Overall
By Low Income
Overall
According to the 2016 Census, the majority of people living in Simcoe Muskoka could speak one or both of Canada’s two official languages, English and French.This included: English only (93% or 495,615), French only (0.1% or 370), and English and French bilingual (6.6% or 35,400). Less than one percent (0.4% or 2,360) of Simcoe Muskoka residents and 2.5% (or 326,935) of Ontario residents could not speak English or French. There was virtually no difference in the reported percentages between 2016 and 2011.
In comparison, the proportion of the population that spoke only English was higher in Simcoe Muskoka (93% or 495,615) than Ontario (86% or 11,455,500). Approximately 0.5% (or 2,730) of Simcoe Muskoka residents and 2.8% (or 366,975) of Ontario residents could not speak English well enough to conduct a conversation in 2016.
In a few Simcoe Muskoka municipalities more than 10% of the population could speak both English and French in 2016. This included Penetanguishene (19.2%), Tiny (17.1%), and Essa (10.7%). Knowledge of neither English nor French was very low in all Simcoe Muskoka municipalities (0.5% or less) except for Bradford West Gwillimbury (2.3%).
By Low Income
According to the Census, 12% (or 61,115 of Simcoe Muskoka’s overall population was living in low income in 2015.
Of the Simcoe Muskoka population that could speak English only, 12% (or 57,350) were living in low income in 2015 based on the Low Income Measure after tax (LIM-AT). Of the population that could only speak French, 15% (or 55) were living in low income. Nine-percent (9% or 3,200) of Simcoe Muskoka’s bilingual (English and French) population and 18% (or 435) of Simcoe Muskoka’s population that speaks neither English nor French were living in low income.
In comparison, of the Ontario population that could speak English only, 14% (or 1,629,635) were living in low income. Of the population that could only speak French, 22% (or 8,800) were living in low income. 11% (or 158,875) of Ontario’s bilingual (English and French) population and 31% (or 101,565) of Ontario’s population that speaks neither English nor French were living in low income.
