Bringing the world to Ottawa: Top ten places of birth of recent immigrants
| Place of Birth | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| China, People's Republic of | 9,125 | 14.3 |
| Somalia | 3,830 | 6.0 |
| Lebanon | 3,150 | 4.9 |
| Yugoslavia, former* | 3,095 | 4.8 |
| India | 2,720 | 4.3 |
| Philippines | 2,320 | 3.6 |
| Iran | 1,895 | 3.0 |
| United States | 1,850 | 2.9 |
| United Kingdom | 1,550 | 2.4 |
| Viet Nam | 1,480 | 2.3 |
| Total of Top Ten countries | 31,015 | 48.5 |
| All other countries | 32,930 | 51.5 |
| Total | 63,945 | 100.0 |
* Includes Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia, and Yugoslavia. |
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Immigrants from all over the world come to live in Ottawa.They bring with them diverse languages and traditions, as well as education, skills and work experience gained abroad. Among Ottawa's recent immigrants - those arriving in Canada after 1990 - the most common source country is the People's Republic of China, followed by Somalia and Lebanon. Ten countries account for about one-half of Ottawa's recent immigrant population. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of recent immigrants are members of a visible minority.
Immigrants are an Important Part of Ottawa's Labour Force Growth
According to Citizenship and Immigration landing records, 70% of immigrants aged 15 and over who intend to settle in Ottawa also intend to seek employment (the remaining 30% include spouses, students, and retired persons). These new labour force participants make a significant contribution to the growth of Ottawa's workforce. Over the three year period spanning 1999 to 2001, more than 12,000 new immigrants intended to seek employment, accounting for at least 20% of the growth of the Ottawa-Hull labour force. In 2001 new immigrants intending to work accounted for nearly one-third of the region's labour force growth. As impressive as these figures are, they actually under estimate the contribution of immigrants to labour force growth by not counting earlier immigrant children who join the area's labour force after completing their education in Canada.
Through their workforce participation, immigrants make a significant contribution to Ottawa's economy. In 1995, Ottawa's immigrant population generated a total of $2.7 billion dollars in wages, salaries and self-employment income3 - money that feeds back into the community through the purchases of goods and services and contributions to the municipal tax base.
3 According to the 1996 Census, 78,050 Ottawa area immigrants had income from wages and salaries in 1995, averaging $31,259. An additional 11,065 immigrants had self-employment income averaging $21,320. The total aggregate earnings of immigrants is calculated by multiplying average earnings by the number of immigrants with earnings. Return