Demographics of Quebec

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The demographics of Quebec constitutes a complex and sensitive issue, especially as it relates to the National Question of Canada.

Quebec is the only province in Canada to feature a francophone (French-speaking) majority, and where anglophones (English-speakers) constitute an officially recognized minority group.

However, while francophones currently constitute approximately a little under 80% of the overall population, they also conversely feature the lowest birth rate in North America. If such trends continue, researchers predict that the low birthrate amongst francophones and the lack of adoption of the French language and assimilation into the francophone culture by allophone (those whose primary language is neither English nor French) immigrants will cause the French-speaking population in the island of Montreal to dive below the 50 percent mark in the coming decades. [1]

The decline in the francophone birth rate and the weakening position of the French language in Montreal directly led to the passing of the Charter of the French Language (Bill 101) by the Government of Quebec in order to protect the status of the French language as well as to increase the numbers of francophones in the future. While the use of French throughout Quebec has been strengthened, the French language continues to decline in Montreal due to the influx of new immigrants. [2] However, due to the Charter of the French Language, children of allophone immigrants learn the French language and francophone culture through the francophone public school system. Thus, they usually become fluent in French as well as in English.

Contents

[edit] Population

Population since 1851:

Year Population Five-year
% change		 Ten-year
% change		 Rank among
provinces
1851 892,061 n/a n/a 2
1861 1,111,566 n/a 24.6 2
1871 1,191,516 n/a 7.2 2
1881 1,359,027 n/a 14.1 2
1891 1,488,535 n/a 9.5 2
1901 1,648,898 n/a 10.8 2
1911 2,005,776 n/a 21.6 2
1921 2,360,665 n/a 17.8 2
1931 2,874,255 n/a 21.8 2
1941 3,331,882 n/a 15.9 2
1951 4,055,681 n/a 21.8 2
1956 4,628,378 14.1 n/a 2
1961 5,259,211 13.6 29.7 2
1966 5,780,845 9.9 24.9 2
1971 6,027,765 4.3 14.6 2
1976 6,234,445 3.4 7.8 2
1981 6,438,403 3.3 6.8 2
1986 6,532,460 1.5 4.8 2
1991 6,895,963 5.6 7.1 2
1996 7,138,795 3.5 9.3 2
2001 7,237,479 1.4 5.0 2
2006 7,546,131 4.3 5.7 2

Source: Statistics Canada [1][2]

[edit] Vital Statistics

Age structure: (2001 census)

Age Groups Total Male Female
0-4 years 375,770 192,280 183,490
5-9 years 457,225 232,650 224,575
10-14 years 458,585 234,140 224,445
15-24 years 949,475 481,990 467,485
25-34 years 921,770 459,960 461,810
35-44 years 1,243,970 617,510 626,460
45-54 years 1,109,945 548,080 561,865
55-64 years 760,905 370,960 389,945
65-74 years 547,185 248,740 298,445
75-84 years 318,185 120,940 197,245
85 years and over 94,450 25,580 68,870
Total 7,237,480 3,532,845 3,704,635

Source : Statistics Canada [3]

Quebec's fertility rate is now lower than the Canadian average. At 1.52, it is slightly below the Canada-wide rate of 1.54[4] and well below the replacement fertility rate of 2.1. This contrasts with fertility rates before 1960, which were among the highest of any industrialized society.

Although Quebec is home to only 23.9% of the population of Canada, the number of international adoptions in Quebec is the highest of all provinces of Canada. In 2001, 42% of international adoptions in Canada were carried out in Quebec.

Population growth rate: 0.7% (2006)

Birth rate: 9.9% (2005)

Synthetic fertility index: 1.61 (2006)

Death rate: 7.4% (2003)

Net migration rate: 4.1% (2003)

Infant mortality rate: 4.6% (2004)

Stillbirth rate: 3.8% -- 3.5% notwithstanding requested abortions (2002)

Life expectancy: In 2002, life expectancy was 76.3 years for males and 81.9 years for females.

Urbanisation: In 2001, 80.4% of Quebecers lived in urban areas.

Literacy: International Adult Literacy Survey 47% Prose, 42% Document, 40% Quantitative (1996) Note: This is not the official literacy rate, and should not be used in comparisons with rates calculated using different procedures.

[edit] Languages

[edit] Mother tongue language

Mother tongue language (Statistics Canada: 2006[5], 2001)[6], 1996[7])
Language(s) 2006 2001 1996
Population Percentage (%) Population Percentage (%) Population Percentage (%)
French 5,877,660 79 5,761,765 80.8 5,742,575 80.4
English 575,555 7.7 557,040 7.8 568,405 8
Both English and French 43,335 0.6 50,060 0.7 97,225 1.4
Non-official languages 939,350 12.6 756,710 10.6 730,595 10.2
Total population 7,435,905 100 7,125,580 100 7,138,795 100

[edit] Language spoken at home

Language spoken most often at home (Statistics Canada: 2006[5])
Language Population Percentage (%)
French 6,027,735 84.4
English 744,430 10.4
Both English and French 52,325 0.7
Non-official languages 518,320 7.3
Both French and a non-official language 54,490 0.7
Both English and a non-official language 26,560 0.4
French, English and a non-official language 12,035 0.2
Total population 7,435,905 100

[edit] Knowledge of official languages

Knowledge of official languages (Statistics Canada: 2006[5])
Language Population Percentage (%)
French only 4,010,880 53.9
English only 336,785 4.5
Both English and French 3,017,860 40.6
Neither English or French 70,375 0.9
Total population 7,435,905 100

[edit] Ethnic origin

Ethnic origin Population Percent
Canadien / Canadian 4,897,475 68.73%
French 2,111,570 29.63%
Irish 291,545 4.09%
Italian 249,205 3.50%
English 218,415 3.07%
Scottish 156,140 2.19%
North American Indian 130,165 1.83%
Québécois 94,940 1.33%
German 88,700 1.24%
Jewish 82,450 1.16%
Haitian 74,465 1.05%
Chinese 63,000 0.88%
Greek 58,645 0.82%
Lebanese 48,990 0.69%
Portuguese 48,765 0.69%
Polish 46,990 0.66%
Spanish 43,115 0.61%
East Indian 34,125 0.48%
Belgian 30,095 0.42%
Vietnamese 28,310 0.40%
American (USA) 25,805 0.36%
Ukrainian 24,030 0.34%
Arab 23,710 0.33%
Russian 22,630 0.32%
Métis 21,755 0.31%
Romanian 19,455 0.27%
Armenian 18,855 0.26%
Dutch (Netherlands) 18,000 0.25%
African (Black) 17,830 0.25%
Moroccan 17,540 0.25%
Acadian 17,420 0.24%
Hungarian (Magyar) 16,490 0.23%
Swiss 15,715 0.22%
Egyptian 15,050 0.21%
Algerian 13,545 0.19%
Inuit 10,745 0.15%
Jamaican 10,635 0.15%
Ethnic origin Population Percent
Syrian 10,445 0.15%
Latin/Central/South American 10,400 0.15%
Chilean 10,045 0.14%
Iranian 9,535 0.13%
Cambodian 9,405 0.13%
Black 9,370 0.13%
Salvadorean 8,820 0.12%
Sri Lankan 8,475 0.12%
Peruvian 8,030 0.11%
Pakistani 7,990 0.11%
Welsh 7,460 0.10%
Austrian 7,310 0.10%
British 7,060 0.10%
Mexican 6,480 0.09%
Turk 5,675 0.08%
Laotian 5,180 0.07%
West Indian 5,140 0.07%
Yugoslav 4,820 0.07%
Colombian 4,750 0.07%
Norwegian 4,610 0.06%
Swedish 4,540 0.06%
Berber 4,530 0.06%
Korean 4,475 0.06%
Croatian 4,360 0.06%
Tunisian 4,325 0.06%
Trinidadian/Tobagononian 4,135 0.06%
Czech 4,085 0.06%
Lithuanian 4,045 0.06%
Guatemalan 4,025 0.06%
Barbadian 3,950 0.06%
Congolese 3,835 0.05%
Bangladeshi 3,680 0.05%
South Asian 3,640 0.05%
Slovak 3,580 0.05%
Danish 3,335 0.05%
Afghan 3,315 0.05%
Japanese 3,210 0.05%


Ethnicity according to the older more general system of classification is shown below:

Origins 2001 %
North American 4,989,230 70.02%
French 2,123,185 29.80%
British Isles 547,790 7.69%
Southern European 409,095 5.74%
Aboriginal 159,900 2.24%
Western European 153,750 2.16%
Arab (including Lebanese) 135,750 1.91%
East and Southeast Asian 132,280 1.86%
Origins 2001 %
Eastern European 130,410 1.83%
Caribbean 108,475 1.52%
Other European 86,450 1.21%
Latin, Central and South American 65,150 0.91%
South Asian 62,585 0.88%
African 48,715 0.68%
West Asian 40,960 0.57%
Northern European 15,295 0.21%


Percentages are calculated as a proportion of the total number of respondents (7,125,580) and may total more than 100% due to dual responses
Only groups of more than 0.02% are shown[8]

[edit] Aboriginal status

The 2006 census counted a total aboriginal population of 108,425 (1.5%) including 65,085 North American Indians (0.9%), 27,985 Métis (0.4%), and 10,950 Inuit (0.15%). It should be noted however, that there is a significant undercount, as many of the biggest Indian bands regularly refuse to participate in Canadian censuses for political reasons regarding the question of aboriginal sovereignty. In particular, the largest Mohawk Iroquois reserves (Kahnawake, Akwesasne and Kanesatake) were not counted.’’{Percentages are calculated as a proportion of the total number of respondents (7,435,905)}’’[9]

[edit] Visible minorities

Visible minority 2006 % 2001 % 1996 %
Black 152,195 2.14% 131,970 1.87%
Arab/West Asian 85,770 1.20% 79,710 1.13%
Arab 73,345 1.03% N N
West Asian 12,425 0.17% N N
Latin American 59,515 0.84% 51,440 0.73%
South Asian 59,505 0.84% 47,590 0.68%
Visible minority 2006 % 2001 % 1996 %
Chinese 56,830 0.80% 50,360 0.71%
Southeast Asian/Filipino 62,665 0.88% 56,945 0.81%
Southeast Asian 44,115 0.62% 42,130 0.60%
Filipino 18,550 0.26% 14,815 0.21%
Korean 4,410 0.06% 3,930 0.06%
Japanese 2,830 0.04% 3,035 0.04%


Percentages are calculated as a proportion of the total number of respondents (7,125,580)
Only groups with more than 0.02% of respondents are shown [10]

[edit] Religion

Quebec is unique among the provinces in its overwhelmingly Roman Catholic population.
This is a legacy of colonial times when only Roman Catholics were permitted to settle in New France.

Religion Denomination Congregation Proportion
Catholic Christian 5,939,795 83.36%
Roman Catholic 5,930,385 83.23%
Ukrainian Catholic 3,430 0.05%
Orthodox Christian 100,375 1.41%
Greek Orthodox 50,020 0.70%
Armenian Orthodox 4,935 0.07%
Russian Orthodox 2,185 0.03%
Coptic Orthodox 2,010 0.03%
Antiochian Orthodox 1,050 0.01%
Ukrainian Orthodox 985 0.01%
Serbian Orthodox 920 0.01%
Other Christian 56,755 0.80%
Muslim 108,620 1.52%
Jewish 89,920 1.26%
Buddhist 41,375 0.58%
Hindu 24,530 0.34%
Sikh 8,220 0.12%
Other Eastern Religions 3,425 0.05%
Bahá'í 1,155 0.02%
Pagan 1,330 0.02%
Aboriginal spirituality 740 0.01%
Religion Denomination Congregation Proportion
Protestant Christian 335,595 4.71%
Anglican 85,475 1.20%
United Church of Canada 52,950 0.74%
Baptist 35,455 0.50%
Jehovah’s Witnesses 29,040 0.41%
Pentecostal 22,670 0.32%
Lutheran 9,640 0.14%
Presbyterian 8,770 0.12%
Methodist 8,725 0.12%
Adventist 6,690 0.09%
Mormon 4,440 0.06%
Unitarian 1,140 0.02%
Mission de l'Esprit Saint 765 0.01%
No religious affiliation 413,185 5.80%
No religion 400,325 5.62%
Atheist 4,335 0.06%
Agnostic 1,260 0.02%


Percentages are calculated as a proportion of the total number of respondents (7,125,580 in 2001)
Only groups of more than 0.01% are shown [11]

[edit] See also

QC
Canadian Provinces and Territories
Demographics of Canada's provinces and territories

[edit] References

  1. ^ What constitutes a francophone? by Anna Bratulic, the McGill Reporter
  2. ^ Quebec entry in Encarta
  3. ^ |Statistics profile for Quebec
  4. ^ http://cansim2.statcan.ca/cgi-win/CNSMCGI.PGM
  5. ^ a b c Statistics Canada. 2006 Community Profiles (HTML). Statistics Canada. Retrieved on 2008-01-30.
  6. ^ Statistics Canada. 2001 Community Profiles (HTML). Statistics Canada. Retrieved on 2008-01-30.
  7. ^ Statistics Canada. 1996 Community Profiles (HTML). Statistics Canada. Retrieved on 2008-01-30.
  8. ^ Ethnic Origin (232), Sex (3) and Single and Multiple Responses (3) (2001 Census)
  9. ^ Aboriginal Population Profile (2006 Census)
  10. ^ Visible Minority Groups (15), Sex (3) and Age Groups (8)(Census 2001)
  11. ^ Religion (95) and Immigrant Status (Census 2001)

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Demographics of Canada (by province or territory)
Languages