnicity, Language and Immigration Thematic Series, November 7, 2024)
• Indigenous languages across Canada (Analytical products, 2021 Census, March 29, 2023)
• National Indigenous Languages Day - Statistics Canada (StatsCAN Plus, March 30, 2023)
• 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)

For the full suite of Indigenous languages tables from the 2021 Census of Population, please refer to:

• Indigenous peoples (Data tables, 2021 Census of Population)
• Language (Data tables, 2021 Census of Population)
• Language at work (Data tables, 2021 Census of Population)

The Indigenous Peoples Survey collects related data on self-rated ability to understand and speak an Indigenous language.

• Table 41-10-0060-01 – Self-rated ability to speak or understand an Indigenous language by First Nations people living off reserve, Métis and Inuit, age group and gender

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