Canada’s 2026 population census is coming up! In early May, all households across the country will receive a questionnaire to fill out, which will provide a snapshot of Canada’s population. Do you like elsewhere than Quebec, speak or understand French, and/or have a bilingual family? Your answers to the census are important because they help plan a variety of French-language services, including schools! This page offers information to help you better navigate the census questions on language.

What is the census?

Every five years, Statistics Canada conducts a census of the country’s population. The goal is to produce a detailed snapshot of the country’s population. How many seniors are there in Canada? What percentage of the population is of immigrant origin? How many single-parent families are there? How many French speakers are there and where do they live? How many Canadians have a university diploma? These are only a few of the questions the census provides answers to.

How does the census work?

In early May, questionnaires are sent to all households in Canada. The majority will receive the short form census, while one househould out of five will receive the long form, which includes more detailed questions to provide a better picture of how Canadians live.

You will receive an invitation letter by mail with a link to the questionnaire website and an access code. The official date of the census is May 12, but you can fill out the questionnaire at any time during the month.

In each household, one person fills out the census for everyone living at the same address. For example, if you live with three other individuals, you will be answering a series of questions for each of them, such as “In what language did this person receive their education?” or “Has this person completed a high school (secondary school) diploma or equivalent?”

The census and French

If you receive the short form, you will be required to answer seven (7) questions regarding the languages known, spoken and used regularly in your household. Take the time to review the questions carefully and answer them in a way that best describes the reality of each person in your household. For each person, you will be asked:

- Can this person speak English or French well enough to conduct a conversation? You may choose either French, English, French and English, or neither French nor English.
-  What language(s) does this person speak on a regular basis at home? You may choose either French, English, and/or another language (you can select more than one).
- Of these languages, which one does this person speak most often at home? If you indicated more than one language at the previous question, the questionnaire will ask you to specify the one that tends to be spoken most often.
- What is the language that this person first learned at home in childhood and still understands? In other words, this question is asking about your mother tongue.
- Did this person do any of their primary or secondary schooling in French in Canada (including immersion)? This question is to determine whether the person’s children have a constitutional right to education in French outside Quebec.
- In which type of program was this schooling in French done? In other words, has the person received their education in a French-language or immersion school?
- For how many years did this person attend a regular French program in a French-language school in Canada? Important: education in a French-language program within a bilingual school counts.

If you receive the long form census

In the long form census, you will be required to answer the same questions, as well as two more questions on languages used at work.

I Speak English – How Does This Affect Me?

Does your spouse speak French? Do your children attend school in French? Answering accurately about how French is used in your family allows governments, municipalities and associations to have the data to better plan French or bilingual services, programs, and activities in your area – schools, childcare services, health care, etc.

Did you yourself learn French, perhaps in immersion, and do you still understand it? Your answers help us better measure the progression of bilingualism in Canada.

What are my answers used for?

Your answers to the census help pinpoint where the needs for services and programs are, and contribute to better planning them. The federal, provincial and territorial governments, as well as municipalities and community organizations, all use the census data. For example, the census helps us better understand where young families tend to settle, which provides better planning for new childcare services and new schools. plan a wide variety of services and programs for the population. It also sheds light on what communities have an ageing or decreasing population and are in need of revitalization programs.

Knowing how many people use French in daily life is especially important to meet the demand for services and activities in that language.

Myths and facts

“When you answer the census, check the box that says you’re a Francophone”

Nowhere in the census can you check a box that says “Francophone.” In fact, Statistics Canada does not offer a definition of “Francophone”. Rather, Statistics Canada will assess how many people know French, how many have it as their mother tongue, how many speak it at home, etc.

“If I say I’m bilingual, they’ll count me as only half a Francophone”

That’s false. Statistics Canada doesn’t produce a data category called “Number of Francophones in Canada.” It simply doesn’t exist. Rather, Statistics Canada uses your answers to all the language questions to understand whether your primary official language tends to be more French or English. For example, if you’re bilingual but speak French at home and French is your mother tongue, Statistics Canada will come to the conclusion that your primary official language is French.

Many Francophones, because they’re bilingual, tend to check “French and English” for every language question in the census

This is true. Because a vast majority of Francophones in minority communities are bilingual, they often have the reflex to simply answer “French and English” everywhere to get to the next questions. But checking “French and English” everywhere doesn’t help produce a clear picture of French in Canada nor of where French-language services, activities and schools are needed.

Take the time to read each question carefully and answer them in a way that best reflects each person in your household.

Frequently asked questions

Why do I need to declare in what language I received my education?

Under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, your children have a right to French-language education if you or your spouse:

- - - Have French as your mother tongue
    - Have received all or part of your education in French
    - Are a Canadian citizen

Having precise data on how many children have a right to French-language education leads to better planning for schools designed for the right number of children, instead of schools built too small.

I went to a bilingual school. Does that count as French-language education?

Yes. Here’s what counts as French-language education:

- - - A regular French-language program in a French-language school;

- - - A regular French-language program in a bilingual school;

- - - A regular French-language program in an English-language school.

Important – a French immersion program does not count as French-language education in the census.

I’m an immigrant and not a Canadian citizen. Do I still have to fill out the census?

Yes. Every person residing in Canada in May 2026 is required to be accounted for in the census, no matter their status.