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2011 National Household Survey: Data tables
Tabulation: Detailed Mother Tongue (158), Generation Status (4), Knowledge of Official Languages (5), Number of Non-Official Languages Spoken (5), Age Groups (10) and Sex (3) for the Population in Private Households of Canada, Provinces and Territories, 2011 National Household Survey
Data table
| Detailed mother tongue (158) | Generation status (4) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total - Generation status | First generationFootnote 3 | Second generationFootnote 4 | Third generation or moreFootnote 5 | |
| Total - Detailed mother tongue | 32,852,325 | 7,217,300 | 5,702,725 | 19,932,300 |
| Single responses | 32,369,375 | 6,989,065 | 5,520,185 | 19,860,130 |
| English | 18,850,405 | 1,694,640 | 3,994,255 | 13,161,510 |
| French | 6,967,455 | 259,465 | 336,750 | 6,371,245 |
| Non-official languages | 6,551,520 | 5,034,965 | 1,189,180 | 327,375 |
| Aboriginal languages | 193,860 | 1,010 | 1,580 | 191,265 |
| Romance languages | 1,096,130 | 822,770 | 256,180 | 17,180 |
| Italian | 403,425 | 250,235 | 140,280 | 12,910 |
| Portuguese | 207,980 | 160,750 | 45,625 | 1,605 |
| Romanian | 84,100 | 75,620 | 8,240 | 235 |
| Spanish | 399,810 | 335,465 | 61,935 | 2,410 |
| Catalan | 560 | 525 | 35 | 0 |
| Romance languages, n.i.e. | 260 | 175 | 60 | 25 |
| Germanic languages | 536,790 | 342,875 | 127,990 | 65,925 |
| Dutch | 110,250 | 90,220 | 16,855 | 3,175 |
| Flemish | 4,865 | 3,550 | 1,160 | 155 |
| Frisian | 2,460 | 2,160 | 280 | 0 |
| German | 366,960 | 210,720 | 94,950 | 61,290 |
| Yiddish | 14,930 | 5,560 | 8,905 | 460 |
| Scandinavian languages | 28,405 | 22,510 | 5,095 | 795 |
| Danish | 14,320 | 12,515 | 1,710 | 95 |
| Icelandic | 1,430 | 615 | 375 | 435 |
| Norwegian | 5,180 | 3,600 | 1,485 | 100 |
| Swedish | 7,480 | 5,785 | 1,530 | 170 |
| Afrikaans | 8,525 | 7,790 | 715 | 25 |
| Germanic languages, n.i.e. | 390 | 370 | 25 | 0 |
| Celtic languages | 2,960 | 2,360 | 280 | 325 |
| Gaelic languages | 1,640 | 1,125 | 195 | 320 |
| Welsh | 1,170 | 1,135 | 40 | 0 |
| Celtic languages, n.i.e. | 145 | 95 | 45 | 0 |
| Slavic languages | 668,185 | 488,730 | 148,110 | 31,350 |
| Belarusian (Byelorussian) | 685 | 560 | 120 | 0 |
| Bosnian | 11,380 | 10,160 | 1,200 | 0 |
| Bulgarian | 18,125 | 16,550 | 1,545 | 30 |
| Croatian | 47,700 | 34,995 | 11,880 | 820 |
| Czech | 22,010 | 18,375 | 3,460 | 170 |
| Macedonian | 16,200 | 11,820 | 4,245 | 135 |
| Polish | 187,450 | 143,695 | 41,475 | 2,280 |
| Russian | 162,340 | 142,535 | 15,660 | 4,140 |
| Serbian | 53,625 | 43,910 | 9,580 | 130 |
| Serbo-Croatian | 9,840 | 8,780 | 1,020 | 40 |
| Slovak | 15,935 | 11,875 | 3,920 | 140 |
| Slovenian | 10,585 | 7,625 | 2,910 | 50 |
| Ukrainian | 108,590 | 34,800 | 50,545 | 23,255 |
| Slavic languages, n.i.e. | 3,720 | 3,045 | 535 | 145 |
| Baltic languages | 13,320 | 8,570 | 4,385 | 370 |
| Latvian | 5,990 | 3,970 | 1,900 | 120 |
| Lithuanian | 7,330 | 4,595 | 2,485 | 245 |
| Greek | 111,405 | 64,705 | 40,705 | 5,995 |
| Armenian | 30,510 | 23,045 | 7,230 | 235 |
| Albanian | 23,475 | 20,975 | 2,455 | 50 |
| Georgian | 775 | 735 | 40 | 0 |
| Finno-Ugric languages | 84,770 | 60,730 | 22,100 | 1,935 |
| Estonian | 6,055 | 3,870 | 1,980 | 200 |
| Finnish | 15,495 | 8,865 | 5,745 | 885 |
| Hungarian | 63,220 | 47,995 | 14,380 | 855 |
| Turkic languages | 35,755 | 30,250 | 5,475 | 25 |
| Azerbaijani | 2,695 | 2,580 | 115 | 0 |
| Turkish | 29,975 | 24,925 | 5,020 | 25 |
| Turkic languages, n.i.e. | 3,090 | 2,745 | 345 | 0 |
| Mongolian | 1,085 | 1,060 | 35 | 0 |
| Afro-Asiatic languages | 442,740 | 374,475 | 67,280 | 985 |
| Berber languages (Kabyle) | 6,120 | 5,595 | 525 | 0 |
| Cushitic languages | 42,440 | 33,655 | 8,770 | 20 |
| Oromo | 11,995 | 10,685 | 1,305 | 0 |
| Somali | 30,450 | 22,970 | 7,465 | 15 |
| Semitic languages | 392,145 | 333,340 | 57,835 | 965 |
| Amharic | 18,045 | 16,480 | 1,540 | 20 |
| Arabic | 323,125 | 273,230 | 49,165 | 730 |
| Hebrew | 18,105 | 14,875 | 3,080 | 150 |
| Maltese | 5,940 | 5,280 | 600 | 60 |
| Tigrigna | 9,350 | 8,680 | 665 | 0 |
| Semitic languages, n.i.e. | 17,570 | 14,785 | 2,780 | 0 |
| Afro-Asiatic languages, n.i.e. | 2,035 | 1,885 | 155 | 0 |
| Indo-Iranian languages | 1,084,045 | 867,665 | 213,555 | 2,830 |
| Indo-Aryan languages | 885,520 | 693,690 | 189,210 | 2,620 |
| Bengali | 58,900 | 49,645 | 9,220 | 40 |
| Gujarati | 91,310 | 77,100 | 14,175 | 35 |
| Hindi | 93,190 | 80,405 | 12,560 | 225 |
| Konkani | 2,830 | 2,790 | 45 | 0 |
| Marathi | 5,920 | 5,475 | 445 | 0 |
| Panjabi (Punjabi) | 433,280 | 313,820 | 117,490 | 1,970 |
| Sindhi | 10,330 | 8,915 | 1,400 | 15 |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | 14,555 | 13,725 | 815 | 10 |
| Urdu | 165,375 | 132,355 | 32,710 | 310 |
| Nepali | 9,820 | 9,475 | 345 | 0 |
| Iranian languages | 192,130 | 168,330 | 23,610 | 195 |
| Kurdish | 10,055 | 8,130 | 1,885 | 40 |
| Pashto | 12,525 | 9,800 | 2,730 | 0 |
| Persian (Farsi) | 169,545 | 150,400 | 19,000 | 145 |
| Indo-Iranian languages, n.i.e. | 6,400 | 5,645 | 735 | 20 |
| Dravidian languages | 176,515 | 145,585 | 30,775 | 150 |
| Kannada | 2,770 | 2,540 | 235 | 0 |
| Malayalam | 17,695 | 16,325 | 1,370 | 0 |
| Tamil | 146,710 | 118,100 | 28,455 | 150 |
| Telugu | 8,940 | 8,250 | 695 | 0 |
| Dravidian languages, n.i.e. | 395 | 375 | 0 | 0 |
| Japanese | 40,180 | 29,915 | 9,470 | 795 |
| Korean | 137,215 | 126,365 | 10,755 | 90 |
| Sino-Tibetan languages | 1,079,360 | 909,945 | 167,145 | 2,270 |
| Chinese languages | 1,066,950 | 898,310 | 166,390 | 2,255 |
| Cantonese | 381,575 | 299,400 | 81,065 | 1,105 |
| Chaochow (Teochow) | 2,920 | 2,270 | 645 | 0 |
| Fukien | 6,510 | 6,160 | 345 | 0 |
| Hakka | 4,975 | 4,360 | 610 | 0 |
| Mandarin | 252,295 | 225,970 | 26,095 | 240 |
| Shanghainese | 3,075 | 2,870 | 200 | 0 |
| Taiwanese | 9,655 | 9,205 | 440 | 0 |
| Chinese, n.o.s. | 405,945 | 348,080 | 56,980 | 880 |
| Tibetan languages | 4,850 | 4,420 | 425 | 0 |
| Burmese | 3,430 | 3,295 | 115 | 15 |
| Sino-Tibetan languages, n.i.e. | 4,130 | 3,910 | 215 | 0 |
| Tai languages | 21,490 | 18,625 | 2,795 | 70 |
| Lao | 13,890 | 11,385 | 2,440 | 65 |
| Thai | 7,595 | 7,240 | 355 | 0 |
| Austro-Asiatic languages | 176,660 | 135,645 | 40,495 | 515 |
| Khmer (Cambodian) | 21,750 | 17,260 | 4,445 | 40 |
| Vietnamese | 154,910 | 118,380 | 36,050 | 475 |
| Malayo-Polynesian languages | 430,725 | 413,255 | 17,055 | 410 |
| Bisayan languages | 18,315 | 18,065 | 235 | 15 |
| Ilocano | 19,665 | 19,215 | 430 | 25 |
| Malay | 10,960 | 10,540 | 415 | 0 |
| Pampango | 3,045 | 2,865 | 170 | 0 |
| Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino) | 371,500 | 355,590 | 15,560 | 345 |
| Bikol | 1,380 | 1,365 | 0 | 0 |
| Malagasy | 1,190 | 1,135 | 55 | 0 |
| Fijian | 1,155 | 1,040 | 115 | 0 |
| Pangasinan | 1,095 | 1,080 | 0 | 0 |
| Malayo-Polynesian languages, n.i.e. | 2,420 | 2,350 | 55 | 0 |
| Niger-Congo languages | 73,565 | 68,545 | 4,825 | 195 |
| Akan (Twi) | 13,440 | 11,665 | 1,685 | 90 |
| Bantu languages | 33,905 | 32,190 | 1,640 | 70 |
| Lingala | 3,735 | 3,545 | 185 | 0 |
| Rundi (Kirundi) | 4,530 | 4,425 | 105 | 0 |
| Rwanda (Kinyarwanda) | 4,060 | 3,915 | 135 | 0 |
| Shona | 2,725 | 2,625 | 100 | 0 |
| Swahili | 10,000 | 9,145 | 820 | 35 |
| Ganda | 1,050 | 1,005 | 50 | 0 |
| Bantu languages, n.i.e. | 7,800 | 7,530 | 250 | 0 |
| Edo | 1,140 | 1,080 | 55 | 0 |
| Igbo | 3,105 | 2,960 | 140 | 0 |
| Wolof | 2,645 | 2,540 | 105 | 0 |
| Bamanankan | 1,045 | 955 | 85 | 0 |
| Ewe | 1,500 | 1,470 | 30 | 0 |
| Ga | 985 | 900 | 80 | 0 |
| Niger-Congo languages, n.i.e. | 15,815 | 14,780 | 1,000 | 35 |
| African languages, n.i.e. | 9,915 | 8,325 | 1,585 | 0 |
| Creoles | 71,070 | 65,745 | 5,220 | 100 |
| Non-verbal languages | 6,380 | 855 | 1,245 | 4,285 |
| American Sign Language | 1,795 | 200 | 240 | 1,355 |
| Quebec Sign Language | 410 | 35 | 15 | 360 |
| Sign languages, n.i.e. | 4,175 | 625 | 985 | 2,570 |
| Other languages | 2,635 | 2,225 | 400 | 15 |
| Multiple responses | 482,945 | 228,230 | 182,545 | 72,175 |
| English and French | 57,820 | 3,745 | 10,630 | 43,445 |
| English and non-official language | 353,530 | 180,115 | 148,310 | 25,110 |
| French and non-official language | 65,315 | 41,840 | 20,620 | 2,855 |
| English, French and non-official language | 6,280 | 2,530 | 2,985 | 760 |
Symbol(s)
- Symbol ..
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not available for a specific reference period
..
- Symbol ...
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not applicable
...
- Symbol x
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suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act
x
- Symbol F
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too unreliable to be published
F
Footnote(s)
- Footnote 1
-
Excludes National Household Survey data for one or more incompletely enumerated Indian reserves or Indian settlements.
- Footnote 2
-
For the 2011 National Household Survey (NHS) estimates, the global non-response rate (GNR) is used as an indicator of data quality. This indicator combines complete non-response (household) and partial non-response (question) into a single rate. The value of the GNR is presented to users. A smaller GNR indicates a lower risk of non-response bias and as a result, lower risk of inaccuracy. The threshold used for estimates' suppression is a GNR of 50% or more. For more information, please refer to the National Household Survey User Guide, 2011.
- Footnote 3
-
'First generation' includes persons who were born outside Canada. For the most part, these are people who are now, or have ever been, immigrants to Canada.
- Footnote 4
-
'Second generation' includes persons who were born in Canada and had at least one parent born outside Canada. For the most part, these are the children of immigrants.
- Footnote 5
-
'Third generation or more' includes persons who were born in Canada with both parents born in Canada.
Source: Statistics Canada, 2011 National Household Survey, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 99-010-X2011034.
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