Canadians primarily speak two official languages: English and French. According to the 2021 census, 56.6% of Canadians have English as their mother tongue, while 20.2% have French as their mother tongue. Overall, 86.2% of Canadians have a working knowledge of English, and 29.8% have a working knowledge of French
. French is predominantly spoken in the province of Quebec, where it is the sole official language and about 77% of the population are native French speakers. English is the most common language in the rest of Canada
. Besides English and French, Canada is home to nearly 200 languages, including Indigenous languages and immigrant languages such as Mandarin, Cantonese, Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog, and Arabic. Indigenous languages are spoken by about 0.6% of the population, with Cree, Inuktitut, and Ojibway being the most common
. In summary:
- Official languages: English and French
- English mother tongue: ~56.6%
- French mother tongue: ~20.2%
- Other languages: Nearly 200, including Indigenous and immigrant languages
- Indigenous languages spoken by ~0.6% of Canadians
English and French are used in government and public services across Canada, reflecting the country's official bilingualism policy
