Indigenous languages in Canada, 2021
Release date: March 29, 2023
Description: Indigenous languages in Canada, 2021
In 2021, 237,420 Indigenous people reported speaking an Indigenous language well enough to conduct a conversation, down 4.3% from 2016.
This represents 13.1% of the Indigenous population.
A diversity of Indigenous languages spoken across Canada, some growing and some in decline
| Indigenous language | Number of Indigenous people able to speak an Indigenous language | Percentage change in the number of speakers from 2016 to 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Cree languages | 86,475 | -6.1% |
| Inuktitut | 40,320 | +1.4% |
| Ojibway languages | 25,440 | -5.4% |
| Oji-Cree | 15,210 | -1.1% |
| Innu (Montagnais) and Naskapi languages | 11,605 | -0.4% |
| Dene | 11,375 | -10.9% |
| Mi’kmaq | 9,000 | +8.0% |
| Atikamekw | 6,740 | +2.2% |
| Blackfoot | 6,585 | +19.1% |
| Slavey-Hare languages | 2,215 | -20.3% |
| Tlicho (Dogrib) | 2,115 | -10.0% |
| Anicinabemowin (Algonquin) | 1,925 | -21.1% |
| Michif | 1,845 | +57.7% |
| Dakelh (Carrier) | 1,530 | -25.9% |
| Dakota | 1,505 | +0.7% |
| Mohawk | 1,435 | +11.7% |
| Halkomelem | 1,335 | +29.6% |
| Gitxsan (Gitksan) | 1,110 | -14.0% |
| Nisga’a | 1,080 | +4.3% |
| Secwepemctsin (Shuswap) | 1,050 | -12.9% |
| Stoney | 915 | +14.4% |
| Tsilhqot’in (Chilcotin) | 855 | -15.3% |
| Wolastoqewi (Malecite) | 790 | +6.8% |
| Kwak’wala (Kwakiutl) | 760 | +29.9% |
| Inuinnaqtun | 750 | -43.2% |
| Syilx (Okanagan) | 665 | -18.4% |
| Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) | 665 | +25.5% |
| Lillooet | 580 | -24.7% |
| Ntlakapamux (Thompson) | 470 | +11.9% |
| Tsimshian | 445 | +7.2% |
| Inuvialuktun | 350 | -45.3% |
| Assiniboine | 350 | n/a |
| Squamish | 345 | +23.2% |
| Heiltsuk | 325 | +160.0% |
| Haisla | 285 | +62.9% |
| Straits | 280 | -21.1% |
| Gwich’in | 275 | -22.5% |
| Dane-zaa (Beaver) | 270 | -18.2% |
| Tutchone languages | 255 | -36.3% |
| Wetsuwet’en-Babine | 240 | +17.1% |
| Tahltan | 235 | -9.6% |
| Kaska (Nahani) | 225 | -36.6% |
| Haida | 220 | -51.1% |
| Cayuga | 220 | +76.0% |
| Ktunaxa (Kutenai) | 210 | +23.5% |
| Oneida | 200 | +14.3% |
| Tsuu T’ina (Sarsi) | 175 | +66.7% |
| Tse’khene (Sekani) | 135 | -25.0% |
| Tlingit | 120 | -52.9% |
Notes:
- During the 2021 Census of Population, 63 census subdivisions defined as reserves and settlements were incompletely enumerated. As a result, some languages were undercounted, and the counts for Tsuu T'ina and for Iroquoian languages such as Mohawk and Cayuga were significantly impacted.
- To make appropriate comparisons across time, calculations of growth within this document are conducted by adjusting for incompletely enumerated reserves and settlements. Thus, counts and proportions of Indigenous language speakers in 2016 may not match previously published figures.
- The Assiniboine language was not included separately in 2016, thus no growth rate could be applied.
- Indigenous languages classified as not included elsewhere (n.i.e.) are not shown.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2016 and 2021.
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