Internet usage in Canada - Statistics & Facts

With nearly 35 million internet users, Canada counts among the most prominent online markets in the Americas. This figure is equivalent to 92 percent of the country’s population. Additionally, digital audiences in Canada are projected to grow to around 38 million online users, or over 94 percent of the population by 2028. Broadband connections dominated the Canadian market.

Mobile internet usage in Canada

In Canada mobile internet usage has long exceeded the reach of other devices used to go online. As of January 2023, 86 percent of online adults in the country accessed the internet via any mobile phone. Canadians often used their mobile phones for social media, e-mail, and instant messaging, with Facebook Messenger being the most popular messaging platform.

Internet as an essential part of daily life

Canadians, like most worldwide internet users, extensively consume online content. In the third quarter of 2022, the average Canadian spent 6.5 hours per day online. Furthermore, online users spend more than three hours watching TV via live broadcast or streaming. E-mail was by far the most widely performed online activity, mentioned by nearly 85 percent of Canadian internet users as of March 2023, followed by online banking and social media. More than half of Canadian internet users could no longer imagine their everyday life without the internet, outweighing the share of online users who had concerns regarding the privacy of their data online.

Social media use in Canada

Social networks feature strongly in Canada. As of 2023, there were an estimated 35 million Canadian social media users, which make up over 92 percent of the country’s population. Facebook, the most used platform in the market, generated around 55 percent of social network usage. The popular image-sharing and social media platform Pinterest was Canada’s second-most popular social network, with around 14 percent of usage, followed by Twitter. Among the popular reasons for using social media platforms, Canadians mentioned keeping in touch with friends and family.

Online shopping in Canada

The retail e-commerce market in Canada is projected to grow in the upcoming years, reaching 94.14 billion U.S. dollars in 2027. When shopping online, Canadians pay most attention to the costs and savings, as well as the availability of items. Furthermore, about seven in ten Canadians shopped online via computer, and almost six in ten via mobile phone.

Online privacy

Internet users in Canada prioritize the convenience of internet usage and are not too worried about online privacy. They were more concerned about distinguishing the real and fake content on the internet. Meanwhile, only the third of Canadian internet users stated using online privacy tools.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Ani Petrosyan, Nov 10, 2023

Key insights

Number of internet users in Canada
38.08m
Internet usage penetration in Canada
99.1%
Share of Canadians using mobile phones to go online
86%
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Attitudes towards the internet in Canada as of September 2023

Demographics & Use

Attitudes towards the internet in Canada 2023

Attitudes toward online privacy among the internet users in Canada as of January 2023

Use

Canada: attitudes toward online privacy 2023

Usage of online privacy and security tools among internet users in Canada as of March 2023

Digital Privacy

Canada use of privacy tools 2023

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