Knowledge of English, 1996

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Abstract

This map shows the percentage of the Canadian population with knowledge of English. In the 1996 Census, knowledge of English was determined by a question about the ability to conduct a conversation in one or both official languages. It should be noted that this question measured language knowledge rather than actual use of language.

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While about 17% of the population of Canada speak both English and French, most Canadians speak only one or the other. Some, mostly immigrants, speak neither of the official languages. The percentage of the population able to speak English grew between 1951 and 1996 both inside and outside Quebec. In 1996, 98% of people living outside Quebec and 43% of Quebecers were able to conduct a conversation in English (Figure 1 below).

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Figure 1. Population with Knowledge of English, Provinces and Territories, 1996

Both the number and the percentage of Canadians able to speak English rose between 1991 and 1996. During this five-year period, numbers of English speakers increased in all provinces except Newfoundland (where there was a 3% decrease in the size of the provincial population), and the percentages able to conduct a conversation in English increased in Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories. Declines in percentages of English speakers in the populations of Ontario and British Columbia were largely due to the arrival of new immigrants who were unable to speak English. Despite this decline, the number of English speakers in each of the provinces actually increased. The most significant increase was in Ontario, home of 43% of Canada’s English speaking population-where 621 000 English speakers joined the population in the five-year period.

In all provinces, except Saskatchewan, an increase was observed in the number and proportion of persons able to conduct a conversation in French between 1991 and 1996.

The text for Official Languages is based on the following publication:

Marmen, Louise and Jean-Pierre Corbeil. Languages in Canada: 1996 Census. New Canadian Perspectives Series. Ottawa: Canadian Heritage, and Statistics Canada, 1999. Catalogue number: CH3-2-8/1999.

To properly interpret this map, please consult the text Data and Mapping Notes.