Hamilton is a city located in Ontario, Canada with a current estimated population of 649,392. The population was recorded at 594,074 in the 2021 Canadian Census, and was previously recorded at 553,623 in the 2016 census. This is an annual change in population of 11,064, which is an annual growth rate of 1.35%.
Hamilton is a major port city in Ontario, Canada. Hamilton is known for the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. It’s also a popular site for film and TV production, and it’s quickly gaining a reputation for its thriving art scene. In 2015, Hamilton had an estimated population of 520,000 in the city proper, which makes it the 10th largest city in Canada.
Hamilton proper has a population density of 465 people per square mile (1,205/square mile). The urban area has 670,000 residents while the larger metropolitan area has a population of 721,000, which ranks 9th in the country. The city of Hamilton covers a total surface area of 1,138.11 square kilometers (439.43 square miles).
Data after 2023 is projected based on recent change
The 2006 census found that over 20% of people in Hamilton were born outside of Canada, which is the third-highest foreign-born proportion in the country after Toronto (49%) and Vancouver (39%). Between the 2001 and 2006 census, the foreign-born population of the city grew by almost 8%. Half of the new immigrants who arrived in Hamilton were born in the Middle East and Asia, while 23% were from Europe.
The highest numbers of immigrants came from Italy (9% of immigrants), Poland (5%), India (5%), Portugal (4.5%), Philippines (4%), Croatia (4%), United States (3%), Iraq (3%), China (3%), and Germany (2.5%).
About 30% of residents say English is their only or one of their ethnic origins while 20% report Scottish ancestry. Hamilton also has a high number of people of Irish, Italian, and German descent.
Hamilton has become a major Canadian destination for immigrants since February 2014, when the city council voted to declare it a sanctuary city. Hamilton has a large number of French-speaking people (Francophones). Between 2006 and 2011, the Francophone community in the city grew by 50%.
Christianity is the most common religion in Hamilton at 68% of the population. Catholics are the largest denomination at 34%. Other major Christian denominations are United Church (6.5%), Anglican (6%), Presbyterian (3%), Christian Orthodox (3%), and other (10%). Other common religions in the city are Islam (4%), Buddhist (1%), Sikh (0.8%), and Jewish (0.7%). 25% of the population have no religious affiliation.
