For the past 5 years, Spanish was among the three fastest growing foreign languages in Canada according to the 2021 census.
The Cervantes language is only behind Mandarin and Punjabi and is used by 600,795 people nationwide.
Between 2016 and 2021, the number of Spanish speakers increased by 20%, according to Statistics Canada, overtaking Arabic during the period analyzed.
However, generally speaking, Spanish ranks as the fifth most widely spoken language behind Punjabi, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Arabic.
Spanish strengthens in provinces and cities
In Ontario, approximately 242,855 people speak Spanish, or 1.7% of the population.
In Quebec, there are 196,070 Spanish speakers, that is, 2.3% of the population, which is the most widely spoken non-official language in the province.
The city with the most Spanish speakers is Montreal with 157,190 followed by Toronto with 150,685, Vancouver with 52,190, Calgary with 34,665 and Edmonton with 22,170.
Here you can see in detail where is spanish spoken in canadaaccording to the 2021 census.
Overall, the Statistics Canada report found that 4.6 million Canadians primarily speak a language other than English and French at home. Notably, 1 in 4 Canadians in 2021, or 9 million people, had a mother tongue other than English and French. This is a record since 1901, when Statistics Canada began including data on mother tongues.
The number of Canadians who speak Mandarin, Punjabi or Spanish at home has seen the biggest increases since the 2016 census, and these languages remain among the top non-official languages spoken in Canada.
Of course, English and French remain the most spoken languages in Canada. More than 9 out of 10 Canadians regularly speak one of the two official languages at home.
You may be interested: The pride of speaking Spanish in Toronto
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The bridge is a bilingual digital platform that promotes multiculturalism and inclusion in Canada. We seek to foster among migrants a sense of belonging to the country which has become their “second home”.
Through our work, we want to improve the social conditions of members of minorities in Canada, including the Latin American community. We wish to promote the full participation of Latinos in Canadian society with equal rights, opportunities and freedoms. We fight racism, discrimination, stereotypes and prejudices. Go further!
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