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The data presented in this summary were obtained from the eight questions comprising the mandatory short-form questionnaire for the 2011 census. These questions allow a basic analysis of the Francophone community based on geographical distribution, age and language retention.
The data on education, immigration and ethnic origin, labour and income will be available through the National Household Survey. Statistical reports based on the 2006 Census data can be found here.
Between 2006 and 2011, the number of Francophones in Ontario exceeded 600,000 –the province is now home to 611,500 Franco-Ontarians. Compared to the figures for 2006, when 582,695 Francophones were living in Ontario, these numbers represent an increase of 28,805. The Francophone population has therefore increased by 4.9% since 2006.
| Year | 1986 | 1991 | 1996 | 2001 | 2006 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 555,450 | 550,215 | 555,605 | 578,155 | 582,695 | 611,500 |
Francophones still represent 4.8% of Ontario’s population, the same proportion as in 2006. However, this proportion varies from region to region. The Francophone population is well represented in the Northeast, where almost one in four is a Francophone (23.4%), as well as in Eastern Ontario, where one in six is a Francophone (15.4%). The proportion of Francophones in the Central, Southwestern and Northwestern regions ranges between 2.1% and 3.4%, as presented in Table 1.
Between 2006 and 2011, the growth rate for Francophones was highest in the Central and Eastern regions, where the Francophone population increased by 9.8% and 6.5% respectively. The population in the Southwestern region also increased (by 2.2%). During the same period, the Francophone population in the Northwest and Northeast declined by 7.1% and 2.7% respectively.
The vast majority of Francophones live in the Eastern, Central and Northeastern regions of Ontario. Indeed, four out of ten Franco-Ontarians (42.2%) live in Eastern Ontario, three in ten (30%) live in the Central region and two out of ten (20.8%) live in the Northeast.
Franco-Ontarians do not live in the same regions as the general population of Ontario: while twice as many Ontarians live in the Central region (69% versus 30%), Francophones are three and four times more likely to live in the Eastern and Northeastern regions respectively.
These differences have an impact on the proportion of Francophones in the general population. Indeed, although almost one third of Franco-Ontarians live in the Central region, they represent only 2.1% of the residents in this region.
|
2006 |
2011 |
Difference 2006-2011 (%) |
Francophones in Total Population (%) |
Regional Distribution of Francophones (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ontario |
582,695 |
611,500 |
4.9 |
4.8 |
100.0 |
East |
242,055 |
257,870 |
6.5 |
15.4 |
42.2 |
Centre |
167,235 |
183,605 |
9.8 |
2.1 |
30.0 |
Southwest |
34,390 |
35,160 |
2.2 |
2.3 |
5.7 |
Northeast |
130,825 |
127,265 |
- 2.7 |
23.4 |
20.8 |
Northwest |
8,190 |
7,610 |
- 7.1 |
3.4 |
1.2 |
Source: Statistics Canada, 2011 Census of Population
Francophones constitute an urban community. In 2011, more than one out of four Franco-Ontarians were living in Ottawa (25.2%) and close to one in ten lived in Toronto (9.7%). These cities and their suburbs experienced the most significant growth in their Francophone populations across Ontario between 2006 and 2011. For example, the Francophone population in the Greater Toronto Area (including Toronto, Durham, Halton, Peel and York) increased from 110,265 (or 2.0% of the total population) in 2006 to 124,875 (2.1%) in 2011.
The Franco-Ontarian community is older than the overall population in Ontario. While the median age of the general population is 40.1, the median age of the Francophone population is 44. Please refer to Table 2. The median age refers to the age which divides a particular population into two equal parts, i.e., half of the population is younger than the median age while the other half is older.
Francophones in Central Ontario are among the youngest in the province, with a median age of 41.1, while the median age of Francophones in the Southwestern and Northwestern regions is over 50 years old (50.8 and 52.1 respectively). One out of every four Francophones in those regions is a senior (26.6% in the Southwestern region and 23.7% in the Northwestern region).
|
Total Population |
Francophones |
|---|---|---|
Ontario |
40.1 |
44.0 |
East |
41.3 |
43.0 |
Centre |
39.4 |
41.1 |
Southwest |
41.4 |
50.8 |
Northeast |
44.6 |
48.1 |
Northwest |
42.1 |
52.1 |
Source: Statistics Canada, 2011 Census of Population
The most important age categories among Francophones are 45-54 and 65 and over: close to one out of five Francophones is included in both of these age groups. Another sign of aging of the Franco-Ontarian community is that the proportion of Francophones aged 65 and older is higher than the proportion of youth aged 14 and under (17% versus 14%). Please refer to Chart 2.
| Age | 0 to 14 | 15 to 24 | 25 to 34 | 35 to 44 | 45 to 54 | 55 to 64 | 65 and over |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Population | 17% | 13% | 13% | 14% | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Francophones | 14% | 11% | 12% | 14% | 18% | 15% | 17% |
Women make up more than half of the Francophone community (53%). They form the majority in all regions except in the Northwest, where they represent 49.3% of Francophones. The proportion of women is higher in Central Ontario where 53.9% of Francophones are women.
Francophone Men |
Francophone Women |
Proportion of Men (%) |
Proportion of Women (%) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 287,460 |
324,045 |
47.0 |
53.0 |
| East | 121,150 |
136,715 |
47.0 |
53.0 |
| Centre | 84,675 |
98,925 |
46.1 |
53.9 |
| Southwest | 16,280 |
18,880 |
46.3 |
53.7 |
| Northeast | 61,495 |
65,775 |
48.3 |
51.7 |
| Northwest | 3,855 |
3,750 |
50.7 |
49.3 |
Source: Statistics Canada, 2011 Census of Population
French continues to be spoken at home by more than half of those who identified French as their mother tongue. In 2011, 53.8% of them spoke French most often at home.
Since 2001, the census has collected data on languages spoken regularly at home. Based on this data, the proportion of Francophones who speak French at home (often or regularly) is 73.7%, which shows a slight decline between 2006 and 2011. Please refer to Chart 3.
| Year | 1986 | 1991 | 1996 | 2001 | 2006 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most Often | 68.1% | 61.0% | 58.9% | 56.5% | 55.3% | 53.8% |
| Regularly | n/a | n/a | n/a | 17.9% | 19.4% | 19.9% |
French is spoken at home more often in the Eastern and Northeastern regions. In total, 83.6% of Francophones in Eastern Ontario and 80.3% of those in the Northeast speak French at home at least regularly. Francophones in the Southwestern region are less likely to use French at home. Please refer to Chart 4.
| Region | Ontario | East | Centre | Southwest | Northeast | Northwest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French spoken most often | 53.8% | 67.0% | 34.6% | 23.8% | 60.4% | 33.4% |
| French spoken regularly | 19.9% | 16.6% | 24.2% | 23.1% | 19.9% | 23.7% |
In Ontario, the majority of couples with a child or children – where one parent is a Francophone – are exogamous. This means that one parent is Francophone and the other is not. Across the province, more than two out of three couples (68.3%) are exogamous. The proportion of exogamous families is greater in the Central, Southwestern and Northwestern regions, i.e., the regions where Franco-Ontarians represent a lower proportion of the population.
| Region | Ontario | East | Centre | Southwest | Northeast | Northwest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endogamous | 31.7% | 39.73% | 19.2% | 12.5% | 43.2% | 16.2% |
| Exogamous | 68.3% | 60.3% | 80.8% | 87.5% | 56.8% | 83.8% |
Exogamous families where the mother is Francophone and the father is non-Francophone represent 30.4% of Francophone families in the province. Endogamous families (where both parents are Francophone) and exogamous families, where the father is Francophone but the mother is not, represent 27% of families. Lastly, 15.9% of Franco-Ontarian families are single-parent households.
| Percentage (%) | |
|---|---|
| Francophone Mother, Non-Francophone Father | 30.4 |
| Francophone Father, Non-Francophone Mother | 27.0 |
| Francophone Mother and Father | 26.7 |
| Single Francophone Mother | 12.8 |
| Single Francophone Father | 3.1 |
In Ontario, 90.2% of children born into endogamous families, where both parents are Francophones, identify French as their mother tongue. More than half of children from single-parent families identify French as their mother tongue: 60.9% when the mother is the head of the household and 54.8% when the father is. However, exogamous families are less likely to transmit French to their children: 40.8% of children identify French as their mother tongue when the mother is a Francophone and 19.6% when the father is a Francophone.
However, it is important to note that the proportion of exogamous families who transmit French as a mother tongue to their child or children has increased over the past 25 years. In 1986, 27.3% of exogamous families where the mother was a Francophone transmitted French to their child or children, while this percentage was 14.0% when the father was a Francophone.
| Percentage (%) | |
|---|---|
| Francophone Mother and Father | 90.2 |
| Single Francophone Mother | 60.9 |
| Single Francophone Father | 54.8 |
| Francophone Mother, Non-Francophone Father | 40.8 |
| Francophone Father, Non-Francophone Mother | 19.6 |
A note posted on the Statistics Canada website confirms that it is possible to make a historical comparison of census data concerning mother tongue, but advises data users to exercise caution when evaluating trends.
In 2010, the federal government decided to replace the mandatory long census form with the National Household Survey, which is completed on a voluntary basis.
In response to an application presented to the Federal Court by the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada, the conservative government amended its position by announcing that questions on official languages would be added to the mandatory short-form questionnaire. These questions had previously been included on the long-form questionnaire.
According to Statistics Canada, Canadians appear to have responded differently to questions about languages in the 2011 census, when compared with previous censuses, possibly because these questions were included in the short-form questionnaire.
For more information: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/121024/dq121024a-eng.htm
