2006 Census Topic-based tabulations

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Topic-based tabulation: Detailed Mother Tongue (103), Knowledge of Official Languages (5) and Sex (3) for the Population of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Divisions, Census Subdivisions and Dissemination Areas, 2006 Census - 20% Sample Data

About this tabulation

General information

Catalogue number :97-555-XCB2006013
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: Dissemination of suppressed census subdivisions (CSDs) - 20% sample data

To facilitate the publication of data for 19 dissemination areas for which the 'parent' CSDs have been suppressed due to a high non-response rate, the parent CSDs were given a value of 'null'. This 'null' value appears as a zero (0) in Beyond 20/20.

The list of suppressed CSDs set to 'null' are:

The CSD of Division No. 5, Subd. E (1005007)
The CSD of Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier (2422025)
The CSD of Fort Albany (Part) 67 (3556093)
The CSD of Moosonee (3556106)
The CSD of Nekaneet Cree Nation (4704802)
The CSD of Irricana (4806022)
The CSD of Stony Plain 135 (4811804)
The CSD of Smoky River No. 130 (4819041)
The CSD of New Songhees 1A (5917812)
The CSD of Thompson-Nicola I (Blue Sky Country) (5933037)
The CSD of Columbia-Shuswap F (5939044)

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

Note: Impact of municipal restructuring

The boundaries and names of municipalities (census subdivisions) can change from one census to the next because of annexations, dissolutions and incorporations. To bridge the impact of these municipal changes on data dissemination, the 2006 Census team is producing a profile for dissolved census subdivisions. For additional information, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, catalogue number 92-566-XWE or 92-566-XPE.

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 and sex for the population in CanadaFootnote 1
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 31,241,030 21,129,945 4,141,850 5,448,850 520,380
Single responses 30,848,270 20,900,700 4,123,710 5,306,190 517,665
English 17,882,775 16,199,625 3,205 1,673,865 6,080
French 6,817,650 32,705 3,893,010 2,890,835 1,100
Non-official languages 6,147,840 4,668,370 227,490 741,490 510,490
Algonquin 1,920 235 1,010 615 60
Atikamekw 5,245 20 4,220 140 860
Blackfoot 3,085 3,040 0 20 20
Carrier 1,560 1,540 0 15 0
Chilcotin 1,070 995 20 30 25
Chipewyan 530 495 0 15 15
Cree 78,855 71,445 290 3,700 3,420
Siouan languages (Dakota/Sioux) 5,585 5,460 10 45 70
Dene 9,745 9,245 10 40 460
Dogrib 2,020 1,900 0 10 105
Gitksan 1,175 1,170 10 10 0
Inuinnaqtun 365 350 0 0 15
Inuktitut, n.i.e. 32,015 24,865 815 1,640 4,700
Kutchin-Gwich'in (Loucheux) 355 355 0 0 0
Malecite 535 505 0 25 0
Mi'kmaq 7,365 6,980 25 280 80
Mohawk 290 205 0 80 0
Montagnais-Naskapi 10,975 1,855 7,125 925 1,065
Nisga'a 680 670 0 0 10
North Slave (Hare) 1,065 1,005 0 10 50
Ojibway 24,190 23,325 20 160 685
Oji-Cree 11,690 10,755 0 55 875
Shuswap 935 905 15 10 0
South Slave 1,605 1,495 0 35 75
Tlingit 85 80 0 0 0
Italian 455,040 283,625 22,445 116,990 31,975
Portuguese 219,270 152,410 11,755 31,965 23,140
Romanian 78,500 36,865 6,995 30,825 3,815
Spanish 345,345 201,205 46,380 71,575 26,185
Danish 18,735 17,400 0 1,285 40
Dutch 128,905 115,530 415 12,200 765
Flemish 5,665 3,735 210 1,700 15
Frisian 2,890 2,725 10 140 30
German 450,570 401,955 2,140 34,855 11,620
Norwegian 7,225 6,650 10 565 0
Swedish 8,220 6,960 55 1,165 35
Yiddish 16,295 10,765 80 4,085 1,365
Bosnian 12,790 9,550 1,035 1,350 855
Bulgarian 16,790 10,165 1,285 4,590 755
Croatian 55,335 49,015 360 4,475 1,485
Czech 24,450 20,845 160 3,245 195
Macedonian 18,440 16,555 50 850 985
Polish 211,175 176,175 2,125 24,990 7,880
Russian 133,575 102,955 3,680 18,095 8,840
Serbian 51,665 42,820 665 5,160 3,020
Serbo-Croatian 12,510 8,485 1,075 2,295 655
Slovak 18,825 16,340 70 2,030 380
Slovenian 13,135 11,505 75 1,400 155
Ukrainian 134,500 122,345 485 9,235 2,435
Latvian 6,995 6,010 0 940 45
Lithuanian 8,335 6,855 50 1,305 120
Estonian 8,245 7,000 35 1,150 60
Finnish 21,030 19,410 50 1,290 280
Hungarian 73,335 61,940 590 9,175 1,630
Greek 117,285 79,490 1,215 28,810 7,765
Armenian 30,130 11,515 1,470 15,285 1,860
Turkish 24,745 17,160 2,055 3,380 2,140
Amharic 14,555 13,085 65 905 490
Arabic 261,635 128,845 36,195 82,380 14,220
Hebrew 17,635 13,100 215 3,970 345
Maltese 6,405 6,155 15 215 20
Somali 27,320 22,155 475 2,910 1,780
Tigrigna 7,110 6,280 75 380 370
Bengali 45,680 37,560 545 5,010 2,565
Gujarati 81,465 69,120 250 4,950 7,145
Hindi 78,235 71,065 65 3,775 3,330
Kurdish 7,660 5,740 515 575 830
Panjabi (Punjabi) 367,505 295,165 465 13,350 58,530
Pashto 9,030 7,310 70 515 1,130
Persian (Farsi) 134,080 105,205 2,860 15,020 10,995
Sindhi 10,355 9,080 0 865 410
Sinhala (Sinhalese) 10,185 9,480 10 455 235
Urdu 145,805 127,730 555 7,630 9,890
Malayalam 11,925 11,170 10 425 325
Tamil 115,875 98,425 495 6,905 10,045
Telugu 6,625 6,135 0 275 220
Japanese 40,200 35,700 205 1,870 2,425
Korean 125,570 106,265 315 5,390 13,605
Cantonese 361,450 274,340 950 14,730 71,430
Chinese, n.o.s.Footnote 2 456,705 343,325 6,615 26,315 80,450
Mandarin 170,955 136,695 985 7,070 26,200
Taiwanese 9,620 7,530 10 560 1,520
Lao 13,940 8,060 2,045 2,735 1,095
Khmer (Cambodian) 19,100 9,655 2,520 4,500 2,425
Vietnamese 141,625 97,310 7,355 18,260 18,700
Bisayan languages 11,240 10,850 15 230 145
Ilocano 13,450 12,680 0 450 325
Malay 9,495 8,870 20 375 230
Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino) 235,620 225,885 100 6,650 2,985
Akan (Twi) 12,780 11,510 10 1,025 235
Swahili 7,935 4,600 1,325 1,750 265
Creoles 53,515 4,045 27,325 20,375 1,765
Other languagesFootnote 3 172,650 123,355 14,220 24,375 10,695
Multiple responses 392,760 229,240 18,140 142,660 2,715
English and French 98,625 10,460 2,050 86,060 50
English and non-official language 240,005 213,180 385 24,330 2,110
French and non-official language 43,335 4,325 15,420 23,125 465
English, French and non-official language 10,790 1,270 290 9,140 85

Footnotes

Footnote 1

Excludes census data for one or more incompletely enumerated Indian reserves or Indian settlements.

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Footnote 2

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 3

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-XCB2006013.

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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.

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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.

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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'.

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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.

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