Mother Tongue

Mother tongue language distribution, highlighting non-official language diversity. — 2021 Census of Population

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EnglishFrenchMandarinCantonesePunjabiTagalogSpanishArabicOther Non-Official

Opacity indicates share of population — darker means a higher percentage.

Predominant Language

Most common mother tongue, shaded by percentage of population

Distribution by riding

Most common mother tongue by federal riding, 2021 Census. English in 262 of 343 ridings, French in 78, Punjabi in 2. Highest share: 99.1% (English, Terra Nova—The Peninsulas).

Colour

Find a riding

Median riding 75.8%

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Vertical axis: Share of the largest group (%)

Each dot is one federal riding (343 with a figure; 2023 Representation Order), placed by its value and spread across the axis so that dots do not overlap. The line marks the median riding (75.8%). Colour: the largest group, as on the map; position: that group’s share.

Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population.

Highest and lowest ridings

Most common mother tongue by federal riding, 2021 Census. 343 ridings ranked from highest (1) to lowest; tied values share a rank. Bars start at zero on one scale; the vertical line marks the median riding (75.8%).

10 highest

The 10 ridings with the highest values: most common mother tongue, 2021 Census
Rank	Riding	Share
1	Terra Nova—The PeninsulasNLEnglish	99.1%
2	AvalonNLEnglish	98.9%
3	Central NewfoundlandNLEnglish	98.7%
4	Lac-Saint-JeanQCFrench	98.5%
5	Côte-du-Sud—Rivière-du-Loup—Kataskomiq—TémiscouataQCFrench	98.2%
5	JonquièreQCFrench	98.2%
7	Long Range MountainsNLEnglish	98.1%
8	Rimouski—La MatapédiaQCFrench	97.9%
9	BeauceQCFrench	97.2%
9	Chicoutimi—Le FjordQCFrench	97.2%

10 lowest

The 10 ridings with the lowest values: most common mother tongue, 2021 Census, lowest first
Rank	Riding	Share
343	Saint-LaurentQCFrench	25.3%
342	Mount RoyalQCEnglish	28.9%
341	Richmond Centre—MarpoleBCEnglish	29.1%
340	WillowdaleONEnglish	29.4%
339	Markham—UnionvilleONCantonese	29.8%
338	Scarborough—AgincourtONEnglish	30.3%
337	Markham—ThornhillONEnglish	30.6%
336	Saint-Léonard—Saint-MichelQCFrench	30.9%
335	Pierrefonds—DollardQCEnglish	31.1%
334	Richmond Hill SouthONEnglish	31.8%

All 343 ridings, ranked

All ridings ranked by most common mother tongue, 2021 Census, highest first
Rank	Riding	Province or territory	Largest group	Share
1	Terra Nova—The Peninsulas	Newfoundland and Labrador	English	99.1%
2	Avalon	Newfoundland and Labrador	English	98.9%
3	Central Newfoundland	Newfoundland and Labrador	English	98.7%
4	Lac-Saint-Jean	Quebec	French	98.5%
5	Côte-du-Sud—Rivière-du-Loup—Kataskomiq—Témiscouata	Quebec	French	98.2%
5	Jonquière	Quebec	French	98.2%
7	Long Range Mountains	Newfoundland and Labrador	English	98.1%
8	Rimouski—La Matapédia	Quebec	French	97.9%
9	Beauce	Quebec	French	97.2%
9	Chicoutimi—Le Fjord	Quebec	French	97.2%
11	Montmorency—Charlevoix	Quebec	French	96.9%
12	Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel—Alnôbak	Quebec	French	96.8%
12	Berthier—Maskinongé	Quebec	French	96.8%
14	Mégantic—L’Érable—Lotbinière	Quebec	French	96.7%
15	Cape Spear	Newfoundland and Labrador	English	96.6%
16	Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis	Quebec	French	96.3%
16	Lévis—Lotbinière	Quebec	French	96.3%
18	Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier	Quebec	French	95.9%
19	Central Nova	Nova Scotia	English	95.8%
20	South Shore—St. Margarets	Nova Scotia	English	95.7%
21	Cumberland—Colchester	Nova Scotia	English	95.6%
22	Kings—Hants	Nova Scotia	English	94.8%
23	Sydney—Glace Bay	Nova Scotia	English	94.7%
24	Drummond	Quebec	French	94.5%
25	Richmond—Arthabaska	Quebec	French	94.4%
26	Abitibi—Témiscamingue	Quebec	French	94.0%
27	Saint-Maurice—Champlain	Quebec	French	93.9%
28	Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes	Ontario	English	93.7%
28	Hastings—Lennox and Addington—Tyendinaga	Ontario	English	93.7%
30	Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk	Quebec	French	93.6%
30	Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton	Quebec	French	93.6%
32	Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles	Quebec	French	93.5%
33	Trois-Rivières	Quebec	French	93.3%
34	Parry Sound—Muskoka	Ontario	English	93.1%
34	Saint John—St. Croix	New Brunswick	English	93.1%
36	Malpeque	Prince Edward Island	English	92.8%
36	Montcalm	Quebec	French	92.8%
36	Rivière-du-Nord	Quebec	French	92.8%
39	Laurentides—Labelle	Quebec	French	92.7%
40	Saint-Jean	Quebec	French	92.6%
41	Northumberland—Clarke	Ontario	English	92.4%
42	Joliette—Manawan	Quebec	French	92.3%
42	Shefford	Quebec	French	92.3%
44	Lanark—Frontenac	Ontario	English	92.1%
45	Beauport—Limoilou	Quebec	French	91.9%
45	Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères	Quebec	French	91.9%
47	Peterborough	Ontario	English	91.8%
48	Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes	Ontario	English	91.7%
49	Fundy Royal	New Brunswick	English	91.6%
49	Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj	Quebec	French	91.6%
49	Tobique—Mactaquac	New Brunswick	English	91.6%
52	Ponoka—Didsbury	Alberta	English	91.5%
53	Parkland	Alberta	English	91.1%
54	Souris—Moose Mountain	Saskatchewan	English	91.0%
55	Beloeil—Chambly	Quebec	French	90.9%
56	Columbia—Kootenay—Southern Rockies	British Columbia	English	90.7%
57	Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound	Ontario	English	90.6%
57	St. John's East	Newfoundland and Labrador	English	90.6%
59	Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong	Ontario	English	90.5%
60	Bay of Quinte	Ontario	English	90.4%
60	Huron—Bruce	Ontario	English	90.4%
60	Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies	British Columbia	English	90.4%
63	Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan	Saskatchewan	English	90.2%
64	North Island—Powell River	British Columbia	English	90.1%
65	Courtenay—Alberni	British Columbia	English	89.7%
66	Haldimand—Norfolk	Ontario	English	89.5%
66	Les Pays-d'en-Haut	Quebec	French	89.5%
66	Simcoe North	Ontario	English	89.5%
69	Thunder Bay—Rainy River	Ontario	English	89.4%
70	Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke	Ontario	English	89.3%
70	Cardigan	Prince Edward Island	English	89.3%
70	Mirabel	Quebec	French	89.3%
73	Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola	British Columbia	English	89.0%
74	Québec Centre	Quebec	French	88.6%
74	Vernon—Lake Country—Monashee	British Columbia	English	88.6%
76	Battle River—Crowfoot	Alberta	English	88.5%
76	Dartmouth—Cole Harbour	Nova Scotia	English	88.5%
78	Cowichan—Malahat—Langford	British Columbia	English	88.4%
78	Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan	Alberta	English	88.4%
78	Yorkton—Melville	Saskatchewan	English	88.4%
81	Sackville—Bedford—Preston	Nova Scotia	English	88.3%
82	Cariboo—Prince George	British Columbia	English	88.0%
82	Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek	Saskatchewan	English	88.0%
82	Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies	British Columbia	English	88.0%
85	Nanaimo—Ladysmith	British Columbia	English	87.9%
86	St. Albert—Sturgeon River	Alberta	English	87.8%
87	Oxford	Ontario	English	87.6%
87	Repentigny	Quebec	French	87.6%
89	Simcoe—Grey	Ontario	English	87.5%
90	Saint John—Kennebecasis	New Brunswick	English	87.4%
91	Labrador	Newfoundland and Labrador	English	86.9%
92	Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman	Manitoba	English	86.8%
93	Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna	British Columbia	English	86.7%
94	Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation	Quebec	French	86.6%
94	Egmont	Prince Edward Island	English	86.6%
96	Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon	Quebec	French	86.5%
96	Leduc—Wetaskiwin	Alberta	English	86.5%
98	Cape Breton—Canso—Antigonish	Nova Scotia	English	86.4%
98	Skeena—Bulkley Valley	British Columbia	English	86.4%
100	Foothills	Alberta	English	86.3%
101	Chilliwack—Hope	British Columbia	English	86.1%
102	Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte	Ontario	English	86.0%
102	Perth—Wellington	Ontario	English	86.0%
102	Prince Albert	Saskatchewan	English	86.0%
102	Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay	British Columbia	English	86.0%
106	Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma	Ontario	English	85.9%
106	York—Durham	Ontario	English	85.9%
108	Grande Prairie	Alberta	English	85.8%
108	Yellowhead	Alberta	English	85.8%
110	Compton—Stanstead	Quebec	French	85.6%
111	Sherbrooke	Quebec	French	85.5%
112	Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner	Alberta	English	85.4%
112	Regina—Qu'Appelle	Saskatchewan	English	85.4%
114	Niagara West	Ontario	English	85.0%
115	Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations	Ontario	English	84.9%
115	Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan	Quebec	French	84.9%
117	Louis-Hébert	Quebec	French	84.6%
118	Airdrie—Cochrane	Alberta	English	84.4%
118	Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake	Saskatchewan	English	84.4%
118	Lakeland	Alberta	English	84.4%
121	Terrebonne	Quebec	French	84.2%
122	Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke	British Columbia	English	83.9%
123	Flamborough—Glanbrook—Brant North	Ontario	English	83.6%
123	Mont-Saint-Bruno—L’Acadie	Quebec	French	83.6%
123	Oshawa	Ontario	English	83.6%
126	Niagara South	Ontario	English	83.5%
126	Riding Mountain	Manitoba	English	83.5%
128	Acadie—Annapolis	Nova Scotia	English	83.4%
128	Elgin—St. Thomas—London South	Ontario	English	83.4%
128	Swift Current—Grasslands—Kindersley	Saskatchewan	English	83.4%
131	Kenora—Kiiwetinoong	Ontario	English	83.3%
132	Red Deer	Alberta	English	83.1%
132	Wellington—Halton Hills North	Ontario	English	83.1%
134	Essex	Ontario	English	83.0%
134	Kingston and the Islands	Ontario	English	83.0%
136	Brome—Missisquoi	Quebec	French	82.9%
136	Thunder Bay—Superior North	Ontario	English	82.9%
138	Lethbridge	Alberta	English	82.7%
139	Thérèse-De Blainville	Quebec	French	82.6%
140	Winnipeg West	Manitoba	English	82.5%
141	Chatham-Kent—Leamington	Ontario	English	82.4%
142	Kelowna	British Columbia	English	82.0%
143	Saanich—Gulf Islands	British Columbia	English	81.8%
144	Brandon—Souris	Manitoba	English	81.5%
145	Acadie—Bathurst	New Brunswick	French	81.4%
146	Victoria	British Columbia	English	81.3%
147	Fredericton—Oromocto	New Brunswick	English	81.2%
148	Yukon	Yukon	English	80.3%
149	Middlesex—London	Ontario	English	80.0%
150	Bowmanville—Oshawa North	Ontario	English	79.9%
150	Dufferin—Caledon	Ontario	English	79.9%
152	St. Catharines	Ontario	English	79.8%
153	Gatineau	Quebec	French	79.7%
154	Halifax	Nova Scotia	English	79.6%
155	Barrie South—Innisfil	Ontario	English	79.5%
156	Burlington	Ontario	English	79.0%
156	Nipissing—Timiskaming	Ontario	English	79.0%
158	Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge	British Columbia	English	78.8%
159	Fort McMurray—Cold Lake	Alberta	English	78.7%
160	Charlottetown	Prince Edward Island	English	78.6%
161	Madawaska—Restigouche	New Brunswick	French	78.3%
162	Regina—Lewvan	Saskatchewan	English	78.0%
163	Halifax West	Nova Scotia	English	77.9%
164	Rivière-des-Mille-Îles	Quebec	French	77.6%
165	La Prairie—Atateken	Quebec	French	77.2%
166	Saskatoon—University	Saskatchewan	English	77.1%
167	Longueuil—Saint-Hubert	Quebec	French	76.6%
167	West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country	British Columbia	English	76.6%
169	La Pointe-de-l'Île	Quebec	French	76.4%
170	Northwest Territories	Northwest Territories	English	76.0%
170	Saskatoon South	Saskatchewan	English	76.0%
172	Guelph	Ontario	English	75.8%
173	Hamilton Centre	Ontario	English	75.3%
174	Cambridge	Ontario	English	75.2%
174	Miramichi—Grand Lake	New Brunswick	English	75.2%
176	Calgary Confederation	Alberta	English	75.1%
177	Peace River—Westlock	Alberta	English	74.9%
178	Niagara Falls—Niagara-on-the-Lake	Ontario	English	74.6%
179	Carleton	Ontario	English	74.2%
179	Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie	Quebec	French	74.2%
181	Regina—Wascana	Saskatchewan	English	73.8%
182	Calgary Midnapore	Alberta	English	73.7%
183	Saskatoon West	Saskatchewan	English	73.6%
184	Churchill—Keewatinook Aski	Manitoba	English	73.5%
184	Edmonton Strathcona	Alberta	English	73.5%
184	Whitby	Ontario	English	73.5%
187	London Centre	Ontario	English	73.1%
188	Calgary Shepard	Alberta	English	72.9%
189	London—Fanshawe	Ontario	English	72.5%
189	Stormont—Dundas—Glengarry	Ontario	English	72.5%
191	Winnipeg South Centre	Manitoba	English	72.4%
192	Windsor—Tecumseh—Lakeshore	Ontario	English	72.3%
193	Pickering—Brooklin	Ontario	English	72.2%
194	London West	Ontario	English	71.8%
195	Châteauguay—Les Jardins-de-Napierville	Quebec	French	71.6%
195	Kildonan—St. Paul	Manitoba	English	71.6%
197	Bow River	Alberta	English	71.4%
198	Elmwood—Transcona	Manitoba	English	71.3%
199	Calgary Centre	Alberta	English	70.9%
199	Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas	Ontario	English	70.9%
201	Kitchener—Conestoga	Ontario	English	70.8%
202	New Tecumseth—Gwillimbury	Ontario	English	70.6%
203	Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford	British Columbia	English	70.4%
204	Kitchener Centre	Ontario	English	70.2%
204	Sudbury	Ontario	English	70.2%
206	Hochelaga—Rosemont-Est	Quebec	French	70.1%
207	Edmonton Centre	Alberta	English	69.4%
208	Hamilton Mountain	Ontario	English	69.3%
209	Calgary Heritage	Alberta	English	69.0%
210	Calgary Signal Hill	Alberta	English	68.5%
211	St. Boniface—St. Vital	Manitoba	English	68.0%
212	Beaches—East York	Ontario	English	67.9%
212	Provencher	Manitoba	English	67.9%
214	Portage—Lisgar	Manitoba	English	67.6%
215	Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne	Quebec	French	66.8%
216	Abbotsford—South Langley	British Columbia	English	66.6%
216	Langley Township—Fraser Heights	British Columbia	English	66.6%
218	Ottawa Centre	Ontario	English	66.0%
219	Cloverdale—Langley City	British Columbia	English	65.9%
219	Edmonton West	Alberta	English	65.9%
219	Milton East—Halton Hills South	Ontario	English	65.9%
219	Toronto—Danforth	Ontario	English	65.9%
223	Calgary East	Alberta	English	65.8%
224	Kitchener South—Hespeler	Ontario	English	65.6%
225	Edmonton Griesbach	Alberta	English	65.2%
226	South Surrey—White Rock	British Columbia	English	65.1%
227	Toronto—St. Paul's	Ontario	English	64.9%
228	Ajax	Ontario	English	64.8%
229	Calgary Crowfoot	Alberta	English	64.7%
230	Waterloo	Ontario	English	64.6%
231	Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park	Ontario	English	64.4%
232	Hamilton East—Stoney Creek	Ontario	English	63.5%
233	Kanata	Ontario	English	63.0%
234	Laurier—Sainte-Marie	Quebec	French	62.7%
235	Edmonton Manning	Alberta	English	62.5%
236	Calgary Nose Hill	Alberta	English	62.2%
237	Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt	Ontario	English	62.1%
238	Burlington North—Milton West	Ontario	English	62.0%
239	Marc-Aurèle-Fortin	Quebec	French	61.7%
240	Winnipeg Centre	Manitoba	English	61.6%
241	Pontiac—Kitigan Zibi	Quebec	French	61.5%
242	North Vancouver—Capilano	British Columbia	English	61.4%
243	Ottawa West—Nepean	Ontario	English	61.3%
244	Edmonton Northwest	Alberta	English	61.2%
245	Vancouver East	British Columbia	English	61.1%
246	Edmonton Riverbend	Alberta	English	60.9%
247	Newmarket—Aurora	Ontario	English	60.6%
248	Hull—Aylmer	Quebec	French	60.5%
249	Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou	Quebec	French	60.4%
250	Windsor West	Ontario	English	60.3%
251	Mississauga—Lakeshore	Ontario	English	60.1%
252	Delta	British Columbia	English	59.8%
252	Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River	Saskatchewan	English	59.8%
252	Oakville West	Ontario	English	59.8%
255	Eglinton—Lawrence	Ontario	English	59.5%
256	Etobicoke—Lakeshore	Ontario	English	58.7%
257	Alfred-Pellan	Quebec	French	58.5%
258	Beauséjour	New Brunswick	French	58.4%
259	Burnaby North—Seymour	British Columbia	English	58.0%
260	Nepean	Ontario	English	57.5%
261	Port Moody—Coquitlam	British Columbia	English	57.4%
262	Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park	Ontario	English	56.8%
263	Brampton Centre	Ontario	English	56.7%
263	Vancouver Quadra	British Columbia	English	56.7%
265	University—Rosedale	Ontario	English	56.6%
266	Edmonton Gateway	Alberta	English	56.4%
267	Prescott—Russell—Cumberland	Ontario	French	55.6%
268	Oakville East	Ontario	English	55.1%
268	Spadina—Harbourfront	Ontario	English	55.1%
270	Moncton—Dieppe	New Brunswick	English	54.6%
271	Kapuskasing—Timmins—Mushkegowuk	Ontario	English	54.3%
271	Winnipeg South	Manitoba	English	54.3%
273	Vancouver Granville	British Columbia	English	54.0%
274	Scarborough Southwest	Ontario	English	53.4%
274	Vancouver Centre	British Columbia	English	53.4%
276	Davenport	Ontario	English	52.9%
277	New Westminster—Burnaby—Maillardville	British Columbia	English	52.7%
278	LaSalle—Émard—Verdun	Quebec	French	52.6%
278	Toronto Centre	Ontario	English	52.6%
280	Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam	British Columbia	English	52.3%
281	Etobicoke Centre	Ontario	English	52.0%
282	Mississauga—Streetsville	Ontario	English	51.7%
283	Brampton—Chinguacousy Park	Ontario	English	50.5%
284	Ahuntsic-Cartierville	Quebec	French	50.0%
285	York South—Weston—Etobicoke	Ontario	English	49.6%
286	Ottawa South	Ontario	English	49.4%
287	King—Vaughan	Ontario	English	49.2%
287	Vaudreuil	Quebec	French	49.2%
289	Markham—Stouffville	Ontario	English	48.9%
290	Don Valley West	Ontario	English	48.8%
291	Bourassa	Quebec	French	48.2%
292	Edmonton Southeast	Alberta	English	48.1%
292	Ottawa—Vanier—Gloucester	Ontario	English	48.1%
294	Vimy	Quebec	French	47.7%
295	Orléans	Ontario	English	47.5%
296	Papineau	Quebec	French	47.2%
297	Vaughan—Woodbridge	Ontario	English	46.9%
298	Winnipeg North	Manitoba	English	46.5%
299	Outremont	Quebec	French	46.4%
300	Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East	Ontario	English	45.4%
301	Brossard—Saint-Lambert	Quebec	French	45.3%
302	Brampton North—Caledon	Ontario	English	44.9%
302	Honoré-Mercier	Quebec	French	44.9%
304	Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill	Ontario	English	44.6%
305	Etobicoke North	Ontario	English	44.4%
306	Humber River—Black Creek	Ontario	English	44.3%
307	Surrey Newton	British Columbia	Punjabi	44.2%
308	Calgary Skyview	Alberta	English	44.0%
309	Thornhill	Ontario	English	43.4%
310	Mississauga—Erin Mills	Ontario	English	43.0%
311	Scarborough—Woburn	Ontario	English	42.8%
312	York Centre	Ontario	English	42.0%
313	Lac-Saint-Louis	Quebec	English	41.9%
314	Brampton West	Ontario	English	41.6%
315	Laval—Les Îles	Quebec	French	41.0%
316	Vancouver Kingsway	British Columbia	English	40.8%
317	Mississauga—Malton	Ontario	English	39.7%
318	Mississauga East—Cooksville	Ontario	English	39.5%
319	Calgary McKnight	Alberta	English	38.6%
320	Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount	Quebec	English	37.1%
321	Fleetwood—Port Kells	British Columbia	English	36.9%
322	Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs	Quebec	French	36.1%
323	Mississauga Centre	Ontario	English	35.9%
324	Burnaby Central	British Columbia	English	35.5%
324	Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle	Quebec	French	35.5%
326	Brampton East	Ontario	Punjabi	34.8%
326	Richmond East—Steveston	British Columbia	English	34.8%
328	Surrey Centre	British Columbia	English	34.6%
329	Brampton South	Ontario	English	34.5%
330	Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby	British Columbia	English	33.9%
331	Scarborough North	Ontario	English	33.7%
332	Don Valley North	Ontario	English	33.5%
333	Nunavut	Nunavut	English	33.0%
334	Richmond Hill South	Ontario	English	31.8%
335	Pierrefonds—Dollard	Quebec	English	31.1%
336	Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel	Quebec	French	30.9%
337	Markham—Thornhill	Ontario	English	30.6%
338	Scarborough—Agincourt	Ontario	English	30.3%
339	Markham—Unionville	Ontario	Cantonese	29.8%
340	Willowdale	Ontario	English	29.4%
341	Richmond Centre—Marpole	British Columbia	English	29.1%
342	Mount Royal	Quebec	English	28.9%
343	Saint-Laurent	Quebec	French	25.3%

Share: the percentage in the largest group, the group shown on the map. Riding names link to the riding's dissemination-area map for this topic.

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Mother Tongue — 2021 Census

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Mother Tongue in Canada

Mother tongue — the first language learned at home in childhood and still understood — is one of the census's most revealing cultural indicators. The 2021 Census found that 56.9 percent of Canadians reported English as their mother tongue, 20.4 percent reported French, and 22.3 percent reported a non-official language. That last figure represents over 8 million Canadians whose first language is neither English nor French — reflecting decades of immigration from Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Non-Official Mother Tongues

The ridings with the highest shares of non-official mother tongues are Canada's immigrant-reception suburbs. Markham–Unionville leads at 64.3 percent, followed by Richmond Centre–Marpole (63.8%) and Willowdale (63.0%). In these ridings, Chinese languages (Mandarin and Cantonese) predominate. In the Brampton and Surrey ridings, Punjabi is the dominant non-official mother tongue.

The map reveals two major non-official language corridors: the Chinese-Canadian belt from Scarborough through Markham to Richmond Hill in the GTA, mirrored by Richmond and Vancouver in BC; and the Punjabi-speaking corridor from Brampton through Surrey.

Punjabi

Surrey Newton has the highest Punjabi mother-tongue rate in Canada at 44.2 percent, followed by Brampton East (34.8%). The Punjabi-speaking community is one of Canada's largest non-official language groups, concentrated in two geographic clusters: the Fraser Valley and the western GTA. The pattern reflects chain migration — families sponsoring relatives to settle in established Punjabi communities.

Chinese Languages

Mandarin and Cantonese together form the largest non-official language group in Canada. Markham–Unionville leads for Cantonese at 30.0 percent, while Richmond Centre–Marpole leads for Mandarin at 24.1 percent. The shift from Cantonese to Mandarin dominance over the past two decades reflects changing immigration patterns — Hong Kong emigrants in the 1990s spoke Cantonese, while mainland Chinese arrivals since the 2000s speak Mandarin.

French Mother Tongue

French mother tongue rates above 95 percent define Quebec's rural heartland. Lac-Saint-Jean leads at 98.6 percent, where virtually every resident learned French as their first language. The gradient toward Montreal is clear: urban Quebec ridings have lower French mother-tongue rates because of immigration bringing non-official languages.

Arabic

Arabic is Canada's fastest-growing mother tongue, concentrated in Montreal and Ottawa. Saint-Laurent leads at 16.0 percent, followed by Vimy (12.3%) and Saint-Léonard–Saint-Michel (11.3%). The Montreal concentration reflects the city's role as the primary destination for Maghrebi (North African) immigrants who are attracted by the French language.

Riding Rankings

Highest Non-Official Mother Tongue

Rank	Riding	Non-Official %
1	Markham–Unionville	64.3%
2	Richmond Centre–Marpole	63.8%
3	Willowdale	63.0%
4	Surrey Newton	62.9%
5	Markham–Thornhill	62.0%
6	Scarborough–Agincourt	61.8%
7	Richmond Hill South	61.3%
8	Brampton East	59.3%
9	Vancouver Fraserview–South Burnaby	58.5%
10	Don Valley North	58.2%

The GTA dominates with seven of the top ten. These are the suburban rings of Toronto and Vancouver where immigrant families settle, attracted by existing ethnic communities, multilingual services, and relatively affordable housing (compared to central city). The dominant non-official languages vary by riding — Chinese in Markham and Richmond, Punjabi in Brampton and Surrey — but the pattern of linguistic concentration is consistent.

Highest Punjabi Mother Tongue

Rank	Riding	Punjabi %
1	Surrey Newton	44.2%
2	Brampton East	34.8%
3	Surrey Centre	26.8%
4	Brampton South	26.2%
5	Brampton North–Caledon	23.7%
6	Edmonton Southeast	20.3%
7	Fleetwood–Port Kells	20.1%
8	Brampton West	20.0%
9	Calgary McKnight	19.3%
10	Abbotsford–South Langley	17.2%

The Punjabi-speaking community's geographic concentration is remarkable — two clusters (Fraser Valley and Brampton) account for virtually all of the top ten. Edmonton Southeast and Calgary McKnight represent the growing prairie Punjabi diaspora, drawn by economic opportunity in Alberta.

Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population. Riding boundaries reflect the 2022 Federal Electoral Districts. Adapted from Statistics Canada; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.

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Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population. Adapted from Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.