Photo: TOBound · Public domainIn Matagami, 17% of residents said they have no religion, fewer than in 92% of Canadian towns
Most recent wave: 57% of immigrants arrived in 2011–2021 (Canada’s towns: 27%). On the census count, 2.5% of residents are immigrants. Few places have as many one-person households: 32% here, more than in two thirds of Canadian towns. Matagami is home to some 1,364 people (July 2025 estimate), in 620 households at the 2021 Census.
What stands out about the people of Matagami
Common-law couples
Common-law unions take in 35% of adults, more than in 98% of Canadian towns, while 27% are married. Couples ↓
Fewer people than before
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, Matagami went from 1,453 to 1,402 residents (−4%), slower growth than in 93% of Canadian towns. Population change ↓
Written from the data on this page: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census.
30% of residents speak English and French, more than in 81% of Canadian towns
Every figure here comes from the 2021 Census unless it carries another date. English, French and the other languages people grew up with or speak at home.
Can hold a conversation in · share of all residents
Mother tongue · share of all residents
At home: French 96%, English 2.1%. 1.8% of residents have English as their mother tongue, fewer than in 92% of Canadian towns. Against that, 7.5% of residents speak English and French across Canada’s towns.
Since 2016, Matagami has changed by −4%, slower than 93% of Canadian towns
Residents at the 2016 and 2021 censuses and the latest estimate, with the 2016–2021 change beside other towns.
Change, 2016 to 2021
By July 2025, the estimate was 3% lower.
Only 17% of residents are 65 or over in Matagami
Share of residents in each five-year band; the tick is the typical town.
Residents aged 15 to 24 make up 12%, against 11% across Canada’s towns. 60–64 is the most common age band: nearly one in ten residents. The median age in Matagami is 42, lower than in 51% of Canadian towns. Across Canada’s towns, 19% of residents are 65 or over.
Broad ages · share of residents
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
About 109 men for every 100 women.
2.3 people per household, fewer than in 64% of Canadian towns
Household types, then household sizes.
Against Quebec’s towns and Canada’s towns
People per household
Canada’s towns.
6.5% of households are one-parent families (Canada’s towns: 8.2%).
Matagami ranks above 98% of Canadian towns on common-law partners: 35%
Marital status of residents 15 and over, with common-law couples counted apart.
Marital status · residents 15 and over
In Matagami, 27% of residents 15 and over are married, beside 46% across Canada’s towns. Across Canada’s towns, the share of common-law partners is 11%.
Only 48% of households live in a single-detached house in Matagami
Houses and apartments, owners and renters, older and newer homes. Prices, rents and shelter costs are on Cost of living.
Type of home
Owners and renters · share of households
When homes were built · share of homes
Households in buildings of five or more storeys are rarer here than in nearly three quarters of Canadian towns. Across Canada’s towns, households in single-detached houses come to 64%. Census figures put renter households at 22% in Matagami.
The median household brings in $95,000 a year
Incomes here are for 2020, the year before the census, CERB and other pandemic benefits included. Income per household, before tax, with the groups it falls into.
Households by income · share of households
The middle household in Matagami had $95,000 before tax, 10% above the median across Canada’s towns ($86,000). Across Quebec’s towns the median is $74,000. Pandemic benefits reached 22% of residents with an income, against a typical 28%.
9.1% of residents lived at another address a year earlier, below 71% of Canadian towns
Immigrants by continent of birth and when they arrived, citizenship, and who moved in recently.
Immigrants, by continent of birth · share of all residents; the bar runs to 20%
When immigrants arrived · share of immigrants
Citizenship and moving · share of residents
Residents without Canadian citizenship are rarer here than in 99% of Canadian towns. As a yardstick, just over one in ten residents lived at another address a year earlier across Canada’s towns.
3.6% of residents have an Indigenous identity, more than in 59% of Canadian towns
Visible minority and Indigenous identity, then religion.
Visible minority and Indigenous identity · all residents
Religion · all residents
15% of residents belong to a visible minority across Canada’s towns, against 3.9% in Matagami. Across Canada’s towns, Indigenous residents come to 2.8%.
17% of residents 25 to 64 hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, fewer than in 77% of Canadian towns
Highest certificate, diploma or degree of residents aged 25 to 64.
Highest qualification · residents 25 to 64
Holding no credential: 15% (typical 9.5%). The wider picture: 27% of residents 25 to 64 hold a bachelor’s degree or higher across Canada’s towns.
59% of adults were employed in May 2021
These rates date from May 2021, during the pandemic, and run lower than a normal year’s. The census’s work rates at a glance. Jobs, industries and the commute are on Work & commute.
The employment rate of 59% is close to the typical 58% across Canada’s towns.
Among its 5 nearest neighbours, 3 are older than Matagami
The closest towns, coloured by how old their residents are. The nearest places to Matagami with figures are 92–138 km away.
| Town | People | Away | Median age | 65+ | Immigrants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matagami | 1,364 | — | 42 | 17% | 2.5% |
| Lebel-sur-Quévillon | 2,229 | 91.7 km | 48 | 21% | 4.1% |
| Waswanipi | 1,866 | 119.5 km | 26 | 6.5% | 0% |
| Saint-Félix-de-Dalquier | 1,046 | 125.9 km | 36.8 | 13% | 1% |
| Amos | 12,773 | 136.2 km | 44.4 | 22% | 1.5% |
| Trécesson | 1,240 | 137.5 km | 45.2 | 20% | 0% |
Health, work, housing and schools
What this data can and can’t tell you
- The census’s own words. Indigenous identity, immigrant status and religion are as residents answered them. “Visible minority” follows the Employment Equity Act, meaning people other than Indigenous peoples who are non-white in colour or race. We compare these figures across towns; none is a label for a town.
- Against Quebec’s towns and Canada’s towns. Provincial and national yardsticks: Quebec’s towns and neighbourhoods of at least 2,500 residents, and all Canadian towns of that size. No whole city and no First Nations reserve is in either median.
- What these tables don’t give. The Census Profile has no unpaid care, cars or internet access, and no change by age since 2016; ethnic origins beyond visible minority and Indigenous identity aren’t charted here.
Questions about Matagami’s residents
How diverse is Matagami?
2.5% of residents are immigrants (Canada’s towns: 17%); 3.9% belong to a visible minority and 3.6% have an Indigenous identity.
What religion are people in Matagami?
83% are Christian and 17% have no religion; 0.3% follow another religion.
Is Matagami good for families?
Under 15: 17% (Canada’s towns: 16%). Couple families: 56% of households. One-parent families: 6.5%. Schools near Matagami are on its Schools page.
What is the median income in Matagami?
The median household in Matagami took in $95,000 in 2020, against $86,000 across Canada’s towns.
What is the population of Matagami?
Matagami had about 1,364 residents in July 2025, Statistics Canada estimates; the 2021 Census counted 1,402, 4% fewer than 2016.
What is the average age in Matagami?
A median age of 42. Children under 15 make up 17%, and people 65 and over 17%.
Is Matagami bilingual?
English and French: 30% speak both (Canada’s towns: 7.5%). English only: 0.7%. French only: 69%. French mother tongue: 95%.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population · Statistics Canada, population estimates for 1 July 2025 (table 17-10-0155). Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).