By The Canadian Press
People walk by bilingual signs for a commercial space for lease in the city of Westmount on the island of Montreal on August 5, 2022. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes)
OTTAWA — The proportion of Canadians who predominantly speak French at home declined in all provinces and territories except Yukon between 2016 and 2021, according to the latest census release.
Statistics Canada says over three in four Canadians report English as their first official language, a proportion that’s increased over the five-year period.
That’s while the proportion of people who report French as their first official language declined.
In Quebec, the number of Canadians who reported English as their first official language topped one million, while one in 10 Quebecers report speaking predominantly English at home.
English-French bilingualism remained unchanged over the five-year period, with 18 per cent of Canadians reporting they can conduct a conversation in both languages.
As the country becomes more linguistically diverse, the percentage of Canadians who reported English or French as their mother tongue has also declined.
