A first: More than half of Quebecers can converse in English

New stats on the use of English in Quebec StatsCan released new figures that show 51.7 per cent of Quebecers can have a conversation in English.

According to a Statistics Canada census, for the first time, more than half of Quebec residents can conduct a conversation in English.

This is one of the findings of a series on ethnicity, language and immigration published by Statistics Canada on Tuesday, entitled 'Key facts on the English language in Quebec in 2021.'

Two years ago, 51.7 per cent of Quebec residents were able to conduct a conversation in English.

"In 2021, 4,344,550 Quebec residents were able to conduct a conversation in English, which represents an all-time high," notes Statistics Canada.

In fact, the progression has been constant since 1991.

And the progression is significant for mother-tongue francophones. The proportion of Quebec residents who can converse in English and whose mother tongue is French reached 42.2 per cent in 2021, compared with 31.4 per cent in 1991.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 22, 2023