Punjabi has grown by 49% in the past five years to become the fourth most spoken language in Canada.
Mandarin and Punjabi are the two most widely spoken languages in Canada, after English and French, according to Statistics Canada's publication of census data for 2021 on Wednesday.
Punjabi speakers have increased faster than Mandarin speakers, nonetheless. Punjabi speakers grew by 49% between 2016 and 2021, reaching 520,000, while Mandarin speakers increased by a more moderate 15%, reaching 531,000.
According to a StatCan press release, immigration is primarily responsible for the significant increase in the number of speakers of some languages. Furthermore, 20% of arrivals to Canada who were granted permanent residency between May 2016 and December 2020 were Indian-born.
Overall, the proportion of Canadians who use non-official languages at home has increased by 16% since 2016, going from 4.0 million to 4.6 million.
The statement stated that immigration had continued to enhance the linguistic diversity of Canada "despite the effect that the Covid-19 outbreak has had on arrivals to the nation”.
The percentage of people who speak English as their first language in Canada is increasing, from 74.8% in 2011 to 75.5% in 2021. However, usage of the other official language, French, has decreased from 22.2% to 21.4%. The percentage of people who are fluent in both official languages stayed constant at 18%.
Other Indian languages are prospering in Canada as well. Hindi speakers increased to 92,000, a 66% increase.