Burlington's 2026 population is now estimated at 198,805. In 2001, the population of Burlington was 156,873. Burlington has grown by 1,068 in the last year, which represents a 0.54% annual change. These population values and projections come from Statistics Canada Table 17-10-0155-01: Population estimates, July 1, by census subdivision, 2021 boundaries and World Population Review Internal Projections .
Burlington, Ontario was originally known as Burlington Bay, a name given in 1772 by Upper Canada’s first Lieutenant Governor, John Graves Simco. The name comes from the town of Burlington in Yorkshire. Burlington was officially made into a town in 1915 and has remained important for its port and fertile farmland.
As of 2016, the total population of Burlington is 183,314 people with males at 58,845 and females at 64,335. That is a 2.2% increase from the previous census of 2011, in which maintained the total population was 120,569. The population density within the city is 1,625.1 people per square kilometer. The total number of dwellings within Burlington is 51,547, with 50,638 currently occupied. Burlington’s average household size is 2.4 people with 36,150 different families throughout the city.
Burlington is a classic Canadian town and therefore is quite accepting of other cultures. English is the primary language of Burlington, but French is a common language as well. According to the census, 118,415 people speak primarily English within the home. Primarily French-speaking citizens account for 2,105 people, and those that speak fluently in both languages account for 465 people. There is a small number of people – approximately 750 – in Burlington that speak neither English nor French.
Approximately 15,690 people in Burlington come from a minority background. South Asians make up the most significant percentage at 33%. Filipinos make up 5%, Chinese 15%, and Latin American 7%. Individuals from an African background represent 16% of the population, and Arabs 7%, while 17% are part of other minority groups.
A city’s economy is based on the number of people willing and able to work. In Burlington, the unemployment rate is currently just 4.6%, making it much lower than the unemployment percentage of the rest of the province, which is 6.4%. 30% of the total population of Burlington is not currently in the workforce due to age or disability. With an unemployment rate that is lower than the national average and a tiny number of people who are ineligible to work, Burlington is home to a healthy workforce that makes up 67% of the total population.
The people of Burlington mainly use their vehicles to get to and from work. The number of motorists who choose to drive to their place of employment as opposed to any other method is 79.7% of the population – this is higher than the number of motorists in Ontario, which is only 71%. 81% of males choose to drive compared with 77.6% of females. Only 8% of the population in Burlington chooses the public transit system, while those who ride a bike or walk to work account for 4.5% of the total population.
| City | 2026 Pop. ↓ | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto | 3,358,275 | 2.64% |
| Montreal | 1,943,903 | 1.49% |
| Calgary | 1,678,073 | 4.04% |
| Edmonton | 1,284,480 | 3.73% |
| Ottawa | 1,218,903 | 2.59% |
| Winnipeg | 870,032 | 2.33% |
| Brampton | 801,732 | 3.08% |
| Mississauga | 768,794 | 0.55% |
| Vancouver | 751,644 | 1.51% |
| Surrey | 731,630 | 3.99% |
| Hamilton | 652,266 | 1.84% |
| Quebec | 602,025 | 1.58% |
| Halifax | 532,856 | 3.1% |
| London | 508,883 | 2.85% |
| Laval | 466,247 | 1.03% |
| Markham | 376,096 | 1.24% |
| Vaughan | 364,031 | 1.53% |
| Kitchener | 338,883 | 4.62% |
| Saskatoon | 328,613 | 3.32% |
| Burnaby | 309,694 | 3.34% |