A Statistics Canada study finds that immigrant status influences access to health care in one’s preferred official language, but the impact varies by province. In Quebec, English-speaking immigrants, particularly those who arrived after 2017, were more likely to receive hospital care in English than non-immigrants (64% compared with 52%). By contrast, in Ontario and New Brunswick, immigrant status did not significantly affect whether French- or English-speaking minorities received care in their chosen language. The research highlights that while immigration background can matter in certain regions, the strongest determinants of language-concordant care remain proximity to designated hospitals, the local concentration of minority language speakers, and individual comfort in requesting services.
Immigrant status and minority language health care in Canada
