The demographics of Ottawa

Ottawa’s demographics reflect the city’s particular standing — both federal capital and Canada’s largest bilingual centre, where public services are provided in both English and French. According to the 2021 Canadian census carried out byStatistics Canada, the city’s population reached 1,017,449, passing the 1 million mark for the first time and becoming one of five Canadian cities with a seven-figure population. This is an important milestone in Ottawa’s demographic history.

The Ottawa-Gatineau Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) — including the city of Gatineau on the Quebec side — has a total population of 1,488,307, ranking fourth in Canada after Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. It is the country’s largest interprovincial metropolitan area, its boundary defined by the Ottawa River dividing the two provincesOntarioandQuebec.

Ottawa’s population growth over the periods

The city’s population has grown continuously since its founding in 1867, with periods of rapid growth after the Second World War when the population rose 30.4% in the period 1951–1956 because of the post-war baby boom and the expansion of the federal administrative machinery. In early 2001, the Province of Ontario merged the old city with 11 neighbouring municipalities into the new City of Ottawa, raising the administrative area to 2,788.2 km² and reshaping Ottawa’s demographics.

Compared with earlier censuses, the city’s population has risen from 721,136 (1996, adjusted) to 774,072 (2001), 812,129 (2006), 883,391 (2011), 934,243 (2016) and reached 1,017,449 in 2021. The 8.9% increase in the period 2016–2021 was around four times Toronto’s increase over the same period — reflecting the particular appeal of the capital and the character of Ottawa’s demographics to both international immigration and internal migration from other provinces.

The city’s population density reached 364.9 per km² in 2021. The density of the 8,046.99 km² Ottawa-Gatineau CMA, meanwhile, is 185 per km². Government of Ontario projections indicate that the capital region’s population may reach 1.9 million by 2041, with 77.75% living on the Ontario side and 22.25% on the Quebec side — a significant change for Ottawa’s demographics over the next two decades.

Age and sex structure in Ottawa’s demographics

The city’s median age in 2021 was 40.1 — below the Ontario provincial and Canada-wide averages, reflecting a relatively young population compared with other areas. Young people under 15 accounted for 16.7% of the total population on 2016 figures, while the retirement group (65 and over) accounted for 15.4%. This is an important feature of Ottawa’s demographics.

The trend towards an ageing population is clear across the census cycles. Fifty years ago, the proportion of the population under 19 was 40%, but by 2016 this had fallen to just 23%. Conversely, the proportion over 65 rose from 7% to 15% over the same period, and is projected to reach 20% by 2031. This trend in Ottawa’s demographics matches the general ageing trend in Canada and developed countries.

On sex structure, women accounted for 51.2% of the population after the 2001 amalgamation, a relatively balanced level characteristic of Canada’s major cities. Household structure in Ottawa’s demographics shows 407,252 occupied households out of a total of 427,113 private dwellings, with an average household size of around 2.5 — below the national average because of the high proportion of single people and childless couples in the central area.

Immigration and the immigrant population in Ottawa’s demographics

Immigration plays a decisive role in the capital’s population growth. At the 2021 census, the city had 259,215 immigrants (born outside Canada), accounting for 25.9% of the total population — meaning one in four residents was born abroad. In the period 1987–2002, 131,816 people migrated to the city, accounting for 75% of population growth in that period.

The countries with the most immigrants living in the city at the 2021 census were China (20,320, 7.8%), India (16,200, 6.2%), the United Kingdom (14,760, 5.7%), Lebanon (11,900, 4.6%), the Philippines (10,505, 4.1%), the United States (8,795, 3.4%), Haiti (6,710, 2.6%), Syria (6,370, 2.5%), Vietnam (6,155, 2.4%) and Iran (6,000, 2.3%). This list shows the diversity of origins in Ottawa’s demographics.

On Ottawa Insights’ regional analysis, 45% of immigrants come from Asia and the Middle East, while Europe accounts for 26%, with Africa and Latin America making up the remainder. This trend differs significantly from earlier decades, when Europe predominated overwhelmingly in Ottawa’s demographics.

Compared with Toronto or Vancouver, the capital is not a leading destination for new immigrants but still attracts significant numbers thanks to job opportunities in the public sector, information technology and education. Vietnamese readers interested in settling there may consult routes such asExpress Entry, Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)orresidence by investment in Canada.

Ethnic composition in Ottawa’s demographics

The city’s ethnic composition is highly diverse and has changed rapidly over the past two decades. At the 2021 census, the population was classified into pan-ethnic groups in the following proportions: those of European origin accounted for 64.9% (649,580), African Canadians 8.47% (84,765), Middle Eastern 7.14% (71,435), South Asian 5.78% (57,820), East Asian 5.26% (52,610), South-East Asian 2.93%, Indigenous 2.64%, and Latin American 1.43%.

Compared with 2001 when those of European origin accounted for 80.9% of the population, this proportion had fallen considerably to 64.9% by 2021 — reflecting a profound trend towards diversification in Ottawa’s demographics. Conversely, visible minorities who are not white/European rose from around 18% in 2001 to 32.5% in 2021. Indigenous people (First Nations, Inuit, Métis) also rose from 1.13% to 2.64%, partly because of improved awareness of Indigenous identity and refined census methods.

On specific ethnocultural origins in Ottawa’s demographics, the Irish are the largest group at around 192,245 (19.2%), followed by the Scottish at 160,255 (16%) and the English at 156,485 (15.6%). This reflects the historical legacy of a region settled by waves of English, Irish and Scottish immigration in the 19th century. Other diverse communities include French Canadians, Germans, Italians, Lebanese, Chinese and Indians.

Projections to 2041 indicate that the proportion of those not in a minority group (mainly of European origin) will fall to 58.6% across the CMA, while the African (12.43%), Middle Eastern (8.76%), South Asian (7.56%) and East Asian (5.77%) groups will continue to grow. This profound diversification trend will reshape the capital’s social face and Ottawa’s demographics over the next two decades.

Language and bilingualism in Ottawa’s demographics

The capital is the largest city in Canada providing public services in both official languages — English (Canadian English) and French (Canadian French). At the 2021 census, 58.18% of the population gave English as their mother tongue, 12.52% gave French, and 23.06% had another mother tongue. 2.24% declared both English and French as mother tongues.

A notable feature of Ottawa’s demographics is the high proportion who know both official languages. There are 367,035 people — equivalent to 36.45% of the population — able to speak both English and French. This figure is among the highest in Canada, after only some Quebec cities. The city provides municipal services in both languages although it is not officially designated bilingual under Ontario provincial law.

Broken down by knowledge of official languages: 60.60% of the population knows only English, 1.42% only French, and 37.2% both languages. The most common non-official languages in Ottawa’s demographics are Arabic (4.33%), Chinese (3.32%), Spanish (1.4%), Italian (0.79%), Tagalog, Vietnamese and Persian. This linguistic diversity reflects waves of immigration from many sources over the past two decades.

The region’s linguistic history has deep roots in the Algonquian languages spoken by Indigenous people and later by the coureurs des bois (fur trappers) and voyageurs in the 17th and 18th centuries — the earliest layers of Ottawa’s demographics. From the mid-19th century, Irish settlers in the Ottawa Valley developed a distinctive dialect known as the “Ottawa Valley Twang”, traces of which can still be heard in isolated areas.

Religion and belief in Ottawa’s demographics

Religion in the city has changed markedly over the past three decades along trends of secularisation and diversification. At the 2021 census, 52.8% of the population followed Christian denominations — down considerably from 65.4% in 2011. Of these, Roman Catholicism is the largest denomination at 30.4% (down from 38.4% in 2011), Protestantism 11.4% (down from 19.5%), Orthodoxy 2.1%, and other Christian denominations (including Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses) 2.5%.

Islam is the largest non-Christian religion at 9.9% of the population — a sharp rise from 6.7% in 2011, reflecting waves of immigration from Middle Eastern, North African and South Asian countries shaping Ottawa’s demographics. Hinduism accounts for 2% (up from 1.4%), Buddhism 1.2% (slightly down from 1.3%), and Judaism 1.1% (down from 1.2%). Other smaller religions include Sikhism, Tibetan Buddhism and Indigenous spirituality.

Most notably in Ottawa’s demographics, the group with no religion rose from 21.8% in 2011 to 31.6% in 2021, becoming the second largest group after Catholicism. This secularisation trend reflects the general trend in Canada and developed countries, and is particularly evident in major cities and among young people. Younger generations increasingly do not identify with any particular religion, although many still hold personal spiritual values.

The capital’s religious diversity is evident in the presence of the Catholic Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Protestant Christ Church Cathedral, Greek and Russian Orthodox churches, several mosques (including the Ottawa Main Mosque), Hindu temples and Buddhist pagodas — testament to the peaceful coexistence of many faith communities.

Population distribution by area in Ottawa’s demographics

The city’s population is unevenly distributed across neighbourhoods with widely varying densities. Centretown (including the Golden Triangle) has 25,687 inhabitants across 2.08 km², an extremely high density of 12,349.5 per km² — this is the most central area, concentrating federal office towers and high-rise apartment blocks. Other densely populated neighbourhoods are Centretown West (12,601), Sandy Hill (12,871, mainly University of Ottawa students), and Lower Town-ByWard Market (13,529).

Heron Gate-Ellwood has 13,085 inhabitants with many diverse immigrant communities — a hotspot of multiculturalism in Ottawa’s demographics. Riverview-Sheffield Glen-Eastway Gardens has 16,587 inhabitants — the most populous neighbourhood in the city in absolute terms. Carlington with 12,384 and Overbrook-Castle Heights with 10,258 are also large neighbourhoods. Suburbs such as Barrhaven, Kanata and Orléans are growing quickly, attracting young families thanks to reasonable house prices and good schools.

By contrast, the outer areas of the city have far lower densities. LeBreton Flats has only 847 inhabitants across 0.84 km² — an area currently being redeveloped with many mixed commercial-residential projects. Viscount Alexander Park (including CFB Rockcliffe) has 2,737 inhabitants across 4.77 km². Ottawa’s vast rural area — comprising the villages of West Carleton, Osgoode and Rideau — accounts for more than 90% of the administrative area but only around 10% of the population, giving Ottawa’s demographics a distinctive character compared with other Canadian cities.

Households and income in Ottawa’s demographics

Household structure reflects the capital’s modern urban character. Average household size is around 2.5, with a high proportion of single-person households and childless couples in the centre, while the suburbs have a high proportion of households with young children. The city’s average household income is among the highest in Canada thanks to the concentration of well-paid and secure federal public service jobs.

On Statistics Canada figures, average household income in the city is around 15–20% above the national average. The poverty rate in Ottawa’s demographics is relatively low, with most areas middle-class and upper-middle-class. However, some areas such as Heron Gate, South Vanier and Ledbury-Banff have higher poverty rates and a concentration of newly arrived immigrant communities.

Education is a striking feature of Ottawa’s demographics — the capital has the highest proportion of the population with a university qualification of any Canadian CMA. This reflects the demand for highly skilled labour in the federal public sector, major universities such as the University of Ottawa and Carleton University, and national research institutions such as the National Research Council.