How many immigrants come to Ottawa each year?
In 2001, 8,448 immigrants made Ottawa their new home. This number is up somewhat from the 7,772 who arrived in 2000, and the 6,577 who came in 1999. The increased number of immigrants coming to Ottawa is consistent with the increased number of immigrants coming to Canada (189,922 in 1999 to 250,346 in 2001). As a result, the percentage of Canada's immigrants who settle in Ottawa has remained at about 3% over the past few years.
Compared with other cities such as Toronto or Montreal, the number of immigrants coming to Ottawa each year is relatively small. However, the number of immigrants settling in Ottawa is greater than cities such as London, Winnipeg, and Edmonton, and slightly below the number settling in Calgary.
| Census Metropolitan Area | Population in 2001 | Immigrants Arriving in 2001 | Immigrants Arriving as Percent of Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | 4,682,897 | 125,061 | 2.67 |
| Vancouver | 1,986,965 | 34,165 | 1.72 |
| Montreal | 3,426,350 | 32,366 | 0.94 |
| Calgary | 951,395 | 10,169 | 1.07 |
| Ottawa | 806,096 | 8,448 | 1.05 |
| Edmonton | 937,845 | 4,580 | 0.49 |
| Winnipeg | 671,274 | 3,742 | 0.56 |
| Hamilton | 662,401 | 2,767 | 0.42 |
| London | 432,451 | 1,955 | 0.45 |
| Halifax | 359,183 | 1,381 | 0.38 |
| Source: Census of Canada, 2001 and Citizenship and Immigration Canada | |||