Socio-demographic Data and Population Projections

Demographics and Population Projections

• In 2017, an estimated 996,651 people live in Ottawa. Males account for 49% of the population and females for 51%. [1]

• The median age of Ottawa residents is 40 years; 39 years for men and 41 years for women. [2] The estimated age distribution of the Ottawa population in 2018, 2025 and 2035 is detailed in Figure 1.  The greatest growth in the population will be in the age groups of 40-54 and over 65.
• The proportion of seniors (65 years and over) has increased from 12% in 2006 to 15% in 2016. [2,3] By 2035, it is estimated that seniors will account for over 22% of the population. [1]

Figure 1.  Population distribution as counts for Ottawa in 2016 and projections for 2025 and 2035

Origin and Identity

Indigenous Identity

• In Ottawa, 2.5% of the population identify as Indigenous, that is, First Nations (North American Indian), Métis or Inuk (Inuit), an increase from 1.5% in 2006. [2,3] While the Census provides an estimate of the Indigenous population in Ottawa, Indigenous identity is underestimated. [4]

Please refer to these reports for more information about Indigenous populations in Ottawa: Our Health Counts, My Life, My Wellbeing, Diversity Snapshot: Aboriginal Peoples.  

Visible Minority

• One quarter (26%) of Ottawa residents self-identified as a visible minority in 2016, an increase from 20% in 2006. [2,3]
• Black, Chinese and Arab are the most frequently reported visible minorities. [2]

Immigration

• Twenty-five percent of the Ottawa population was not born in Canada. There are approximately 165,780 immigrants in Ottawa that landed between 1980 and 2016.  [2]
• Three percent of Ottawa residents are recent immigrants (those who immigrated in the past five years). Over half (57%) of recent immigrants to Ottawa came from Asia, with the Philippines and China being the most frequently reported countries of origin.  [2]

Language

• Almost all Ottawa residents are able to have a conversation in either English or French, which has not changed from 2006 (Table 2). 
• English is the most common single language spoken in the home (79%), followed by French (10%). Eleven percent of residents most commonly speak a non-official language in the home. Among this 11%, the most commonly spoken non-official languages are Cantonese, Mandarin, and non-specific Chinese language (21%), Arabic (19%), Spanish (6%), and Persian (Farsi) (4%).  [2]

Education, Employment and Income

• Three-quarters (75%) of Ottawa residents aged 25 to 64 years in private households have a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree, 19% have a secondary school diploma or equivalent, and 6% have no certificate, diploma or degree. [2]
• In 2016, 513,655 Ottawa residents 15 years of age and older were in the labour force, 7.2% of which were unemployed. [2]
• In 2017, the unemployment rate among those aged 15 and older was 6% and for youth specifically (15 to 24 years of age) the unemployment rate was 13%. [5]
• More than one in five (21%) employed Ottawa residents 15 years of age and older are employed in sales and service occupations, 18% are employed in business, finance and administration occupations, and 16% are in occupations in education, law and social, community and government services. [2]
• Ottawa’s median after-tax individual income for people over 15 years was $37,136 in 2015, which increased from $28,945 in 2005. [2,2]
• Median after-tax household income in 2015 was highest for couples with children ($115,637), followed by couples without children ($86,602), lone parents ($56,633), and persons living alone or with non-relatives only ($34,525).  [2]

A household of four in Ottawa is considered low-income when its after-tax income is less than $44,266, based on the low income measure. For a person living alone, the low-income threshold is $22,133. [2]

• Using these measures, 13% of individuals in private households in Ottawa were living in low income households in 2015. [2]
• The prevalence of low income is 16% for those under 18 years of age; 12% for those aged 18 to 64 years; and 9% for those over 65 years of age. [2]

Housing and Shelter

• In 2016, there were 373,755 private dwellings in Ottawa. About two-thirds (65%) of these dwellings are owned, while 35% are rented. The average monthly cost for owned dwellings is $1,505 and for rented dwellings is $1,148. [2]
• The average household size in Ottawa is 2.5 people. [2]
• One quarter (24%) of private households (home owners and those who rent) spend more than 30% of their income on shelter costs. Of those that rent, 42% spend more than 30% of income on shelter, and 16% of renting households are in subsidized housing. Fourteen percent of owner households spend more than 30% of their income on shelter. [2]
• One-person households make up 28% of households in Ottawa. One quarter (25%) of households are married or common-law couples with no children and 40% of households are couple or lone parents. [2]
• The family structure of Ottawa families is predominantly couples with (45%) or without (39%) children. Lone parents make up 16% of families in Ottawa, the majority of which are female lone parents (80%). [2]

Core housing need is a measure that considers suitability, adequacy and affordability of a dwelling. A household living in a dwelling that is unsuitable, inadequate or unaffordable, and whose income level would not allow alternative suitable and adequate housing is considered in a core housing need. [6]

• In 2016, 13% of Ottawa households were in a core housing need. [6]

Urban and Rural Population

• Within Ottawa, the largest population growth in 2017 took place in the suburban centres outside the Greenbelt (2.3% growth from 2016), following the pattern of past years. [7]

• In 2017, the percentage of Ottawa’s population living [7]:
  • downtown was 11% representing an estimated 103,924 people,
  • inside the Greenbelt (outside of downtown) was 55% representing an estimated 430,840 people,
  • in suburban centres was 36% representing an estimated 349,525 people, and
  • in rural areas was 10% representing an estimated 94,884 people.

References

1. Statistics Canada and Ontario Ministry of Finance. Population Projections by County. Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, IntelliHEALTH Ontario. Extracted June 6, 2018.
2. Statistics Canada. 2017. Ottawa, CV [Census subdivision], Ontario and Canada [Country] (table). Census Profile. 2016 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-316-X2016001. Ottawa. Released November 29, 2017. http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E  (accessed November 29, 2017).
3. Statistics Canada. 2007. Ottawa, Ontario (Code3506008) (table). 2006 Community Profiles. 2006 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 92-591-XWE. Ottawa. Released March 13, 2007. http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/index.cfm?Lang=E (accessed October 27, 2017). 
4. City of Ottawa. Diversity Snapshot: Aboriginal Peoples (First Nations, Inuit, Métis). 2010.
5. Statistics Canada. 2017. Table  14-10-0334-01   Unemployment rate, health regions (2017 boundaries) and peer groups. Ottawa [accessed Oct 16, 2018] https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410033401
6. Statistics Canada. 2017. Core Housing Need, 2016 Census of Population, 2016001. Statistics Canada Catalogue no 98-509-X2016001. Ottawa. Version updated Nov 15 2017. Ottawa. [accessed Oct 16, 2018]  https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/chn-biml/index-eng.cfm
7. City of Ottawa. 2018. 2017 Annual Development Report. City of Ottawa, Planning, Infrastructure, and Economic Development [Accessed online Oct 31, 2018] http://app05.ottawa.ca/sirepub/cache/2/woif2dshvtdwso0yy4kefxub/53794411012018101736195.PDF