2006 Census Topic-based tabulations

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Topic-based tabulation: Detailed Mother Tongue (103), Knowledge of Official Languages (5), Age Groups (17A) and Sex (3) for the Population of Census Metropolitan Areas, Tracted Census Agglomerations and Census Tracts, 2006 Census - 20% Sample Data

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General information

Catalogue number :97-555-XCB2006014
Release date :April 8, 2008
Topic :Language
Data dimensions :

Note

Note: Data quality - Siouan languages (Dakota/Sioux)

When comparing the census results to those of the 2001 Census, it appears that there is some overestimation of persons reporting Siouan languages (Dakota/Sioux) in British Columbia and, as a result, also at the Canada level. Although it affects a relatively small population, it is best to apply caution when analysing the census data for Siouan languages (Dakota/Sioux) in these geographies.

For more information on factors that may explain such variances in census data, such as response errors and processing errors, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, Appendix B Data quality, sampling and weighting, confidentiality and random rounding.

Note: Data on knowledge of official languages

According to studies on data certification, the 2006 Census statistics on knowledge of official languages could underestimate the category 'English and French' and overestimate the category 'French only,' particularly for the francophone population, but also for the whole population in general. More information on the subject will be available in the Languages Reference Guide, to be published in 2008.

Note: Institutional residents

People in seniors' residences in the 2006 Census are classified as 'not living in an institution'. This is a change from the 2001 Census where they were classified as institutional residents, specifically, 'living in an institution, resident under care or custody'.

Note: Non-permanent residents and the census universe

In the 2006 Census, non-permanent residents are defined as people from another country who, at the time of the census, held a Work or Study Permit, or who were refugee claimants, as well as family members living in Canada with them. In the 1991, 1996 and 2001 censuses, non-permanent residents also included persons who held a Minister's permit; this was discontinued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada prior to the 2006 Census.

From 1991 on, the Census of Population has enumerated both permanent and non-permanent residents of Canada. Prior to 1991, only permanent residents of Canada were included in the census. (The only exception to this occurred in 1941.) Non-permanent residents were considered foreign residents and were not enumerated.

Total population counts, as well as counts for all variables, are affected by this change in the census universe. Users should be especially careful when comparing data from 1991, 1996, 2001 or 2006 with data from previous censuses in geographic areas where there is a concentration of non-permanent residents.

Today in Canada, non-permanent residents make up a significant segment of the population, especially in several census metropolitan areas. Their presence can affect the demand for such government services as health care, schooling, employment programs and language training. The inclusion of non-permanent residents in the census facilitates comparisons with provincial and territorial statistics (marriages, divorces, births and deaths) which include this population. In addition, this inclusion of non-permanent residents brings Canadian practice closer to the United Nations (UN) recommendation that long-term residents (persons living in a country for one year or longer) be enumerated in the census.

Although every attempt has been made to enumerate non-permanent residents, factors such as language difficulties, the reluctance to complete a government form or to understand the need to participate may have affected the enumeration of this population.

For additional information, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, catalogue number 92-566-XWE or 92-566-XPE.

For counts of the non-permanent resident population in 1991, 2001 and 2006, please refer to the 2006 Census table 97-557-XCB2006006.

Note: Population universe

The population universe of the 2006 Census includes the following groups:
- Canadian citizens (by birth or by naturalization) and landed immigrants with a usual place of residence in Canada;
- Canadian citizens (by birth or by naturalization) and landed immigrants who are abroad, either on a military base or attached to a diplomatic mission;
- Canadian citizens (by birth or by naturalization) and landed immigrants at sea or in port aboard merchant vessels under Canadian registry;
- persons with a usual place of residence in Canada who are claiming refugee status and members of their families living with them;
- persons with a usual place of residence in Canada who hold Study Permits and members of their families living with them;
- persons with a usual place of residence in Canada who hold Work Permits and members of their families living with them.

For census purposes, the last three groups in this list are referred to as 'non-permanent residents'. For further information, refer to the variable Immigration: Non-permanent resident found in the 2006 Census Dictionary, catalogue number 92-566-XWE or 92-566-XPE.

Data table

Select data categories for this table


This table details detailed mother tongue , knowledge of official languages , age groups and sex for the population in St. John's
Detailed mother tongue (103) Knowledge of official languages (5)
Total - Knowledge of official languages English only French only English and French Neither English nor French
Total - Detailed mother tongue 179,270 166,385 15 12,655 215
Single responses 178,880 166,125 15 12,530 215
English 174,485 162,805 0 11,655 20
French 535 15 10 510 0
Non-official languages 3,865 3,305 10 360 195
Algonquin 0 0 0 0 0
Atikamekw 0 0 0 0 0
Blackfoot 0 0 0 0 0
Carrier 0 0 0 0 0
Chilcotin 0 0 0 0 0
Chipewyan 0 0 0 0 0
Cree 0 0 0 0 0
Siouan languages (Dakota/Sioux) 0 0 0 0 0
Dene 0 0 0 0 0
Dogrib 0 0 0 0 0
Gitksan 0 0 0 0 0
Inuinnaqtun 0 0 0 0 0
Inuktitut, n.i.e. 25 20 0 0 0
Kutchin-Gwich'in (Loucheux) 0 0 0 0 0
Malecite 0 0 0 0 0
Mi'kmaq 0 0 0 0 0
Mohawk 0 0 0 0 0
Montagnais-Naskapi 0 0 0 0 0
Nisga'a 0 0 0 0 0
North Slave (Hare) 0 0 0 0 0
Ojibway 0 0 0 0 0
Oji-Cree 0 0 0 0 0
Shuswap 0 0 0 0 0
South Slave 0 0 0 0 0
Tlingit 0 0 0 0 0
Italian 75 60 0 15 0
Portuguese 100 90 0 15 0
Romanian 45 30 0 0 15
Spanish 480 370 0 75 35
Danish 0 0 0 0 0
Dutch 100 95 0 0 0
Flemish 0 0 0 0 0
Frisian 0 0 0 0 0
German 265 185 0 75 0
Norwegian 35 40 0 0 0
Swedish 15 15 0 0 0
Yiddish 0 0 0 0 0
Bosnian 0 0 0 0 0
Bulgarian 75 60 0 20 0
Croatian 10 10 0 0 0
Czech 25 25 0 0 0
Macedonian 0 0 0 0 0
Polish 70 65 0 0 0
Russian 165 130 0 15 20
Serbian 10 10 0 0 0
Serbo-Croatian 10 10 0 0 0
Slovak 20 20 0 0 0
Slovenian 15 10 0 10 0
Ukrainian 55 55 0 0 0
Latvian 10 0 0 10 0
Lithuanian 0 0 0 0 0
Estonian 0 0 0 0 0
Finnish 0 0 0 0 0
Hungarian 0 0 0 0 0
Greek 45 40 0 0 0
Armenian 0 0 0 0 0
Turkish 20 25 0 0 0
Amharic 25 25 0 0 0
Arabic 180 135 0 0 30
Hebrew 0 0 0 0 0
Maltese 10 0 0 10 0
Somali 0 0 0 0 0
Tigrigna 0 0 0 0 0
Bengali 140 130 0 0 10
Gujarati 35 35 0 0 0
Hindi 40 40 0 0 0
Kurdish 10 0 0 0 0
Panjabi (Punjabi) 65 60 0 0 0
Pashto 0 0 0 0 0
Persian (Farsi) 40 30 0 10 10
Sindhi 0 0 0 0 0
Sinhala (Sinhalese) 15 15 0 0 0
Urdu 260 215 0 35 10
Malayalam 30 25 0 10 0
Tamil 55 50 0 0 0
Telugu 50 50 0 0 0
Japanese 40 40 0 0 0
Korean 35 35 0 0 0
Cantonese 155 140 0 0 15
Chinese, n.o.s.Footnote 1 475 450 0 0 20
Mandarin 80 75 0 0 0
Taiwanese 20 15 0 0 0
Lao 0 0 0 0 0
Khmer (Cambodian) 0 0 0 0 0
Vietnamese 15 0 0 15 0
Bisayan languages 25 30 0 0 0
Ilocano 10 0 0 0 0
Malay 0 0 0 0 0
Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino) 30 30 0 0 0
Akan (Twi) 0 0 0 0 0
Swahili 15 15 0 0 0
Creoles 0 0 0 0 0
Other languagesFootnote 2 320 270 0 30 20
Multiple responses 390 260 0 125 0
English and French 110 40 0 75 0
English and non-official language 230 220 0 15 0
French and non-official language 30 0 0 30 0
English, French and non-official language 15 0 0 10 0

Footnotes

Footnote 1

The 2006 category 'Chinese, n.o.s.' includes responses of 'Chinese' as well as all Chinese languages other than Cantonese, Mandarin, Taiwanese, Chaochow (Teochow), Fukien, Hakka and Shanghainese. Data for the 'Chinese, n.o.s.' category in 2001 and 2006 are not directly comparable. The 2001 category 'Chinese, n.o.s.' is equivalent to the sum of the 2006 categories 'Chinese, n.o.s.' and 'Chaochow (Teochow),' 'Fukien,' 'Shanghainese' and Taiwanese.'

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Footnote 2

This is a subtotal of all languages collected by the census that are not displayed separately here. For a full list of languages collected in the census, please refer to Appendix G in the 2006 Census Dictionary.

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Source: Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 97-555-XCB2006014.

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Footnotes

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