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Location : Publications > Statistical Profiles > Info-Stats #1

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Office of Francophone Affairs
777 Bay Street, 6th floor
Toronto, Ontario M7A 2J4

Tel.: (416) 325-4949 – 1 800 268-7507
Fax: (416) 325-4980
Internet : www.ofa.gov.on.ca
E-mail: ofa@ontario.ca

info-stats
Statistical Profile of the Francophone
Community in Ontario

N^o 1 – October 1998

Representation of the Francophone Population of Ontario

This profile on Francophones in Ontario is based on the 1996 Census conducted by Statistics Canada. Francophones are defined by the following Census question on mother tongue: What is the language first learned at home in childhood and still understood?

Francophones in Ontario make up 5% of the total provincial population and number 542,340. Their proportion of the general population is the largest in Northeastern Ontario (25.6% or 148,955) and Eastern Ontario (15% or 221,100).

Total population of Ontario (1996)	Francophone population of Ontario (1996)	Percentage of Francophones in Ontario as per total population
10,753,570	542,340	5.0%
Region	Francophone population by region	Percentage of Francophones as per total population in each region
East	221,100	15%
Centre	126,650	1.8%
Southwest	35,870	2.5%
Northeast	148,955	25.6%
Northwest	9,760	4%

Distribution of Francophone Population Across Regions

Francophones live in many different regions of the province. The following table shows the percentage of Francophones living in each region compared to the total Francophone population in Ontario.

Total Francophone population in Ontario : 542,340 = 100%

East 40.8%
Centre 23.4%
Southwest 6.6%
Northeast 27.5%
Northwest 1.8%

Although Francophones make up only 1.8% of the total population in the Centre region, they number 126,650 thus representing 23.4% of the total Francophone population in the Province.

Francophone Population in Designated Areas (1996)

Four out of five Francophones in Ontario (81.7%) live in the 23 regions designated under the province's French Language Services Act. In contrast, only 50.4% of the total provincial population resides in these designated areas. Designated areas are mostly located in the East and Northeast regions of the province.

Changes in Francophone Population of Ontario from 1991 to 1996

Total Francophone population of Ontario			Differences
Region	1996	1991	Number of People	Percentage
Ontario	542,340	547,300	- 4,960	- 0.9%
East	221,100	218,650	+ 2,450	+ 1.1
Centre	126,650	128,245	- 1,595	- 1.2
Southwest	35,870	37,675	- 1,805	- 4.8
Northeast	148,955	152,180	- 3,225	- 2.1
Northwest	9,760	10,530	- 770	- 7.3

Between 1991 and 1996, the Francophone population of Ontario has decreased almost 1% (0.9%). Eastern Ontario is the only region that has seen an increase in the Francophone population during this period (more than 1%).

In other regions, the most important loss in terms of number of people was felt in Northeastern Ontario

(decrease of more than 3,000 people).

Northwestern Ontario is the region that has known the most important loss in terms of percentage of its regional Francophone population (decrease of more than 7%).

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info-stats is a new series of fact sheets analyzing statistical data on Francophones in Ontario. The information is based on Statistics Canada's 1996 Census. As Statistics Canada shares data of interest with the Francophone community, OFA will produce a fact sheet. All elements required to perform a thorough analysis will be available in 1999. A complete analysis on Francophone women, youth, seniors and a general profile will not be available until the Fall of 1999 as Statistics Canada releases its tabulations over a period of 3 years.

The next issue of info-stats will be available in November 1998.

info-stats is produced by the Office of Francophone Affairs of the Government of Ontario.

info-stats est disponible en français