Québec society

In Québec:

• 1 in 2 people (46%) is bilingual and speaks English and French.
• The province’s Anglophone minority makes up 13% of the population.

This may surprise you, since Canada is a mainly English-speaking country.

On the map below, you can see that:

• Québec is the only province where the first language of most the population is French.
• There are minority Francophone communities in other provinces and territories of Canada.

Québec is the heart of the French language in North America.

It is the only Canadian province where French is the only official language. The Charter of the French Language, also known as “Bill 101,” has regulated the protection of French since 1977.

The law resolves to make French:

• The main language in public spaces (daily interactions, public services, work, school, businesses, etc.)
• The shared language of different language groups in Québec

In Québec, immigration is a shared responsibility:

• The Québec government selects the vast majority of the immigrants and refugees that settle in the province.

• The government of Canada decides if they can come to the country.

This is why the immigration process involves both governments.

For the government of Québec, immigration helps preserve French in the province:

• Knowledge of French is one of the selection criteria for economic immigration.

• The government offers French classes to immigrants and refugees to help them learn the language.

Immigration contributes to population growth, makes Québec more diverse and stimulates the job market.

Québec society includes various cultures, languages and backgrounds. 

Indigenous peoples

Before the arrival of French and British settlers, the land was home to various Indigenous peoples. Today, Indigenous peoples make up 2.5% of Québec’s population. There are three groups:

• First Nations
• Métis
• Inuit

Each group has their own history, cultural identity and languages.

The Anglophone community

There have been Anglophones living in Québec since the 16th century. Today, Anglophones make up 13% of the population. The vast majority live in the greater Montréal area.

Immigrants and refugees

Québec has welcomed immigrants and refugees from all over the world.

Cities like Montréal are more diverse than small towns and are home to people from many different countries.

In 2021, immigrants and refugees made up 14.6% of the province’s population (17% including people with temporary visas).

On the map below, discover the 10 main countries of origin of people with permanent residency in Québec.

The immigrant and refugee population is also linguistically diverse.

The French spoken in Québec is a variety of French. It is different than the French spoken in Europe or in countries that were colonized by France or Belgium. It is characterized by accents, words, expressions and pronunciations that are typical of the province and some regions of Québec.

In the early 20th century, the Catholic Church was a big part of life in Québec. It played a leading role in education, social assistance and health care.  

Beginning in the 1960s, with the Quiet Revolution, the church lost its influence and stepped back from social and educational institutions. 

Today, the government handles these responsibilities. In this way, it maintains Québec’s secularism. 

The king or queen of England is Canada’s head of state, but they have a symbolic role with no political power.

The premiers of each province and territory of Canada are responsible for their government’s policies and activities.

In Québec, democracy is based on the protection of individual rights and freedoms.

Political freedoms

• Freedom of expression: expressing your opinions without fear of punishment or persecution
• Freedom of association: belonging to a group that defends specific rights (a union, a political party, etc.)
• Freedom of assembly: participating in a protest or gathering without disturbing the peace
• Freedom of religion: choosing and practising your religion without fear of punishment or persecution

Right to gender equality

In Québec, men and women have equal rights in all aspects of life.

This protects women in several ways:

• Right to security, bodily integrity and dignity
• Right to vote
• Access to education and freedom to choose your field of study
• Freedom to choose your job
• Financial independence
• Access to free and legal abortion
• Access to paid parental leave

Right to vote

Liberal democracy is “representative,” since citizens elect their political representatives.

In Québec, Canadian citizens have the right to vote if they:

• Are aged 18 or over
• Have lived in Québec for more than 6 months