GATINEAU, QC, Oct. 26, 2026 /CNW/ -- Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada Kelly Burke is publishing the 2026 edition of the Official Languages Tracking Survey today. The public opinion survey shows that official bilingualism remains a strong and enduring value across the country, despite the turbulent political and economic times that Canadians have experienced lately.
According to the survey results, the vast majority of Canadians across the country continue to support the objectives of the Official Languages Act (89%), as was the case in previous surveys conducted by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages in 2021 and 2016.
Support for official languages does not depend on the ability to speak both English and French. While 9 out of 10 bilingual Canadians support the objectives of the Official Languages Act, more than 8 out of 10 unilingual Canadians do as well. For respondents in all regions, the most commonly cited reason for supporting the Official Languages Act was that it recognizes Canada's history, status and culture as a bilingual country.
Again this year, a wide majority of Canadians repeated that they expect federal services to be provided in both official languages (94%), and over 8 in 10 people agreed that the prime minister should be bilingual and that political leaders should speak to Canadians in both official languages, especially in times of crisis.
The survey results show that Canadians remain highly supportive of second-language learning opportunities. Over 8 in 10 Canadians agreed that more needs to be done so that young people can become bilingual in English and French. There is widespread support for elementary education in both official languages (93%), as well as for exchange (86%) and immersion programs (79%).
In the 2026 survey, respondents were asked some new questions about the importance of official languages in the current Canadian context. The results show that 9 in 10 Canadians agreed that official languages are important to the country's national identity and that 87% agreed that they are positive for Canada's international image.
Although the overwhelming support for official languages among the Canadian population is reassuring, Commissioner Burke urges the public not to take official languages for granted and points to the need to boost the country's bilingualism rate, which has stagnated around 18% for the past two decades.
Quote
"Being bilingual brings cultural and economic advantages. It makes us stronger and more resilient individually and as a country. Canada's official languages are anchored in our history. They are central to our culture and national identity. There is a strong foundation of support for official languages in Canada, and we must continue to build for our future as a bilingual country with intention. All Canadians can contribute by learning and using their official languages regularly."
Kelly Burke, Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada
Quick facts
- The Commissioner's survey was prepared by Environics Research Group and the Office of the Commissioner's research team.
- The survey was conducted between March and April 2026 and included a national telephone probability survey of 1,500 adult Canadians (margin of error ± 2.5%, 19 times out of 20) and a national online panel survey of 1,502 adult Canadians. Specific figures mentioned in this press release refer to the telephone survey results.
- The survey shows the highest levels of support for the objectives of the Official Languages Act in Quebec (92%), the Atlantic region (92%), Ontario (91%), and in British Columbia and the territories (87%). Support is 77% in Alberta and 79% in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Regional changes from the 2021 results were within the margins of error.
Related links
LINK TO COMMISSIONER'S VIDEO MESSAGE
LINKS TO INFOGRAPHICS
- What Canadians think about the Official Languages Act and official bilingualism
- What Canadians think about learning English and French
- What Canadians think about official languages and our national identity
LINK TO FINAL REPORT
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SOURCE Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
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