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As of 2001, Francophones aged 24 years and under make up 25.7% of the province’s total Francophone population or 3.7% of youth in Ontario.

Francophone youth live primarily in Eastern Ontario where they make up 45.8% of the population of young Francophone Ontarians, followed by 25.6% in Northeastern Ontario, 23.5% in Central Ontario, 4.0% in Southwestern Ontario and 1.1% in Northwestern Ontario.

More than half of youth in Eastern Ontario live in Ottawa Division (58.1%) and more than one third in Central and Northeastern Ontario live in Toronto (37.0%) and Greater Sudbury (33.6%) respectively. A proportion of 43.9% of young Francophones are found in the province’s urban centres.

The Francophone youth population is made up of 69,055 women (50.9%) and 66,728 men (49.1%).

More than two thirds of Francophone youth are aged 10 to 24 years: 22.4% from 10 to 14 years, 22.3% from 15 and 19 years and 22.4% from 20 to 24 years. Only 18.8% are aged 5 to 9 years and 14.1%, from 0 to 4 years.

The vast majority of youth are single (98.2%), while a small proportion are married (1.6%). A proportion of 3.6% live in common law relationships.

There are 19,289 (or 14.2%) visible minority Francophone youth compared to 7.8% in the total Francophone population.

Visible minority Francophone youth identify primarily with the Black (39.2%), Chinese (14.5%), South Asian (13.6%), Arab (13.1%) and Latin American (6.1%) minority groups. They live primarily in Central (53.4%) and Eastern (40.5%) Ontario.

In Toronto Division, one in two youths (50.3%) belongs to a visible minority compared to one in five (20.5%) in Ottawa.

Ontario’s Francophones include 13,551 immigrant youth, or 10.0% of the total Francophone population aged 24 and under.

Most Francophone immigrant youth were born in Asia (34.2%), Europe (33.1%) or Africa (19.6%).

The most significant period of immigration for Francophone youth in Ontario is between 1996 and 2001 (41.0%).

The principal places of birth of immigrant youth arriving between 1996 and 2001 are Europe (32.7%), Africa (29.7%) and Asia (29.5%).

Close to half (49.5%) of young Francophones aged 5 to 24 years in Ontario moved compared to 43.3% of the total Francophone population.

The proportion of young external migrants from 5 to 24 years (18.9%) is higher than in the general Francophone population (15.1%).

Toronto Division has the greatest proportion of young Francophone external migrants in the province (50.5%).

Among Francophone youth aged 15 to 24 years, 40,015 (or 65.9%) attend school, 92.1% of them full-time. Proportions are similar in all regions with the exception of Northwestern and Southwestern Ontario, where a greater number of Francophone youth do not attend school, 41.9% and 40.4% respectively.

Young Francophone women have higher levels of education in terms of certificates, diplomas and degrees held, in all fields of study. Hence, 37.7% who have attended university hold a bachelor’s or higher degree compared to 34.9% of all Francophone youth who have done so.

A proportion of 5.6% of Francophone youth have a trade certificate or diploma in Northeastern Ontario, 3.1% in Eastern Ontario and 2.8% in Central Ontario.

The percentage of Francophone youth who have attended college or university is highest in Central Ontario (43.5%), followed by Eastern (42.6%), Southwestern (38.4%), Northwestern (32.7%) and Northeastern (31.1%) Ontario.

The major fields of study of Francophones aged 15 to 24 years who hold a postsecondary qualification with a specialization are: applied science technologies and trades (20.6%), commerce, management and business administration (18.0%), social sciences and related fields (15.9%), educational, recreational and counselling services (9.1%), humanities and related fields (8.6%) and health professions and related technologies (8.5%).

A smaller proportion of young Francophone women are present in applied science technologies and trades (4.4%). Young Francophone women are most present in social sciences and related fields (19.8%), followed by commerce, management and business administration (19.7%), educational, recreational and counselling services (12.9%), health professions and related technologies (11.8%), humanities and related fields (11.5%) and fine and applied arts (8.9%).

Francophone youth in Northeastern Ontario specialize in applied science technologies and trades (30.6%), followed by commerce, management and business administration (15.3%), and social sciences and related fields (15.1%).

Francophone youth in Central and Eastern Ontario specialize in commerce, management and business administration (respectively 19.9% and 18.5%), followed by social sciences and related fields in Central Ontario (16.0%) and applied science technologies and trades in Eastern Ontario (18.4%).

The highest rate of labour force activity among Francophone youth is in Northwestern, Eastern and Southwestern Ontario.

Young Francophones in the labour force work primarily in retail trade (22.3%), accommodation and food services (15.3%), manufacturing (8.0%), public administration (6.7%), administrative and support, waste management and remediation services (5.9%) and health care and social assistance (5.5%).

We note that young Francophone women are employed in retail trade (23.5%) and accommodation and food services (18.5%), followed by health care and social assistance (8.6%), public administration (6.9%), educational services (5.7%) and professional, scientific and technical services (5.0%).

The average employment income of young Francophone Ontarians is $11,024 compared to $35,792 for the total Francophone population. Their average total income is $11,085 compared to $32,518 for the total Francophone population.

Young Francophone women have an average employment income of $9,804 and an average total income of $10,112.

A large proportion of young Francophones in Northeastern Ontario have total incomes of $4,999 and under (42.1%) or from $5,000 to $9,999 (24.5%).

A significant number of youth in Eastern Ontario have incomes between $10,000 and $19,999 (24.1%).

We note that 18.7% of Central Ontario youth have incomes between $20,000 and $39,999.

• Francophone Women
• Francophone Youth
• Francophone Seniors
• Francophone Immigrants
• Francophone Visible Minorities