2006 Census Topic-based tabulations
Archived Content
Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please contact us to request a format other than those available.
Topic-based tabulation: First Official Language Spoken (7), Mother Tongue (10), Age Groups (17A), and Sex (3) for the Population of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2006 Census - 20% Sample Data
About this tabulation
General information
Catalogue number : | 97-555-XCB2006031 |
---|---|
Release date : | December 4, 2007 |
Topic : | Language |
Data dimensions : |
Note
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: First official language spoken
The definitions of first official language spoken and official language minority are outlined in the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations issued pursuant to the Official Languages Act (1988).
Information on first official language spoken is not collected directly from respondents. Rather, it is derived from three language variables on the census questionnaire: knowledge of official languages, mother tongue, and home language (language spoken most often at home). The first step in the derivation of this variable is to examine the respondent's knowledge of English and French. A person who speaks only English has English assigned as the first official language, while a person who speaks only French has French assigned. If the person can speak both English and French, then the mother tongue variable is examined. If the mother tongue is English, then English is the first official language spoken. The same procedure is used for French. Thus, a person who speaks English and French, and has French as mother tongue, would have French assigned as the first official language spoken.
If the respondent speaks both English and French, and indicates English and French as mother tongue, then the 'home language' variable is examined to assign the first official language spoken. In this circumstance, a home language of English would result in English being assigned as first official language spoken, while a home language of French would result in French being assigned as first official language spoken. Consequently, a person who speaks both English and French, has both official languages as mother tongue and English as home language, would have English assigned as first official language spoken.
Situations where the respondents can speak English and French, and have both languages as mother tongue and home language, are assigned English and French as first official language spoken.
The official language minority is English in Quebec and French in all other provinces and territories. The size of the official language minority is determined by adding the minority population and half of the 'English and French' population. For example, in Ontario, the official language minority is the sum of those who have French as their first official language spoken and half of those who have English and French as first official language spoken.
For additional information, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, catalogue number 92-566-XWE or 92-566-XPE.
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
Mother tongue (10) | First official language spoken (7) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total - First official language spoken | English | French | English and French | Neither English nor French | Official language minority (number)Footnote 2 | Official language minority (percentage)Footnote 3 | |
Total - Mother tongue | 31,241,030 | 23,197,090 | 7,204,390 | 331,925 | 507,620 | 7,370,350 | 23.6 |
Single responses | 30,848,270 | 22,898,060 | 7,139,130 | 303,460 | 507,620 | 7,290,860 | 23.6 |
English | 17,882,775 | 17,879,570 | 3,205 | 0 | 0 | 3,205 | 0.0 |
French | 6,817,655 | 32,705 | 6,784,945 | 0 | 0 | 6,784,945 | 99.5 |
Non-official language | 6,147,840 | 4,985,785 | 350,975 | 303,455 | 507,620 | 502,705 | 8.2 |
Multiple responses | 392,760 | 299,030 | 65,260 | 28,470 | 0 | 79,495 | 20.2 |
English and French | 98,630 | 50,310 | 24,305 | 24,015 | 0 | 36,310 | 36.8 |
English and non-official language | 240,010 | 239,620 | 385 | 0 | 0 | 385 | 0.2 |
French and non-official language | 43,335 | 4,325 | 39,010 | 0 | 0 | 39,010 | 90.0 |
English, French and non-official language | 10,790 | 4,775 | 1,560 | 4,450 | 0 | 3,790 | 35.1 |
Footnotes
- Footnote 1
-
Excludes census data for one or more incompletely enumerated Indian reserves or Indian settlements.
- Footnote 2
-
The official language minority is English in Quebec and French in all other provinces and territories.
- Footnote 3
-
The official language minority is English in Quebec and French in all other provinces and territories.
Source: Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 97-555-XCB2006031.
Download
Download data as displayed in the Data table tab
- CSV (comma-separated values) file Footnote a
15 KB (approximate) - TAB (tab-separated values) file Footnote b
15 KB (approximate)
Download entire table
- IVT (Beyond 20/20) file Footnote c
2.08 MB (2,178,727 bytes) - XML (SDMX - Statistical Data and Metadata eXchange) file Footnote d
3.16 MB (3,315,977 bytes)
Footnotes
- Footnote a
-
To access the comma separated values (CSV) file, use the conversion features available in most spreadsheet software, or use a free viewer, for example csview.
- Footnote b
-
To access the tab separated values (TAB) file, use the conversion features available in most spreadsheet software, or use a free viewer, for example AscToTab.
- Footnote c
-
To access the Beyond 20/20 (IVT) version, you need the Beyond 20/20 Table Browser, which may be downloaded below. These links download files directly from an external site and are not the responsibility of Statistics Canada.
Beyond 20/20 Browser for Windows operating systems (18.9 MB)
To install this product, run 'ProBrowser.exe'. - Footnote d
-
XML (SDMX - ML) - Is a statistical data and metadata exchange standard for the electronic exchange of statistical information. Two extensible mark-up language (XML) files are provided in a compressed bundle.
Related data
-
2006 Census analysis series:2006 Census: The Evolving Linguistic Portrait, 2006 Census: Findings
-
2006 Census reference guides and technical reports:Languages Reference Guide, 2006 Census
-
2001 Census topic-based tabulation:First Official Language Spoken (7), Age Groups (15) and Sex (3) for Population, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, 2001 Census - 20% Sample Data