New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and the only bilingual province in the country. The provincial Department of Finance estimates that the province's population in 2006 was 729,997 of which the majority is English-speaking but with a substantial French-speaking minority of mostly Acadian origin.
First Nations in New Brunswick include the Mi'kmaq and Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet). The first European settlers, the Acadians are descendants of French settlers and also some of the Indigenous peoples of Acadia, a French colony in modern-day Nova Scotia. The Acadians were expelled by the British in 1755 for refusing to take an oath of allegiance to King George II which drove several thousand Acadian residents into exile in North America, the UK and France during the French and Indian War. (Those American Acadians who wound up in Louisiana, and other parts of the American South, are referred to as Cajuns, although some Cajuns are not of Acadian origin.) In time, some Acadians returned to the Maritime provinces of Canada, mainly to New Brunswick, due to the British prohibiting them from resettling their lands and villages in what became Nova Scotia.
Many of the English-Canadian population of New Brunswick are descended from Loyalists who fled the American Revolution. This is commemorated in the province's motto, Spem reduxit ("hope was restored"). There is also a significant population with Irish ancestry, especially in Saint John and the Miramichi Valley. People of Scottish descent are scattered throughout the province, with high concentrations in the Miramichi and in Campbellton. A small population of Danish origin may be found in New Denmark in the northwest of the province.
Population history
YearPopulationFive Year % changeTen Year % changeRank AmongProvinces1824 74,176 n/a n/a n/a1834 119,457 n/a 61.0n/a1841 156,162 n/a n/a n/a1851 193,800 n/a 24.1 n/a1861 252,047 n/a 30.0 n/a1871 285,594 n/a 13.3 41881 321,233 n/a 12.5 41891 321,263 n/a 0.0 41901 331,120 n/a 3.1 41911 351,889 n/a 6.3 81921 387,876 n/a 10.2 81931 408,219 n/a 5.2 81941 457,401 n/a 12.0 81951 515,697 n/a 12.7 81956 554,616 7.5 n/a 81961 597,936 7.8 15.9 81966 616,788 3.2 11.2 81971 634,560 2.9 6.9 81976 677,250 6.7 9.8 81981 696,403 2.8 9.7 81986 709,445 1.9 4.8 81991 723,900 2.0 3.9 81996 738,133 2.0 4.0 82001 729,498 -1.2 0.8 82006 729,997 0.1 -1.1 82011 751,171 2.9 3.0 82016 747,101 -0.5 2.3 82021 775,610 3.8 3.2 8
Source: Statistics CanadaPopulation urban and rural, by province and territory (New Brunswick) . Statistics Canada, 2005.Canada's population . Statistics Canada. Last accessed September 28, 2006.
Population geography
City Metropolitan Areas City2021201620112006Land area (km2)Density (/km2) Greater Moncton157,717144,810 138,644126,4242,562.4761.5Greater Saint John 130,613126,202127,761122,3893,505.6637.3Greater Fredericton 108,610102,69094,26885,6886,014.6618.1Greater Bathurst 31,38731,11033,48434,1062,100.0514.9Greater Miramichi 27,59327,51828,11528,7737,564.063.6Greater Edmundston 21,14421,95521,90322,4711,582.3614.0Greater Campbellton 13,33014,67917,84217,8781,525.458.7
Cities and towns + Town Population (2011) Population ranking Land area (km2) Area ranking Density (/km2) Density ranking Bathurst 12,275 9 91.86 6 133.6 24 Beresford 4,351 20 19.20 17 226.6 18 Bouctouche 2,423 26 18.34 19 132.1 25 Campbellton 7,385 12 18.66 18 395.7 9 Caraquet 4,169 23 68.26 8 61.1 35 Dalhousie 3,512 24 14.51 23 242.1 17 Dieppe 23,310 4 54.11 11 430.8 6 Edmundston 16,032 8 107.00 5 149.8 23 Florenceville-Bristol 1,639 29 15.61 22 105.0 29 Fredericton 56,224 3 131.67 4 427.0 7 Grand Bay–Westfield 5,117 17 59.86 9 85.5 33 Grand Falls 5,706 14 18.05 20 315.9 13 Hampton 4,292 22 21.00 16 204.3 21 Hartland 947 35 9.63 30 98.4 31 Lamèque 1,432 31 12.45 28 115.1 27 Miramichi 17,811 7 179.93 2 99.0 30 McAdam 1,404 32 14.47 24 97.02 32 Moncton 69,074 2 141.17 3 489.3 2 Nackawic 1,049 34 8.40 32 124.9 26 Oromocto 8,932 11 22.37 15 399.2 8 Quispamsis 17,886 6 57.06 10 313.5 14 Richibucto 1,286 33 11.83 27 108.7 28 Riverview 19,128 5 33.88 13 564.6 1 Rothesay 11,947 10 34.77 12 343.6 12 Sackville 5,558 15 74.32 7 74.8 34 Saint Andrews 1,889 28 8.35 33 226.2 19 Saint John 70,063 1 315.82 1 221.8 20 Saint-Léonard 1,343 32 5.20 34 258.3 16 Saint-Quentin 2,095 27 4.30 35 486.7 3 Shediac 6,053 13 12.50 26 484.4 4 Shippagan 2,603 25 9.94 29 261.9 15 St. George 1,543 30 16.13 21 95.6 32 St. Stephen 4,817 19 13.45 24 358.0 11 Sussex 4,312 21 9.03 31 477.4 5 Tracadie–Sheila 4,933 18 24.65 14 200.1 22 Woodstock 5,254 16 13.41 25 391.7 10
Ethnic origin The information in the following table contains data from the 2021 Candidan census conducted by Statistics Canada.
Of the 233,000 New Brunswickers whose mother tongue is French, the great majority are Acadians. Most have indicated their ethnic origin as French and not as Acadian, so that the number of Acadians shown is much smaller.
Ethnic origin2021 populationPercentCanadian174,91023.0%Irish155,91520.5%English137,14518.1%Scottish134,35017.7%French, n.o.s.(not otherwise specified)118,20515.3%Acadian108,37514.3%German33,2004.4%New Brunswicker22,3652.9%French Canadian18,6502.5%British, n.o.s.16,6302.2%Dutch13,3101.8%First Nations13,5501.8%Mi'kmaq, n.o.s.12,6551.7%European, n.o.s.11,5651.5%Welsh11,5001.5%Métis9,4451.2%Italian8,2551.1%American7,1850.9%North American Indigenous5,6750.7%Québécois5,4150.7%Indian5,6550.7%Filipino4,9600.6%Chinese4,6000.6%Ukrainian4,6000.6%Danish4,1700.5%
Visible minorities and Indigenous peoples
+Visible minority & Indigenous population in New Brunswick (1986–2021)GroupPopulation2021 census2016 census2011 census2006 census2001 census1996 census1991 census1986 census Non-Indigenous / non-visible minority group British Isles 312,925 314,660 353,140 332,265 302,090 358,045 435,715 442,295 French 251,335 193,550 232,915 207,160 210,680 252,130 327,370 319,555 Western European 48,735 49,830 50,725 48,960 40,550 44,440 46,050 38,920 European, & 24,915 81,510 25,815 70,035 115,185 33,895 1,770 1,515 Southern European 16,870 13,450 12,245 11,590 9,765 8,755 7,885 5,980 Northern European 13,705 10,400 10,405 9,610 8,705 7,860 6,515 5,565 Eastern European 13,205 11,595 10,840 9,030 6,320 6,640 6,420 5,175 Total non-Indigenous / non-visible minority population 681,690 676,795 696,085 688,650 693,295 711,765 694,340 685,215 Visible minority group Black 12,155 6,995 4,875 4,455 3,850 3,120 2,880 2,270 South Asian 8,630 2,535 2,445 1,960 1,415 1,220 980 920 Filipino 5,190 1,975 1,100 530 355 245 230 245 Arab 5,055 2,960 1,380 840 575 Chinese 4,090 3,925 2,535 2,445 1,530 1,820 1,405 975 Latin American 2,455 1,290 1,160 715 425 250 300 265 Southeast Asian 1,895 1,225 730 440 305 355 270 390 Korean 1,650 1,685 1,850 620 105 25 80 65 Multiple visible minorities 1,370 675 355 460 275 100 210 80 West Asian 915 735 305 550 180 Visible minority, 550 305 85 155 265 95 10 10 Japanese 250 230 305 165 130 50 140 160 Arab/West Asian 715 2,440 1,885 Total visible minority population 44,205 24,535 17,130 13,345 9,425 7,995 8,945 7,265 Indigenous group First Nations 20,955 17,575 16,120 12,385 11,490 8,780 11,830 8,520 Métis 10,170 10,200 4,845 4,270 4,290 950 980 550 Indigenous responses, 995 755 1,015 710 880 Inuk (Inuit) 685 385 485 185 160 110 445 120 Multiple Indigenous responses 490 475 145 100 165 30 190 Total Indigenous population 33,300 29,380 22,620 17,655 16,990 9,870 13,210 9,380 Total responses 759,195 730,710 735,835 719,650 719,710 729,630 716,495 701,860 Total population 775,610 747,101 751,171 729,997 729,498 738,133 723,900 709,445
Languages
Compared to other provinces, New Brunswick has a relatively even split of English and French-speakers.
As a comparison, the minority language communities of Ontario and Quebec (Franco-Ontarians and English-speaking Quebecers respectively) make up less than 10% of those provinces' populations. With both official language communities so strongly represented, New Brunswick is home to English and French-language hospitals, media, schools and universities. The province also has a high proportion of people that speak both languages, with 246,000 people, or 33.2% of the population speaking English and French (though Francophones make up two-thirds of those who are bilingual).
Language policy is a perennial issue in New Brunswick politics and society. Recurring debates have arisen in regards to duality (the system of parallel English and French-speaking public services), interpretation of the provincial bilingualism policy and specifics of implementation. The extent of the provincial policy on bilingualism means that a new row is never far off in the New Brunswick news cycle. Francophones advocate for full funding of French-language public services and fair representation in public sector employment, while Anglophones fear that the system of duality is financially inefficient, its extent is not worthwhile and that the provincial government's targets for bilingualism in public employment are hurting their chances to work for the government, as Anglophones are less likely than Francophones to be proficient enough in both official languages to use them in employment.
The province's bilingual status is enshrined in federal and provincial law. The Canadian Constitution makes specific mention of New Brunswick's bilingual status and defines the spirit of implementation as one based on community and individual rights (in contrast with the constitutional protections for the other provinces that is limited to individuals). The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms has a number of New Brunswick specific articles and makes specific mention of New Brunswick in each section relating to language. Of particular interest is Article 16.1, which declares that New Brunswick's Anglophone and Francophone communities have equal rights and privileges, including community-specific cultural and educational institutions, Article 18.1, declaring bilingual publication of the Canadian Parliament's works and laws and Article 18.2, specifying that the New Brunswick Legislature will publish its works in English and French. Article 16.1's distinction of linguistic community is important in that it recognizes not only the rights of individuals to use their language, but also demands that the two official language communities have their specific institutions upheld.
In 2012, New Brunswick Francophones scored lower on the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies than their Anglophone counterparts.
Knowledge of languages
The question on knowledge of languages allows for multiple responses. The following figures are from the 2021 Canadian Census, and lists languages that were selected by at least 0.5 percent of respondents. +Knowledge of languages in New BrunswickLanguage2021 English 698,025 French 317,825 Spanish 7,580 Arabic 6,090 Tagalog 4,225
Mother tongue New Brunswick's official languages are shown in bold. Figures shown are for the number of single-language responses and the percentage of total single-language responses. During the 19th century Gaelic was also spoken in Campbellton and Dalhousie. The language died out as a natively-spoken language in the early 20th century.
The 2011 Canadian census showed a population of 751,171. Of the 731,855 single responses to the census question concerning mother tongue, the most commonly reported languages were:Detailed Mother Tongue (186), Knowledge of Official Languages (5), Age Groups (17A) and Sex (3) (2011 Census)