Language
Arabic in Canada.
285,915 people spoke Arabic most often at home in 2021 (single responses); 508,410 learned it first as a mother tongue. Montréal had the most speakers.
Data 2021 CensusNext update Census 2026 (from Feb. 2027)
Arabic spoken most often at home, by metropolitan area
Circle area shows the number of people.
| Metropolitan area | People |
|---|---|
| Montréal | 89,805 |
| Toronto | 54,360 |
| Ottawa - Gatineau | 30,555 |
| Calgary | 12,740 |
| Edmonton | 12,675 |
| Windsor | 11,295 |
| Vancouver | 10,980 |
| Hamilton | 9,995 |
| London | 9,725 |
| Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo | 6,290 |
| Halifax | 4,475 |
| Winnipeg | 3,920 |
| Québec | 3,455 |
| St. Catharines - Niagara | 1,700 |
| Saskatoon | 1,535 |
| Sherbrooke | 1,250 |
| Regina | 1,225 |
| Oshawa | 1,130 |
| Moncton | 995 |
| Victoria | 975 |
| Fredericton | 955 |
| Saint John | 895 |
| St. John's | 880 |
| Kingston | 785 |
| Guelph | 715 |
| Red Deer | 570 |
| Abbotsford - Mission | 505 |
| Lethbridge | 470 |
| Trois-Rivières | 465 |
| Drummondville | 420 |
| Kelowna | 415 |
| Barrie | 360 |
| Peterborough | 315 |
| Brantford | 310 |
| Nanaimo | 285 |
| Thunder Bay | 210 |
| Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury | 140 |
| Saguenay | 130 |
| Chilliwack | 105 |
| Belleville - Quinte West | 85 |
| Kamloops | 50 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population; Statistics Canada, 2021 Census boundary files (simplified).
Top 15 metropolitan areas
| Metropolitan area | People |
|---|---|
| Montréal | 89,805 |
| Toronto | 54,360 |
| Ottawa - Gatineau | 30,555 |
| Calgary | 12,740 |
| Edmonton | 12,675 |
| Windsor | 11,295 |
| Vancouver | 10,980 |
| Hamilton | 9,995 |
| London | 9,725 |
| Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo | 6,290 |
| Halifax | 4,475 |
| Winnipeg | 3,920 |
| Québec | 3,455 |
| St. Catharines - Niagara | 1,700 |
| Saskatoon | 1,535 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population.
Share speaking Arabic most often at home
By province and territory.
| Province or territory | Arabic |
|---|---|
| Quebec | 1.2% |
| Ontario | 0.9% |
| Alberta | 0.7% |
| Nova Scotia | 0.5% |
| Prince Edward Island | 0.4% |
| New Brunswick | 0.4% |
| Manitoba | 0.3% |
| Saskatchewan | 0.3% |
| British Columbia | 0.3% |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 0.2% |
| Northwest Territories | 0.2% |
| Yukon | – |
| Nunavut | – |
Source: Statistics Canada, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population; Statistics Canada, 2021 Census boundary files (simplified).
Services
Finding help in your language.
- Many settlement agencies offer services in other languages: search IRCC’s find free newcomer services tool.
- Free English and French classes (LINC and CLIC) are open to permanent residents: see our settling guides.