Knowledge of official languages

Proportion of the population able to conduct a conversation in:

1. English only;
2. French only;
3. Both official languages;
4. Neither official language.

This indicator is measured in a number of Statistics Canada surveys, including the Census of Population and the Canadian Social Survey (CSS).

In the Census of Population, respondents are asked:

Can this person speak English or French well enough to conduct a conversation?

• English only
• French only
• Both English and French
• Neither English nor French

In the CSS, respondents are asked:

Can you speak English or French well enough to conduct a conversation?

• English only
• French only
• Both English and French
• Neither English nor French

This indicator is measured through multiple Statistics Canada surveys. Estimates can vary between data sources due to differences in reference periods, targeted or sampled populations, data collection and other methodology.

• Census of Population
  • 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 98-10-0202-01 – Knowledge of official languages by income statistics, age and gender: 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 98-10-0222-01 – Knowledge of official languages by age: Canada, provinces and territories
  • Table 98-10-0223-01 – Knowledge of official languages by age: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts
  • Table 98-10-0224-01 – Knowledge of official languages by age: Canada, provinces and territories and census divisions
  • Table 98-10-0225-01 – Knowledge of official languages by age: Canada, provinces and territories and census subdivisions with a population 5,000 or more
  • 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
• Canadian Social Survey (CSS)
• Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)
• General Social Survey (GSS) - Canadians' Safety (Victimization)
• General Social Survey (GSS) - Giving, Volunteering and Participating
• General Social Survey (GSS) - Social Identity
• Time Use Survey

• Municipal Quality of Life Dashboard (Statistics Canada – Data Visualization Products)
• Social inclusion indicators for Canada's ethnocultural groups: Education and skills development (Statistics Canada – Data Visualization Products)
• More than one language in the bag: The rate of English–French bilingualism is increasing in Quebec and decreasing outside Quebec (Statistics Canada – Infographics, August 17, 2022)

• What is the connection between working from home and the languages used at work? (Insights on Canadian Society, January 31, 2024)
• Key facts on the French language in ten provinces and three territories can be accessed through Ethnicity, Language and Immigration Thematic Series
• Changes in language behaviour at home according to the Canadian Social Survey (The Daily, December 11, 2023)
• Ethnocultural diversity among lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Canada: An overview of educational and economic outcomes (Just the Facts, April 19, 2023)
• Languages of work in New Brunswick (StatsCAN Plus, March 20, 2023)
• While English and French are still the main languages spoken in Canada, the country's linguistic diversity continues to grow (The Daily, August 17, 2022)

For more information on language variables, including information on their classifications, the questions from which they are derived, data quality and their comparability with other sources of data, please refer to the Languages Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2021.

The Ethnicity, Language and Immigration Thematic Series combines different statistical products related to ethnicity, languages and immigration. It features various analytical documents of varying scopes, population profiles, reference materials as well as data products such as tables and factsheets.

The video Knowledge of official and non-official languages presents the census questions on knowledge of official and non-official languages. It also helps users understand how variables on knowledge of official and non-official languages are created and how they are disseminated and analyzed.

For the most recent data tables, analyses and references on languages in Canada, pleasure refer to the Languages statistics page.