Demographics of Ottawa

Map of Ottawa showing the francophone concentrations

In 2011, the population of the city of Ottawa was 883,391, an 8.8% increase from 2006. The population of the census metropolitan area was 1,215,735.

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	774,072	+7.3%
2006	812,129	+4.9%
2011	883,391	+8.8%
Sources:

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	337,031	+4.2%
Sources:

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, Africa, Somalia, Iran, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Haiti.

Languages

Bilingualism in Ottawa became official policy in 2002, making all municipal services available in both of Canada's official languages (Canadian English and Canadian French). Nearly 300,000 people, or 37% of Ottawa's population, can speak both languages, As such it is the largest city in Canada with both English and French as co-official languages. Those who identify their mother tongue as English constitute 62.4 percent, while those with French as their mother tongue make up 14.2 percent of the population. In terms of respondents' knowledge of one or both official languages, 59.9 percent and 1.5 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 20.4 percent list languages other than English and French as their mother tongue. These include Arabic (3.2%), Chinese (3.0%), Spanish (1.2%), Italian (1.1%), and many others.

The Algonquian languages have been spoken for centuries by the Indigenous peoples and subsequently by the French 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.

Ethnicities, visible minorities and Aboriginals

Members of visible minority groups (non-white/European) constitute 23.7 percent, while those of Aboriginal origin make up 2.1% of the total population. The largest visible minority groups are: Black Canadians: 5.7%, Chinese Canadians: 4.0%, South Asians: 3.9%, and Arabs: 3.7%. Smaller groups include Southeast Asians, Filipinos, Latin Americans, and West Asians.

Population by ethnicity, 2006
Ethnic origin	Population	Percent
Canadian	227,490	28.4%
English	194,845	24.3%
Irish	180,525	22.5%
French	172,165	21.5%
Scottish	158,340	19.8%
German	67,660	8.4%
Italian	39,230	4.9%
Chinese	34,435	4.3%
Polish	25,685	3.2%
Dutch	22,700	2.8%
First Nations	21,600	2.7%
Indian	20,525	2.6%
Lebanese	17,500	2.1%
Black	16,000	2.0%

Visible minority and Aboriginal population
Population group		Population (2011)	% of total population (2011)	Population (2006)	% of total population (2006)
White		643,755	74.2%	627,300	78.3%
Visible minority group	South Asian	33,805	3.9%	26,510	3.3%
	Chinese	34,855	4%	30,760	3.8%
	Black	49,650	5.7%	39,070	4.9%
	Filipino	10,530	1.2%	7,115	0.9%
	Latin American	10,255	1.2%	8,075	1%
	Arab	32,340	3.7%	24,105	3%
	Southeast Asian	13,650	1.6%	10,395	1.3%
	West Asian	7,590	0.9%	6,055	0.8%
	Korean	2,250	0.3%	2,115	0.3%
	Japanese	2,005	0.2%	1,685	0.2%
	Visible minority, n.i.e.	2,130	0.2%	1,620	0.2%
	Multiple visible minorities	6,100	0.7%	4,215	0.5%
Total visible minority population		205,155	23.7%	161,720	20.2%
Aboriginal group	First Nations	10,310	1.2%	6,575	0.8%
	Métis	6,405	0.7%	4,495	0.6%
	Inuit	705	0.1%	605	0.1%
	Aboriginal, n.i.e.	585	0.1%	415	0.1%
	Multiple Aboriginal identities	175	0%	165	0%
Total Aboriginal population		18,180	2.1%	12,250	1.5%
Total population		867,090	100%	801,270	100%

Religion

In the 2011 Canadian census, 65.4 percent of the population belonged to Christian denominations, the most common being Roman Catholicism at 38.4%. Non-Christian religions are also very well established in Ottawa, the largest being Islam: 6.7%, Hinduism: 1.4%, Buddhism: 1.3%, and Judaism: 1.2%. Approximately one percent of people living in Ottawa, or 8740 persons in 2011, comprised the Statistics Canada category "Other Religions". The largest three groups in rank order are Sikhs (3420), Unitarians (1165) and Baha'is (950), followed by Pagan and Wiccan. These five groups together comprise nearly three quarters of the total number of members of Other Religions. Those with no religious affiliation represent 22.8%, of which approximately 2% are atheist, agnostic and humanist.

Religions in Ottawa-Gatineau (only religions with more than 1% of the population listed)
Religion	%
Christianity	65.4%
Roman Catholicism	38.4%
Anglicanism	6.5%
United Church	6.2%
Christian Orthodox	2.0%
Presbyterianism	1.5%
Baptist	1.2%
Pentecostal	1.1%
Islam	6.7%
Hinduism	1.4%
Buddhism	1.3%
Judaism	1.2%
No religion	22.8%