Dictionary, Census of Population, 2021
Language spoken most often at home

Definition

Language spoken most often at home refers to the language the person speaks most often at home at the time of data collection. A person can report more than one language as "spoken most often at home" if the languages are spoken equally often.

For a person who lives alone, the language spoken most often at home is the language in which they feel most comfortable. For a child who has not yet learned to speak, this is the language spoken most often to the child at home. Where more than one language is spoken to the child, the language spoken most often at home is the language spoken most often. If more than one language is spoken equally often to the child, then these languages are included here.

Statistical unit(s)

• Person

Classification(s)

• Collapsed classification of languages 2021
• Languages 2021 - Inuit languages variant
• List of languages 2021
• List of languages 2021 - Indigenous languages variant
• List of languages 2021 - total responses

Reported in

2021, 2016 and 2011 (100% data); 2006, 2001, 1996, 1991, 1986 and 1981 (20% sample). For availability prior to 1981, please refer to Appendix 2.1.

Reported for

Total population

Question number(s)

Direct variable: Question 9b)

Responses

Refer to figures 2.4, 2.4A, 2.4B, 2.4C, 2.4D, 2.4E, 2.4F, 2.4G, 2.4H, 2.4I, 2.4J and 2.4K for the detailed list of languages disseminated in the 2021 Census. A comparison of languages disseminated in the 2021, 2016 and 2011 censuses is available in Appendix 2.2.

Remarks

The home language question (Question 9) was divided into the following two parts:

a) What language(s) does this person speak on a regular basis at home?

b) Of these languages, which one does this person speak most often at home?

"Language spoken most often at home" is a direct variable from Question 9b).

A note accompanying Question 9b) on both the paper and electronic questionnaires stated "Indicate more than one language only if they are spoken equally at home."

The following additional instructions on how to complete the question on the language spoken most often at home (Question 9b)) were provided to respondents via a help button accessible in the electronic questionnaire:

• Report the language spoken most often at home. Report more than one language only if all languages are spoken equally often.
• For a child who has not yet learned to speak, report the language(s) used most often at home to communicate with the child. Two languages can be reported, as long as they are used equally often with the child.
• Respondents who live alone should report the language in which they feel most comfortable.
• Respondents who are deaf or respondents who have a speech impairment should report knowledge of English or French, by selecting the appropriate option. Knowledge of other languages, including sign languages, should be entered in the type‑in box labelled "Other language".
• When reporting other languages, be specific. For example, people who report Chinese should instead report the specific Chinese language: Cantonese, Mandarin, Hakka, Min Nan, Min Dong, Wu, Pu‑Xian, Xiang, Gan, Huizhou, Jinyu, Dungan, Min Bei or Min Zhong.
• Do not report the language that this person uses solely at work even if this person now works from home (for example, because of the COVID‑19 pandemic).

Since 2001, the census has measured three home language concepts: all languages spoken at home, the language spoken most often at home, and other languages spoken regularly at home. While the concepts themselves remain intact, both the way in which the question is asked and the process to obtain the variables have changed for the 2021 Census.

In 2021, the first part of the question (Question 9a)) asked for all languages spoken on a regular basis at home. Those who did not report English only or French only were asked which language they speak most often at home (Question 9b)). This is different from the 2016 Census, which first asked all respondents to report the language they speak most often at home, and then asked for any other languages they speak on a regular basis at home.

When comparing 2021 Census data on home language with data from 1996 or before, only the language spoken most often at home can be used since there was no question regarding languages spoken on a regular basis at home before the 2001 Census.

For more information on language variables, including information on their classifications, the questions from which they are derived, data quality and their comparability with other sources of data, please refer to the Languages Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2021.

Related 2021 data products

• Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population (98-316-X2021001)
• Census Program Data Viewer (CPDV) (98-507-X2021001)
• All languages spoken at home by mother tongue, knowledge of official languages and generation status: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0617-01)
• English spoken at home by French spoken at home, Indigenous language spoken at home, other non-official language spoken at home and mother tongue: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (98-10-0199-01)
• English spoken at home by French spoken at home, Indigenous language spoken at home, other non-official language spoken at home and mother tongue: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0198-01)
• First official language spoken by language spoken most often at home, other language(s) spoken regularly at home, and knowledge of official languages: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (98-10-0191-01)
• First official language spoken by language spoken most often at home: Canada and forward sortation areas © (98-10-0195-01)
• First official language spoken by language spoken most often at home: Canada, provinces and territories and economic regions (98-10-0196-01)
• First official language spoken by language spoken most often at home: Canada, provinces and territories and federal electoral districts (2013 Representation Order) (98-10-0197-01)
• First official language spoken by language spoken most often at home: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (98-10-0193-01)
• First official language spoken by language spoken most often at home: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0192-01)
• First official language spoken by language spoken most often at home: Census metropolitan areas, tracted census agglomerations and census tracts (98-10-0194-01)
• Generation status by languages spoken at home and mother tongue: Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts (98-10-0321-01)
• Indigenous language spoken at home by single and multiple responses of language spoken at home and Indigenous identity: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0275-01)
• Indigenous language spoken at home by single and multiple responses of language spoken at home, Indigenous identity and residence by Indigenous geography: Canada, provinces and territories (98-10-0274-01)
• Language spoken at home by single and multiple responses of language spoken at home and mother tongue: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0201-01)
• Language spoken most often at home by age: Canada, provinces and territories (98-10-0226-01)
• Language spoken most often at home by age: Canada, provinces and territories and census divisions (98-10-0228-01)
• Language spoken most often at home by age: Canada, provinces and territories and census subdivisions with a population 5,000 or more (98-10-0229-01)
• Language spoken most often at home by age: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0227-01)
• Language spoken most often at home by other language(s) spoken regularly at home: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0200-01)
• Languages spoken at home by mother tongue, immigrant status and period of immigration and first official language spoken: Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts (98-10-0301-01)
• Languages used at work by languages used at home, immigrant status and period of immigration: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0524-01)
• Languages used at work by mother tongue and knowledge of official languages: Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts (98-10-0533-01)
• Mother tongue by first official language spoken, language spoken most often at home and other language(s) spoken regularly at home: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0169-01)
• Mother tongue by knowledge of official languages, language spoken most often at home and other language(s) spoken regularly at home: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (98-10-0172-01)
• Mother tongue by knowledge of official languages, language spoken most often at home and other language(s) spoken regularly at home: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0171-01)
• Mother tongue by language spoken most often at home and other language(s) spoken regularly at home: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0182-01)
• Mother tongue by language spoken most often at home for children in couple families: Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts (98-10-0212-01)
• Mother tongue by language spoken most often at home for children in different-gender couple families: Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts (98-10-0213-01)
• Mother tongue by language spoken most often at home, other language(s) spoken regularly at home and first official language spoken: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (98-10-0185-01)
• Mother tongue by language spoken most often at home, other language(s) spoken regularly at home and knowledge of official languages: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (98-10-0184-01)
• Mother tongue by language spoken most often at home, other language(s) spoken regularly at home and marital status: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0190-01)
• Mother tongue by language spoken most often at home, other language(s) spoken regularly at home, knowledge of official languages and first official language spoken: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0183-01)