In 2021, the population of the city of Ottawa was 1,017,449. The population of the census metropolitan area, Ottawa-Gatineau, was 1,488,307.
Population history
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. 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%.
Migration and immigration Between 1987 and 2002, 131,816 individuals relocated to the city, which represents 75% of the population growth for that period. Foreign immigration plays a significant role in Ottawa's population growth. 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. Starting in the mid-1800s, Irish settlers of the Ottawa valley develop a distinct dialect referred to as "Ottawa Valley Twang". Traces of "Valley Twang" although rare, can still be heard in the valley's more isolated areas.
The city offers municipal services in both of Canada's official languages (Canadian English and Canadian French). 367,035 people, or 36.45% of Ottawa's population, can speak both languages. As such it is the largest city in Canada where municipal services are offered in both English and French. 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.
Canada Census Mother Tongue - Ottawa, Ontario Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016census Census Total Year ResponsesCountPop % Count Pop % Count Pop % Count Pop % 1,006,965626,13062.18% 22,595 2.24% 126,030 12.52% 232,210 23.06% 934,391594,45163.62% 12,295 1.31% 127,225 13.61% 200,420 21.49% 883,391570,59164.59% 10,755 1.20% 123,925 14.02% 178,120 20.16% 801,275501,87062.63% 6,815 0.85% 119,445 14.90% 173,145 21.60% 763,790485,83063.61% 7,445 0.97% 115,220 15.08% 155,295 20.33% 318,990200,87062.97% 3,335 1.04% 47,115 14.77% 67,670 21.21%
Ethnicity City of Ottawa
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. + Panethnic groups in the City of Ottawa (2001−2021)Panethnicgroup20212016201120062001 European 649,580 652,650 643,750 627,300 617,920 African 84,765 60,205 49,650 39,070 34,645 Middle Eastern 71,435 49,920 39,930 30,160 25,415 South Asian 57,820 38,750 33,805 26,510 21,705 East Asian 52,610 46,340 39,110 34,560 30,625 Southeast Asian 29,280 24,405 24,180 17,510 13,525 Indigenous 26,395 22,960 18,180 12,250 8,625 Latin American 14,350 11,150 10,255 8,075 6,455 Other/Multiracial 14,690 10,470 8,230 5,835 4,870 Total responses 1,000,935 916,860 867,085 801,270 763,790 Total population 1,017,449 934,243 883,391 812,129 774,072
Metro Ottawa + Panethnic groups in Metro Ottawa (2001−2021)Panethnicgroup20212016201120062001 European 1,036,525 981,625 951,160 917,235 888,590 African 114,225 77,995 60,660 45,060 38,185 Middle Eastern 83,730 59,445 47,155 34,685 28,285 South Asian 60,780 39,980 34,795 27,130 22,280 East Asian 57,460 49,660 41,960 36,525 31,980 Indigenous 46,540 38,120 30,565 20,590 13,485 Southeast Asian 32,995 26,440 26,000 19,005 14,740 Latin American 20,625 15,630 14,270 10,630 7,655 Other/Multiracial 17,095 11,815 9,175 6,260 5,560 Total responses 1,464,495 1,300,730 1,215,735 1,117,120 1,050,755 Total population 1,488,307 1,323,783 1,236,324 1,130,761 1,063,664
Future Projections + Pan−ethnic Origin Projections (2041) Ontario side Quebec side TotalPopulationRegional %Municipal % PopulationRegional %Municipal %Population% White 812,00054.79% 42.65% 305,00072.27% 16.02% 1,117,000 58.67% African 180,00012.15% 9.45% 57,00013.51% 2.99% 237,000 12.45% Middle Eastern 137,0009.24% 7.20% 30,0007.11% 1.58% 167,000 8.77% South Asian 140,0009.45% 7.35% 4,0000.95% 0.21% 144,000 7.56% East Asian 100,0006.75% 5.25% 10,0002.37% 0.53% 110,000 5.78% Southeast Asian 60,0004.05% 3.15% 4,0000.95% 0.21% 64,000 3.36% Latin American 27,0001.82% 1.42% 9,0002.13% 0.47% 36,000 1.89% Native 26,0001.75% 1.37% 3,0000.71% 0.16% 29,000 1.52% Projected Population 1,482,000100% 77.84% 422,000100% 22.16% 1,904,000 100%
Religion City of Ottawa In the 2021 Canadian Census, 52.8% of the population belonged to Christian denominations, down from 65.4% in 2011. 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 group20212011200119911981 Christianity 824,655 850,925 833,770 776,905 644,200 Irreligion 462,555 252,795 139,705 93,285 48,050 Islam 114,780 65,880 41,725 17,585 4,325 Hinduism 21,205 12,295 8,150 4,785 2,900 Buddhism 12,185 12,860 9,985 6,015 2,165 Judaism 11,395 10,980 11,325 9,910 8,470 Sikhism 6,730 3,445 2,645 1,575 605 Indigenous spirituality 745 375 Other 10,250 6,185 3,445 2,025 1,205 Total responses 1,464,500 1,215,735 1,050,755 912,100 711,920 Total population 1,488,307 1,254,919 1,063,664 920,857 717,978
Populations per neighbourhood (old City of Ottawa) The following are populations of neighbourhoods that generally correspond to Statistics Canada census tracts.