Demographics of Ottawa

In 2021, the population of the city of Ottawa was 1,017,449.^[1] The population of the census metropolitan area, Ottawa-Gatineau, was 1,488,307.^[2]

Demographics of Ottawa
Population pyramid of Ottawa in 2021
Population	1,017,449 (2021)

Map of Ottawa showing the francophone concentrations

Population history

Current boundaries Year Pop. ±% 1901 101,102 —     1911 123,417 +22.1% 1921 152,868 +23.9% 1931 174,056 +13.9% 1941 206,367 +18.6% 1951 246,298 +19.3% 1956 287,244 +16.6% 1961 358,410 +24.8% 1966 413,695 +15.4% 1971 471,931 +14.1% 1976 520,533 +10.3% 1981 546,849 +5.1% 1986 606,639 +10.9% 1991 678,147 +11.8% 1996 721,136 +6.3% 2001[N 1] 774,072 +7.3% 2006 812,129 +4.9% 2011 883,391 +8.8% 2016 934,243 +5.8% 2021 1,017,449 +8.9% Sources:[5][6][7][8][3][9][10][1]

Former boundaries Year Pop. ±% 1871 21,545 —     1881 27,412 +27.2% 1891 44,154 +61.1% 1901 59,928 +35.7% 1911 87,062 +45.3% 1921 107,843 +23.9% 1931 126,872 +17.6% 1941 154,951 +22.1% 1951 202,045 +30.4% 1956 222,129 +9.9% 1961 268,206 +20.7% 1966 290,741 +8.4% 1971 302,341 +4.0% 1976 304,462 +0.7% 1981 295,163 −3.1% 1986 300,763 +1.9% 1991 313,987 +4.4% 1996 323,340 +3.0% 2001[N 1] 337,031 +4.2% 2006[11] 329,180 −2.3% 2011[11] 337,761 +2.6% 2016[11] 341,998 +1.3% 2021[11] 360,211 +5.3% Sources:[12][13][14][15][16][17][18]

Census metropolitan area Year Pop. ±% 1991 941,814 —     1996 1,010,498 +7.3% 2001 1,067,800 +5.7% 2006 1,133,633 +6.2% 2011 1,236,324 +9.1% 2016 1,371,576 +10.9% 2021 1,488,307 +8.5% Sources:[19][20]

Age and sex

In 2001, females made up 51.2% of the amalgamated Ottawa population, while the median age of the population was 36.7 years of age.^[21] Youths under 15 years of age comprised 18.9% of the total population, while those of retirement age (65 years and older) comprised 11.4%.^[21]

Migration and immigration

Between 1987 and 2002, 131,816 individuals relocated to the city, which represents 75% of the population growth for that period.^[22] Foreign immigration plays a significant role in Ottawa's population growth.^[23] Foreign born residents make up 23.4 percent of Ottawa's population, in which many come from the United Kingdom, China, India, the United States, Lebanon, Pakistan, Somalia, Iran, the Philippines, Vietnam, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Haiti.

Languages

The Algonquian languages have been spoken for centuries by the Indigenous peoples and subsequently by the coureurs des bois and voyageurs of the Ottawa valley during the 1600s and 1700s.^[24] Starting in the mid-1800s, Irish settlers of the Ottawa valley develop a distinct dialect referred to as "Ottawa Valley Twang".^[25] Traces of "Valley Twang" although rare, can still be heard in the valley's more isolated areas.^[26]

The city offers municipal services in both of Canada's official languages (Canadian English and Canadian French).^[27] 367,035 people, or 36.45% of Ottawa's population, can speak both languages.^[9] As such it is the largest city in Canada where municipal services are offered in both English and French.^[28] However, the city is not officially bilingual in law. Those who identify their mother tongue as English constitute 58.18 percent, while those with French as their mother tongue make up 12.52 percent of the population. In terms of respondents' knowledge of one or both official languages, 60.60 percent and 1.42 percent of the population have knowledge of English only and French only, respectively; while 37.2 percent have knowledge of both official languages. An additional 23.06 percent list languages other than English and French as their mother tongue. These include Arabic (4.33%), Chinese (3.32%), Spanish (1.4%), Italian (0.79%), and many others.^[29]

Canada Census Mother Tongue - Ottawa, Ontario [30]
Census		Total		French					English					French & English					Other
Year		Responses		Count	Trend	Pop %	Increase (% pts)		Count	Trend	Pop %	Increase (% pts)		Count	Trend	Pop %			Count	Trend	Pop %	Increase (% pts)
2021		1,006,965		126,030	-0.94%	12.52%	-1.09%		585,865	4.23%	58.18%	-1.97%		22,595	83.77%	2.24%	.93%		232,210	15.86%	23.06%	1.57%
2016		934,391		127,225	2.66%	13.61%	-.41%		562,070	3.31%	60.15%	-1.43%		12,295	14.31%	1.31%	.11%		200,420	12.52%	21.49%	1.33%
2011		883 391		123,925	3.75%	14.02%	-.88%		544,045	8.4%	61.58%	-1.05%		10,755	57.89%	1.2%	.35%		178,120	2.87%	20.16%	-1.44%
2006		801 275		119,445	3.67%	14.9%	-.18%		501,870	3.3%	62.63%	-.97%		6,815	8.46%	0.85%	-.12%		173,145	11.51%	21.6%	1.27%
2001		763 790		115,220	144.55%	15.08%	.31%		485,825	147%	63.6%	1.85%		7,445	123.23%	0.97%	-.07%		155,295	129.59%	20.33%	-.88%
1996		318 990		47,115	n/a	14.77%	n/a		196,980	n/a	61.75%	n/a		3,335	n/a	1.04%	n/a		67,670	n/a	21.21%	n/a

Ethnicity

City of Ottawa

Pie chart of the ethnic breakdown of Ottawa from the 2021 census.^[31]

1. European (64.9%)
2. Black (8.5%)
3. Arab (5.8%)
4. South Asian (5.8%)
5. Chinese (4.6%)
6. Indigenous (2.6%)
7. Southeast Asian (1.5%)
8. Filipino (1.4%)
9. Latin American (1.4%)
10. West Asian (1.3%)
11. Multiple visible minorities (1.1%)
12. Korean (0.4%)
13. Visible minority not included elsewhere (0.4%)
14. Japanese (0.2%)

Members of visible minority groups (non-white/European) constitute 32.5 percent, while those of Indigenous origin make up 2.6% of the total population. The largest visible minority groups are: Black Canadians: 8.5%, Arab Canadians: 5.8%, South Asian Canadians: 5.8%, and Chinese Canadians: 4.6%. Smaller groups include Southeast Asians, Filipinos, Latin Americans, and West Asians.^[31]

Panethnic groups in the City of Ottawa (2001−2021)

Panethnic group	2021[31]		2016[32]		2011[33]		2006[34]		2001[35]
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
European[a]	649,580	64.9%	652,650	71.18%	643,750	74.24%	627,300	78.29%	617,920	80.9%
African	84,765	8.47%	60,205	6.57%	49,650	5.73%	39,070	4.88%	34,645	4.54%
Middle Eastern[b]	71,435	7.14%	49,920	5.44%	39,930	4.61%	30,160	3.76%	25,415	3.33%
South Asian	57,820	5.78%	38,750	4.23%	33,805	3.9%	26,510	3.31%	21,705	2.84%
East Asian[c]	52,610	5.26%	46,340	5.05%	39,110	4.51%	34,560	4.31%	30,625	4.01%
Southeast Asian[d]	29,280	2.93%	24,405	2.66%	24,180	2.79%	17,510	2.19%	13,525	1.77%
Indigenous	26,395	2.64%	22,960	2.5%	18,180	2.1%	12,250	1.53%	8,625	1.13%
Latin American	14,350	1.43%	11,150	1.22%	10,255	1.18%	8,075	1.01%	6,455	0.85%
Other/Multiracial[e]	14,690	1.47%	10,470	1.14%	8,230	0.95%	5,835	0.73%	4,870	0.64%
Total responses	1,000,935	98.38%	916,860	98.14%	867,085	98.15%	801,270	98.66%	763,790	98.67%
Total population	1,017,449	100%	934,243	100%	883,391	100%	812,129	100%	774,072	100%
Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses

Metro Ottawa

Panethnic groups in Metro Ottawa (2001−2021)

Panethnic group	2021[36][37]		2016[38]		2011[39]		2006[40]		2001[41]
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
European[f]	1,036,525	70.78%	981,625	75.47%	951,160	78.24%	917,235	82.11%	888,590	84.57%
African	114,225	7.8%	77,995	6%	60,660	4.99%	45,060	4.03%	38,185	3.63%
Middle Eastern[b]	83,730	5.72%	59,445	4.57%	47,155	3.88%	34,685	3.1%	28,285	2.69%
South Asian	60,780	4.15%	39,980	3.07%	34,795	2.86%	27,130	2.43%	22,280	2.12%
East Asian[c]	57,460	3.92%	49,660	3.82%	41,960	3.45%	36,525	3.27%	31,980	3.04%
Indigenous	46,540	3.18%	38,120	2.93%	30,565	2.51%	20,590	1.84%	13,485	1.28%
Southeast Asian[d]	32,995	2.25%	26,440	2.03%	26,000	2.14%	19,005	1.7%	14,740	1.4%
Latin American	20,625	1.41%	15,630	1.2%	14,270	1.17%	10,630	0.95%	7,655	0.73%
Other/Multiracial[e]	17,095	1.17%	11,815	0.91%	9,175	0.75%	6,260	0.56%	5,560	0.53%
Total responses	1,464,495	98.4%	1,300,730	98.26%	1,215,735	98.33%	1,117,120	98.79%	1,050,755	98.79%
Total population	1,488,307	100%	1,323,783	100%	1,236,324	100%	1,130,761	100%	1,063,664	100%
Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses

Religion

City of Ottawa

In the 2021 Canadian Census,^[42] 52.8% of the population belonged to Christian denominations, down from 65.4% in 2011.^[43] Catholics were the most common at 30.4%, down from 38.4% in 2011. Protestants were 11.4% of the population (19.5% in 2011), while Christian orthodox were 2.1% and Christians of no specified denomination were 6.4%. Other Christian/Christian related traditions (Including Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses) made up 2.5%. Non-Christian religions are also very well established in Ottawa, the largest being Islam: 9.9% (6.7% in 2011), Hinduism: 2% (1.4% in 2011), Buddhism: 1.2% (1.3% in 2011), and Judaism: 1.1% (1.2% in 2011.) Residents with no religion and/or secular perspectives make up 31.6% of Ottawa's population, up from 21.8% in 2011.

Religions in the City of Ottawa (only religions with more than 1% of the population listed)
Religion	%
Christianity	52.8%
Catholicism	30.4%
Anglicanism	4.1%
United Church	3.4%
Christian Orthodox	2.1%
Pentecostal (and other Charismatic)	1.2%
Islam	9.9%
Hinduism	2.0%
Others	1.5%
Buddhism	1.2%
Judaism	1.1%
No religion	31.6%

Metro Ottawa

Religious groups in Metro Ottawa (1981−2021)

Religious group	2021[44]		2011[45]		2001[46]		1991[47][48]		1981[49][50]
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Christianity	824,655	56.31%	850,925	69.99%	833,770	79.35%	776,905	85.18%	644,200	90.49%
Irreligion	462,555	31.58%	252,795	20.79%	139,705	13.3%	93,285	10.23%	48,050	6.75%
Islam	114,780	7.84%	65,880	5.42%	41,725	3.97%	17,585	1.93%	4,325	0.61%
Hinduism	21,205	1.45%	12,295	1.01%	8,150	0.78%	4,785	0.52%	2,900	0.41%
Buddhism	12,185	0.83%	12,860	1.06%	9,985	0.95%	6,015	0.66%	2,165	0.3%
Judaism	11,395	0.78%	10,980	0.9%	11,325	1.08%	9,910	1.09%	8,470	1.19%
Sikhism	6,730	0.46%	3,445	0.28%	2,645	0.25%	1,575	0.17%	605	0.08%
Indigenous spirituality	745	0.05%	375	0.03%	—	—	—	—	—	—
Other	10,250	0.7%	6,185	0.51%	3,445	0.33%	2,025	0.22%	1,205	0.17%
Total responses	1,464,500	98.4%	1,215,735	96.88%	1,050,755	98.79%	912,100	99.05%	711,920	99.16%
Total population	1,488,307	100%	1,254,919	100%	1,063,664	100%	920,857	100%	717,978	100%

Populations per neighbourhood (old City of Ottawa)

The following are populations of neighbourhoods that generally correspond to Statistics Canada census tracts.

Neighbourhood	Population (2021)	Population (2016)	Population (2011)	Population (2006)	Population (2001)[51]	Population (1996)[52]	Population (1991)[52]	Area (km2)	Density (per km2)	Census tract(s)
Alta Vista (west)	10,567	9,973	10,197	9,459	9,154	8,901	8,923	4.76	2220.0	5050006.00[53] 5050005.00[54]
Bel-Air Heights-Bel-Air Park-Braemar Park-Copeland Park	9,441	8,968	8,967	8,613	9,177	9,329	9,671	2.66	3549.2	5050023.01[55][56] and 5050024.00[57][58]
Britannia-Michele Heights-Lincoln Heights-Belltown	11,541	11,292	11,469	11,435	12,088	12,144	11,749	2.80	4121.8	5050029.00[59][60] and 5050030.00[61][62]
Carleton Heights (south)	2,901	2,888	2,872	2,365	2,437	2,435	2,477	1.51	1921.2	5050020.02[63]
Carlington	12,384	11,638	11,882	11,512	12,593	12,210	12,283	3.88	3191.8	5050021.00[64][65] and 5050022.00[66][67]
Carlingwood	3,622	3,558	3,376	3,336	3,309	3,193	3,165	0.78	4643.6	5050032.01[68][69]
Carson Meadows-Rockcliffe Mews-Carson Grove (Quarries)	6,158	5,786	5,561	5,638	4,418	4,220	3,978	1.84	3346.7	5050062.01[70]
Central Park	3,970	3,888	3,832	3,403	1,680	N/A[N 2]		0.91	4362.6	5050023.02[71][72]
Centretown (incl. Golden Triangle)	25,687	23,823	21,536	20,513	21,159	20,293	19,238	2.08	12349.5	5050040.00[73] 5050039.00[74] 5050038.00[75] 5050037.00[76] (5050037.01 and 5050037.02 in 2021) 5050049.00[77]
Centretown West (Dalhousie; incl. Glebe Annex)	12,601	11,536	12,022	11,915	12,786	12,266	12,170	1.94	6495.4	5050041.00[78] 5050042.00[79] 5050035.00[80]
Civic Hospital	3,564	3,631	3,656	3,440	3,483	3,628	3,533	1.28	2784.4	5050034.00[81]
Downtown	5,501	4,876	4,123	3,718	3,620	3,743	3,380	1.26	4365.9	5050048.00[82]
Elmvale Acres	3,313	3,271	3,280	3,254	3,354	3,438	3,469	1.03	3216.5	5050009.00[83]
Forbes	5,549	5,304	5,345	5,283	5,457	5,042	5,327	1.37	4050.4	5050061.00[84]
Foster Farm-Queensway Terrace North-Britannia Heights	6,826	6,649	6,844	6,800	7,192	6,798	6,573	1.97	3465.0	5050028.00[85][86]
The Glebe	11,922	11,559	11,184	10,886	11,369	11,224	11,375	2.56	4657.0	5050019.00[87] 5050018.00[88] 5050036.00[89]
Greenboro	11,965	12,095	12,113	11,314	9,884	8,548	[N 3]	3.95	3029.1	5050001.05[90] 5050001.06[91]
Hawthorne Meadows	3,975	3,866	3,787	3,938	4,249	4,124	4,102	0.63	6309.5	5050010.00[92]
Heron Gate-Ellwood (incl. Banff-Ledbury, Heatherington)	13,085	12,663	12,694	12,203	13,119	12,180	11,680	2.43	5384.8	5050007.02[93] 5050001.01[94]
Heron Park	4,147	3,824	3,829	3,891	3,929	3,752	3,818	1.88	2205.9	5050004.00[95]
Highland Park-McKellar Park-Woodroffe North	11,237	11,121	10,331	9,873	9,969	9,859	9,707	2.88	3901.7	5050033.01[96][97] and 5050032.02[98][99]
Hintonburg-Mechanicsville	10,217	9,282	9,041	8,908	9,588	9,200	8,322	1.70	6010.0	5050046.00[100] 5050043.00[101]
Hunt Club Estate	5,194	5,116	5,090	4,982	5,185	3,845	[N 4]	1.37	3,791.2	5050002.05[102]
Hunt Club Park	8,556	8,825	8,937	8,903	8,956	8,056	5,033	5.58	1533.3	5050001.08[103] 5050001.07[104]
Hunt Club Woods	2,666	2,609	2,673	2,781	2,565	3,887	[N 4]	4.49	593.8	5050002.06[105]
Laurentian View (Hampton-Iona)	3,630	3,198	2,852	2,782	2,943	2,951	2,950	1.02	3558.8	5050033.02[106][107]
LeBreton Flats	847	620	373	57	50	45	56	0.84	1008.3	5050047.00[108]
Lower Town-ByWard Market	13,529	12,856	12,183	11,377	11,134	10,463	10,550	2.06	6567.5	5050055.00[109] 5050054.00[110] 5050056.00[111] 5050053.00[112]
Manor Park	8,070	7,716	7,665	7,652	7,970	8,055	7,437	2.90	2782.8	5050059.00[113] 5050060.00[114]
New Edinburgh-Lindenlea	5,634	5,385	5,311	5,459	5,260	5,371	5,264	1.42	3967.6	5050057.00[115][116] 5050058.00[117][118]
Ottawa East (north)	6,273	5,190	5,110	4,907	5,865	4,458	4,467	1.11	5651.4	5050015.00[119]
Ottawa South-Rideau Gardens	8,739	8,638	8,462	8,168	8,160	8,027	8,108	2.03	4304.9	5050017.00[120] 5050016.00[121]
Overbrook-Castle Heights	10,258	9,289	9,650	9,437	9,839	9,579	9,411	3.04	3374.3	5050013.00[122] 5050012.00[123]
Playfair Park	2,463	2,230	2,254	2,271	2,343	2,126	2,126	0.84	2932.1	5050007.01[124]
Quinterra	1,346	1,381	1,363	1,104	911	50	26	1.18	1140.7	5050002.04[125]
Redwood	3,896	3,856	3,817	4,095	4,293	4,190	4,394	0.75	5194.7	5050027.00[126][127]
Rideauview-Courtland Park	5,720	5,008	5,504	5,792	6,537	5,963	5,800	5.75	994.8	5050020.01[128]
Ridgeview-Parkway Park-Queensway Terrace South-Kenson Park	5,542	5,367	5,355	5,448	5,635	5,611	5,396	2.22	2496.4	5050026.00[129][130]
Riverside Park (north)	4,692	4,617	4,564	4,581	5,211	4,655	5,064	3.20	1466.3	5050003.00[131]
Riverside Park South-Mooney's Bay	3,030	2,885	2,893	2,923	3,086	3,220	3,406	2.58	1174.4	5050002.01[132]
Riverview-Sheffield Glen-Eastway Gardens	16,587	15,564	15,544	15,177	15,600	14,747	14,498	11.07	1498.4	5050011.03[133] 5050011.04[134] 5050011.01[135]
Sandy Hill	12,871	12,070	12,451	12,078	13,232	12,697	11,938	2.07	6217.9	5050050.00[136] 5050051.00[137] 5050014.00[138] 5050052.00[139]
South Keys	2,865	2,718	2,849	2,777	2,982	2,859	[N 3]	1.36	2106.6	5050001.04[140]
Urbandale (Canterbury)	4,836	4,622	4,597	4,686	4,788	4,863	4,906	1.55	3120.0	5050008.00[141]
Urbandale Acres-Guildwood Estates	3,723	3,731	3,719	3,786	3,877	3,929	4,141	1.21	3076.9	5050007.03[142]
Viscount Alexander Park (CFB Rockcliffe, Wateridge, Fairhaven)	2,737	1,686	1,724	2,069	2,870	3,395	2,907	4.77	573.8	5050062.02[143]
Wellington Village (Hampton Park)	2,525	2,547	2,564	2,409	2,493	2,451	2,394	0.68	3713.2	5050044.00[144][145]
Western Community (Hunt Club Chase)	3,445	3,470	3,511	3,575	3,520	3,681	3,724	1.52	2266.4	5050002.02[146]
Westboro Village-Westboro Beach-Champlain Park	9,061	8,450	8,135	7,396	6,912	6,847	6,082	3.27	2770.9	5050045.00[147][148] (5050045.01 and 5050045.02 in 2021)
Whitehaven-Glabar Park-McKellar Heights	5,749	5,514	5,329	5,506	5,388	5,419	5,376	2.48	2318.1	5050025.00[149]
Woodpark	5,554	5,349	5,341	5,305	5,392	5,354	5,409	1.11	5003.6	5050031.00[150][151]

Notes

1. In early 2001, the Province of Ontario dissolved the former City of Ottawa by amalgamating it with eleven other municipalities to form a new City of Ottawa. The 1996 adjusted population of the amalgamated city published in the 2001 census was 721,136,^[3] while the population of the dissolved former City of Ottawa in 2001 was 337,031.^[4]
2. Central Park's Census Tract did not exist during these censuses. The neighbourhood was built in the late 1990s
3. Greenboro and South Keys combined were in the same Census Tract with a population of 10,468
4. Hunt Club Estate and Hunt Club Woods/Uplands combined were in the same Census Tract with a population of 7,716

1. Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
2. Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
3. Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
4. Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
5. Statistic includes total responses of "Visible minority, n.i.e." and "Multiple visible minorities" under visible minority section on census.
6. 2001-2016: Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
   
   2021: Statistic includes all persons belonging to the non-indigenous and non-visible minority “White” population group.