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Numeric Data

Source of microdata, aggregate data, and statistics

Canadian Sources

  • Census tables on language
    The language composition of Canada, including information on English, French, Aboriginal, and other language groups living in Canada. Information on the language groups' size, geographic distribution, and demographic characteristics is also included. Data on mother tongue and retention of mother tongue languages, knowledge of English, French, Aboriginal, and non-official languages, as well as use of languages in different contexts-at home, at work, and with family and friends-are also included.
  • Datasets from <odesi> using the keyword "language" 
    <odesi> (Ontario Data Documentation, Extraction Service and Infrastructure) is a digital repository for social science data, including polling data. It is a web-based data exploration, extraction and analysis tool that uses the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) social science data standard. <odesi> provides researchers the ability to search for survey questions (variables) across thousands of datasets. The data are in different formats, such as microdata, Excel and B2020 files.
  • The evolution of English–French bilingualism in Canada from 1901 to 2011 
    This article examines the major demographic and linguistic changes that have taken place over that time, both nationally and within Quebec.
  • Health indicator profile, by linguistic characteristic (mother tongue, first official language spoken), by sex (CANSIM table 105-0504 )
  • Language maps from the Atlas of Canada 
    In PDF format. Data are from 1996 and 2006 censuses.
  • Passing on the ancestral language 
    From Canadian Social Trends Spring 2006, no. 80. "Using data from the 2002 Ethnic Diversity Survey (EDS), this article examines the preservation of ancestral languages by looking at the extent to which allophone immigrants (i.e. those whose mother tongue is neither English nor French) have transmitted their mother tongue to their Canadian-born children. The analysis focuses on the factors associated with the probability of the ancestral language being the respondent's mother tongue, the respondent's ability to speak the ancestral language, and his or her regular use of this language in the home."
  • Statistics from the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
    Data on mother tongue, knowledge of official languages, first official language spoken and the language most often spoken at home.
  • Statistics Canada Data Sources on Official-Language Minorities
    The main objective of this document is to raise awareness among Statistics Canada data users of the different sources of language data available at Statistics Canada. Along with the census, surveys with an important sample of official language minority groups and/or with information on languages are listed by themes. Users will find a description of the survey and its target population, sample sizes (total and according to available linguistic characteristics), available language variables based on questions asked, date of the first release, year for which the data [are] available.
  • Statistics Canada publications on language
  • Statistics Canada thematic maps on language 
    To access the maps,
    1. Select the level of geography (from national down to census subdivision),
    2. Select the actual geographic entity of interest,
    3. Select the theme (i.e., language)

    Note that map themes are not all available for all levels of geography.
  • Summary tables on language 
    Includes various data from the 2011 Census on home language, knowledge of official language, and mother tongue at various levels of geography.

Foreign/International

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