Language in British Columbia

Eighty-three per cent of British Columbians speak English. English is the main language of communication in British Columbia, but more and more services are being offered in languages such as Chinese and Punjabi.

There are many programs available to help you learn or improve your English.

Canada has two official languages: French and English. While most people in British Columbia speak English, there is also a Francophone community here, and many services—including Citizenship and Immigration—are available in French.

People who immigrate to B.C. do not need to understand French to live in British Columbia. Provincial and local government services are mostly provided in English.

If you speak French, you will be able to receive all federal government services in both French and English, wherever you live in Canada. Some B.C. communities offer French language education to students.

Most popular languages in British Columbia

• English
• 83
• Chinese (all)
• 6.7%
• Panjabi (Punjabi)
• 3.0%
• Korean
• 1.0%
• Tagalog (Philipino, Filipino)
• 0.6%
• Persian (Farsi)
• 0.5%

In addition to English, the languages spoken in B.C. are different from one community or town to the next. The Okanagan Valley, Abbotsford and Surrey, for example, have large Punjabi populations, while Vancouver and Richmond have a large number of Chinese immigrants. Some businesses, especially in Vancouver and Victoria, offer services in a number of languages (primarily Asian ones).

Aboriginal Languages

There are 34 distinct Aboriginal languages still spoken by First Nations’ people across the province. Two thirds of the Aboriginal and First Nations’ languages spoken in Canada are here in B.C. These distinct languages are part of 11 different language families. First Nations and the provincial government are making a great effort to protect and revitalize Aboriginal languages. Many towns and villages in B.C. have Aboriginal names.


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