2023 Edition

Background

A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867, while retaining ties to the British crown. Canada gained legislative independence from Britain in 1931 and formalized its constitutional independence from the UK when it passed the Canada Act in 1982. Economically and technologically, the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across the world's longest international border. Canada faces the political challenges of meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care, education, social services, and economic competitiveness, as well as responding to the particular concerns of predominantly francophone Quebec. Canada also aims to develop its diverse energy resources while maintaining its commitment to the environment.

Area

land

9,093,507 sq km

total

9,984,670 sq km

water

891,163 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than the US

Climate

varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north

Coastline

202,080 km

note

note: the Canadian Arctic Archipelago - consisting of 36,563 islands, several of them some of the world's largest - contributes to Canada easily having the longest coastline in the world

Elevation

highest point

Mount Logan 5,959 m

lowest point

Atlantic/Pacific/Arctic Oceans 0 m

mean elevation

487 m

Geographic coordinates

60 00 N, 95 00 W

Geography - note

note 1: second-largest country in world (after Russia) and largest in the Americas; strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately 90% of the population is concentrated within 160 km (100 mi) of the US border note 2: Canada has more fresh water than any other country and almost 9% of Canadian territory is water; Canada has at least 2 million and possibly over 3 million lakes - that is more than all other countries combined

Irrigated land

9,045 sq km (2015)

Land boundaries

border countries

US 8,891 km (includes 2,475 km with Alaska); Denmark (Greenland) 1.3 km

note

 

total

8,892 km

Land use

agricultural land

6.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 4.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 1.6% (2018 est.)

forest

34.1% (2018 est.)

other

59.1% (2018 est.)

Location

Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US

Major aquifers

Northern Great Plains Aquifer

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Huron* - 35,972 sq km; Great Bear Lake - 31,328 sq km; Superior* - 28,754 sq km; Great Slave Lake - 28,568 sq km; Lake Winnipeg - 24,387 sq km; Erie* - 12,776 sq km; Ontario* - 9,790 sq km; Lake Athabasca - 7,935 sq km; Reindeer Lake - 6,650 sq km; Nettilling Lake - 5,542 sq kmnote - Great Lakes* area shown as Canadian waters

Major rivers (by length in km)

Mackenzie - 4, 241 km; Yukon river source (shared with the US [m]) - 3,185 km; Saint Lawrence river mouth (shared with US) - 3,058 km; Nelson - 2,570 km; Columbia river source (shared with the US [m]) - 1,953 km; Churchill - 1,600 km; Fraser - 1,368 km; Ottawa - 1,271 km; Athabasca - 1,231 km; North Saskatchewan - 1,220 km; Liard - 1,115 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Mississippi* (Gulf of Mexico) (3,202,185 sq km, Canada only 32,000 sq km), Nelson (Hudson Bay) (1,093,141 sq km), Saint Lawrence* (1,049,636 sq km, Canada only 839,200 sq km)Arctic Ocean drainage: Mackenzie (1,706,388 sq km)Pacific Ocean drainage: Yukon* (847,620 sq km, Canada only 823,800 sq km), Columbia* (657,501 sq km, Canada only 103,000 sq km)note - watersheds shared with the US shown with *

Map references

North America

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to development; cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and North American interior, and produce most of the country's rain and snow east of the mountainsvolcanism: the vast majority of volcanoes in Western Canada's Coast Mountains remain dormant

Natural resources

bauxite, iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, uranium, rare earth elements, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower

Population distribution

vast majority of Canadians are positioned in a discontinuous band within approximately 300 km of the southern border with the United States; the most populated province is Ontario, followed by Quebec and British Columbia

Terrain

mostly plains with mountains in west, lowlands in southeast

Age structure

0-14 years

15.65% (male 3,097,585/female 2,930,056)

15-64 years

63.85% (male 12,367,172/female 12,224,077)

65 years and over

20.5% (2023 est.) (male 3,630,580/female 4,267,266)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

3.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

2.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

8 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

2 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

10.1 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

12.9% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

52.2% (2023 est.)

Death rate

8.2 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

28.2

potential support ratio

3.6 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

52.1

youth dependency ratio

23.9

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 99.1% of population

improved: total

total: 99.2% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.3% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0.9% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.8% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.7% of population

Education expenditures

5.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

Canadian 15.6%, English 14.7%, Scottish 12.1%, French 11%, Irish 12.1%, German 8.1%, Chinese 4.7%, Italian 4.3%, First Nations 1.7%, Indian 3.7%, Ukrainian 3.5%, Metis 1.5% (2021 est.)

note

note: percentages add up to more than 100% because respondents were able to identify more than one ethnic origin

Gross reproduction rate

0.77 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.5 beds/1,000 population (2019)

Infant mortality rate

female

4 deaths/1,000 live births

male

4.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total

4.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

Languages

English (official) 87.1%, French (official) 29.1%, Chinese languages 4.2%, Spanish 3.2%, Punjabi 2.6%, Arabic 2.4%, Tagalog 2.3%, Italian 1.5% (2022 est.)

major-language sample(s)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. (English)The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)

Life expectancy at birth

female

86.4 years

male

81.7 years

total population

84 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major urban areas - population

6.372 million Toronto, 4.308 million Montreal, 2.657 million Vancouver, 1.640 million Calgary, 1.544 million Edmonton, 1.437 million OTTAWA (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

11 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

43.5 years

male

41.2 years

total

42.4 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

29.4 years (2019 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Canadian

noun

Canadian(s)

Net migration rate

5.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

29.4% (2016)

Physicians density

2.44 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

38,516,736 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

vast majority of Canadians are positioned in a discontinuous band within approximately 300 km of the southern border with the United States; the most populated province is Ontario, followed by Quebec and British Columbia

Population growth rate

0.73% (2023 est.)

Religions

Christian 53.3%, Muslim 4.9%, Hindu 2.3%, Sikh 2.1%, Buddhist 1%, Jewish 0.9%, Traditional (North American Indigenous) 0.2%, other religions and traditional spirituality 0.6%, none 34.6% (2021 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 98.9% of population

improved: total

total: 99% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.1% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 1.1% of population

unimproved: total

total: 1% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.9% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

17 years (2020)

male

16 years

total

17 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.85 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

10.7% (2020 est.)

male

15.3% (2020 est.)

total

13% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.57 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.95% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

81.9% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

10 provinces and 3 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories*, Nova Scotia, Nunavut*, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon*

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November

etymology

the city lies on the south bank of the Ottawa River, from which it derives its name; the river name comes from the Algonquin word "adawe" meaning "to trade" and refers to the indigenous peoples who used the river as a trade highway

geographic coordinates

45 25 N, 75 42 W

name

Ottawa

time difference

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

time zone note

Canada has six time zones

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

minimum of 3 of last 5 years resident in Canada

Constitution

amendments

proposed by either house of Parliament or by the provincial legislative assemblies; there are 5 methods for passage though most require approval by both houses of Parliament, approval of at least two thirds of the provincial legislative assemblies and assent and formalization as a proclamation by the governor general in council; the most restrictive method is reserved for amendments affecting fundamental sections of the constitution, such as the office of the monarch or the governor general, and the constitutional amendment procedures, which require unanimous approval by both houses and by all the provincial assemblies, and assent of the governor general in council; amended 11 times, last in 2011 (Fair Representation Act, 2011)

history

consists of unwritten and written acts, customs, judicial decisions, and traditions dating from 1763; the written part of the constitution consists of the Constitution Act of 29 March 1867, which created a federation of four provinces, and the Constitution Act of 17 April 1982

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Canada

etymology

the country name likely derives from the St. Lawrence Iroquoian word "kanata" meaning village or settlement

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador David L. COHEN (since December 2021)

consulate(s)

Winnipeg

consulate(s) general

Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Vancouver

email address and website

OttawaNIV@state.govhttps://ca.usembassy.gov/

embassy

490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1G8

FAX

[1] (613) 241-7845

mailing address

5480 Ottawa Place, Washington DC  20521-5480

telephone

[1] (613) 238-5335

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001

chief of mission

Ambassador Kirsten HILLMAN (since 17 July 2020)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco/Silicon Valley, Seattle

email address and website

ccs.scc@international.gc.cahttps://www.international.gc.ca/country-pays/us-eu/washington.aspx?lang=eng

FAX

[1] (202) 682-7738

telephone

[1] (844) 880-6519

trade office(s)

Houston, Palo Alto (CA), San Diego; note - there are trade offices in the Consulates General

Executive branch

cabinet

Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister usually from among members of his/her own party sitting in Parliament

chief of state

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Mary SIMON (since 6 July 2021)

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister for a 5-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the House of Commons generally designated prime minister by the governor general

head of government

Prime Minister Justin Pierre James TRUDEAU (Liberal Party) (since 4 November 2015)

note

note: the governor general position is largely ceremonial

Flag description

two vertical bands of red (hoist and fly side, half width) with white square between them; an 11-pointed red maple leaf is centered in the white square; the maple leaf has long been a Canadian symbol

Government type

federal parliamentary democracy (Parliament of Canada) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm; federal and state authorities and responsibilities regulated in constitution

Independence

1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (recognized by UK per Statute of Westminster)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CD, CDB, CE (observer), EAPC, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, USMCA, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court of Canada (consists of the chief justice and 8 judges); note - in 1949, Canada abolished all appeals beyond its Supreme Court, which prior to that time, were heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

judge selection and term of office

chief justice and judges appointed by the prime minister in council; all judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 75

subordinate courts

federal level: Federal Court of Appeal; Federal Court; Tax Court; federal administrative tribunals; Courts Martial; provincial/territorial level: provincial superior, appeals, first instance, and specialized courts; note - in 1999, the Nunavut Court - a circuit court with the power of a provincial superior court, as well as a territorial court - was established to serve isolated settlements

Legal system

common law system except in Quebec, where civil law based on the French civil code prevails

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of:Senate or Senat (105 seats; members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister and can serve until age 75)House of Commons or Chambre des Communes (338 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote with terms up to 4 years)

election results

Senate - composition as of October 2023 - men 43, women 51, percent of women 54.3% House of Commons - percent of vote by party - CPC 33.7%, Liberal Party 32.6%, NDP 17.8%, Bloc Quebecois 7.7%, Greens 2.3%, other 5.9%; seats by party - Liberal Party 159, CPC 119, NDP 25, Bloc Quebecois 32, Greens 2, independent 1; composition as of October 2023 - men 233, women 103; percent of women 30.6%; note - total Parliament percent of women 34.6%

elections

Senate - appointed; latest appointments in July 2021House of Commons - last held on 20 September 2021 (next to be held on or before 20 October 2025)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Adolphe-Basile ROUTHIER [French], Robert Stanley WEIR [English]/Calixa LAVALLEE

name

"O Canada"

note

note: adopted 1980; originally written in 1880, "O Canada" served as an unofficial anthem many years before its official adoption; the anthem has French and English versions whose lyrics differ; as a Commonwealth realm, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save the King" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

L'Anse aux Meadows (c); Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks (n); Dinosaur Provincial Park (n); Historic District of Old Quebec (c); Old Town Lunenburg (c); Wood Buffalo National Park (n); Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (c); Gros Morne National Park (n); Pimachiowin Aki (m)

total World Heritage Sites

21 (10 cultural, 10 natural, 1 mixed) (2021)

National holiday

Canada Day, 1 July (1867)

National symbol(s)

maple leaf, beaver; national colors: red, white

Political parties and leaders

Bloc Quebecois [Yves-Francois BLANCHET]Conservative Party of Canada or CPC [Pierre POILIEVRE]Green Party [Elizabeth MAY]Liberal Party [Justin TRUDEAU]New Democratic Party or NDP [Jagmeet SINGH]People's Party of Canada [Maxime BERNIER]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

wheat, rapeseed, maize, barley, milk, soybeans, potatoes, oats, peas, pork

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

3.3% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on food

9.1% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$861.955 billion (2020 est.)

revenues

$686.718 billion (2020 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

AA+ (2020)

Moody's rating

Aaa (2002)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

AAA (2002)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

-$35.434 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

-$29.216 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

$826.662 million (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$1,949,796,000,000 (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$2,124,887,000,000 (2019 est.)

Economic overview

one of the world’s largest economies; leading global financier and macroeconomic partner; largest US trading partner; key timber and oil and gas industries; Canada sends over half its development aid to the World Bank; key “blue economy” developer

Exchange rates

Currency

Canadian dollars (CAD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

1.298 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

1.296 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

1.327 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

1.341 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

1.254 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$561.63 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$484.226 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$611.146 billion (2021 est.)

note

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, cars and vehicle parts, natural gas, gold, lumber (2021)

Exports - partners

US 73% (2019)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

30.9% (2017 est.)

government consumption

20.8% (2017 est.)

household consumption

57.8% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-33.2% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

23% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.7% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

1.6% (2017 est.)

industry

28.2% (2017 est.)

services

70.2% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1,741,865,000,000 (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017

33.3 (2017 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

24.8% (2000)

lowest 10%

2.6%

Imports

Imports 2019

$589.037 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$517.964 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$609.256 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

cars and vehicle parts, delivery trucks, crude petroleum, refined petroleum (2019)

Imports - partners

US 57%, China 11%, Mexico 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

4.74% (2021 est.)

Industries

transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products, petroleum, natural gas

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

1.95% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

0.72% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

3.4% (2021 est.)

Labor force

21.017 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

9.4% (2008 est.)

note

note: this figure is the Low Income Cut-Off, a calculation that results in higher figures than found in many comparable economies; Canada does not have an official poverty line

Public debt

note

note: figures are for gross general government debt, as opposed to net federal debt; gross general government debt includes both intragovernmental debt and the debt of public entities at the sub-national level

Public debt 2018

48.18% of GDP (2018 est.)

Public debt 2019

48.01% of GDP (2019 est.)

Public debt 2020

72.09% of GDP (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$1.849 trillion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$1.752 trillion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$1.832 trillion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

1.88% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-5.23% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

4.54% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$49,200 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$46,100 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$47,900 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$85.297 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$90.428 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$106.615 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

13.3% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

5.66% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

9.46% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

7.51% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

13.1%

male

15%

total

14% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

56.087 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

244.66 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

311.336 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

612.084 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

25.642 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

32.026 million metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

7.577 million metric tons (2020 est.)

production

48.328 million metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

6.582 billion metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

539.695 billion kWh (2020 est.)

exports

67.2 billion kWh (2020 est.)

imports

9.8 billion kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

153.251 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

32.937 billion kWh (2020 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

1.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

16.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

60.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

14.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

0.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

5.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

403.7 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

124,502,315,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

76,094,066,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

imports

28,026,440,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

production

178,723,494,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves

2,067,126,000,000 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

13.62GW (2023)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

2

Number of operational nuclear reactors

19 (2023)

Percent of total electricity production

15% (2021)

Percent of total energy produced

4% (2021)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

3.177 million bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

793,800 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

170.3 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

2,629,300 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

5,468,100 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

1.115 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

405,700 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

2.009 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

42 (2020 est.)

total

15,825,813 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

2 public TV broadcasting networks, 1 in English and 1 in French, each with a large number of network affiliates; several private-commercial networks also with multiple network affiliates; overall, about 150 TV stations; multi-channel satellite and cable systems provide access to a wide range of stations including US stations; mix of public and commercial radio broadcasters with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the public radio broadcaster, operating 4 radio networks, Radio Canada International, and radio services to indigenous populations in the north; roughly 1,119 licensed radio stations (2016)

Internet country code

.ca

Internet users

percent of population

93% (2021 est.)

total

35.34 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

Nearly 34 per 100 fixed-line and 86 per 100 mobile-cellular teledensity (2021)

general assessment

the Canadian telecom market continues to show steady development as operators invest in network upgrades; much of the investment among telcos has been channeled into LTE infrastructure to capitalize on consumer demand for mobile data services, while there has also been further investment in 5G; investment programs have also been supported by regulatory efforts to ensure that operators have spectrum available to develop 5G services; an investment in fixed-line infrastructure, focused on FttP and, among cable broadband providers; government policy has encouraged the extension of broadband to rural and regional areas, with the result that services are almost universally available and the emphasis now is on improving service speeds to enable the entire population to benefit from the digital economy and society; cable broadband is the principal access platform, followed by DSL; the mobile rate remains comparatively low by international standards; Canadians have provided for LTE and LTE-A infrastructure; despite topographical challenges and the remoteness of many areas, the major players effectively offer 99% population coverage with LTE; operators now provide up to 70% population coverage with 5G (2022)

international

country code - 1; landing points for the Nunavut Undersea Fiber Optic Network System, Greenland Connect, Persona, GTT Atlantic, and Express, KetchCan 1 Submarine Fiber Cable system, St Pierre and Miquelon Cable submarine cables providing links to the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean, and 2 Intersputnik - Atlantic Ocean region) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

34 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

12.928 million (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

86 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

32.723 million (2021 est.)

Airports

1,467 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

civil airports

123

joint use (civil-military) airports

3

military airports

8

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

other airports

389

total

523

Airports - with unpaved runways

944

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

C

Heliports

26 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 21, container ship 1, general cargo 65, oil tanker 15, other 587

total

689 (2022)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

3,434,070,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

89.38 million (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

879

number of registered air carriers

51 (2020)

Pipelines

840,000 km oil and gas (2020)

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Montreal (1,585,465), Vancouver (3,678,952) (2021)

dry bulk cargo port(s)

Port-Cartier (iron ore and grain),

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Saint John

major seaport(s)

Halifax, Saint John (New Brunswick), Vancouver

note

Fraser River Port (Fraser) Hamilton (Lake Ontario)

oil terminal(s)

Lower Lakes terminal

river and lake port(s)

Montreal, Quebec City, Sept-Isles (St. Lawrence)

Railways

standard gauge

49,422 km (2021) 1.435-m gauge

total

49,422 km (2021) note: 129 km electrified (2021)

Roadways

paved

415,600 km (2011) (includes 17,000 km of expressways)

total

1,042,300 km (2011)

unpaved

626,700 km (2011)

Transportation - note

Canada operates a fleet of 12 icebreakers including two PC 3 or 4 class medium icebreakers and ten PC 5 or 6 class light icebreakersnote - PC indicates a Polar Class vessel: PC 3 - year-round operation in second-year ice which may include multi-year ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 2.5 m); PC 4 - year-round operation in thick first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 120 cm); PC 5 - year-round operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 70-120 cm); PC 6 - summer/autumn operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 30-70 cm)

Waterways

636 km (2011) (Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United States)

Military - note

the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) are a professional volunteer force responsible for external security; the CAF’s core missions include detecting, deterring, and defending against threats to or attacks on Canada; the military also provides assistance to civil authorities and law enforcement as needed for such missions as counterterrorism, search and rescue, and responding to natural disasters or other major emergencies; it regularly participates in bilateral and multinational training exercises with a variety of partners, including NATO (Canada is one of the original members) and the US; the CAF also contributes to international peacekeeping, stability, humanitarian, combat, and capacity building operations with the UN, NATO, and other security partnersthe Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC) plans, directs, and leads most CAF operations in Canada, North America, and around the world; it has 6 standing regional Joint Task Force (JTF) headquarters across Canada, as well as other JTFs deployed overseas; the CJOC is assisted by air, ground, and naval components; the Canadian Army is the land component of the CAF and its largest element; it has 4 divisional headquarters (plus 1 under the CJOC), 3 Regular Force combined arms mechanized brigade groups, and 10 brigade groups in the Reserve Force; the Navy’s principal warships are 12 frigates and 4 attack submarines, which are supported by 6 Arctic/offshore patrol ships and 12 coastal defense vessels; the Air Force has over 400 fixed wing aircraft and helicopters, including about 100 US-made F/A-18 multirole fighters; Canada has ordered more than 80 US-made F-35 stealth multirole fighter aircraft which the Air Force expects to start receiving in 2026; the CAF also has a separate Special Operations Forces Command with a special operations regiment and a joint task force, plus air, incident response, and training unitsCanada is part of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD; established 1958); NORAD is a Canada-US bi-national military command responsible for monitoring and defending North American airspace; traditionally, a Canadian Armed Forces officer has served as the deputy commander of NORAD; Canada’s defense relationship with the US extends back to the Ogdensburg Declaration of 1940, when the two countries formally agreed on military cooperation, including the establishment of the Permanent Joint Board on Defense (PJBD), which continues to be the highest-level bilateral defense forum between Canada and the USBritish troops withdrew from Canada in 1871 as part of the UK-US Treaty of Washington; following the withdrawal, the first Canadian militia, known as the Royal Canadian Regiment, was organized in 1883 to protect Canadian territory and defend British interests abroad, which it did in the South African War (1899-1902), Canada’s first overseas conflict; militia units formed the backbone of the more than 425,000 Canadian soldiers that went to Europe during World War I in what was called the Canadian Expeditionary Force; the Royal Canadian Navy was created in 1910, while the Canadian Air Force was established in 1920 and became the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1924; the Canadian Army was officially founded in 1942; a unified Canadian Armed Forces was created in 1968 (2023)

Military and security forces

Canadian Forces: Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force; Department of Fisheries and Oceans: Coast Guard (2023)

note

note 1: the CAF is comprised of both a Regular Force and a Reserve Force; the Reserve Force is part of all three services (Army, Navy, and Air Force) and is considered an integral component of the CAF; reservists are primarily part-time service positions; they may volunteer for full-time employment or deployment on operations; they typically serve one or more evenings a week and/or during weekends at locations close to home; the Reserve Force is comprised of the Primary Reserve, Canadian Rangers, Cadet Organizations Administration and Training Service, and the Supplementary Reserve; the Canadian Rangers are part of the Army Reserve Force and provide a limited presence in Canada's northern, coastal, and isolated areas for sovereignty, public safety, and surveillance roles note 2: the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP or "Mounties") are under the Department of Public Safety; only Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador have provincial police forces, but the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary contracts policing in regions of the province to the RCMP; the RCMP and municipal forces provide coverage for other provinces and territories; some Indigenous reserves provide Indigenous policing; provincial and municipal police report to their respective provincial authorities

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 70,000 active armed forces personnel (23,000 Army; 12,000 Navy; 12,000 Air Force; 23,000 other) (2023)

note

note: the Army also has approximately 19,000 part-time volunteer soldiers in the Reserve Force, including about 5,500 Rangers

Military deployments

the CAF has approximately 1,000 military personnel forward deployed for NATO air, land, and sea missions in the European theater, including a ground task force in Latvia (2023)

note

note: in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, some NATO countries, including Canada, have sent additional troops and equipment to the battlegroups deployed in NATO territory in eastern Europe 

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the CAF's inventory is a mix of domestically produced equipment and imported weapons systems from Australia, Europe, Israel, and the US; in recent years, the leading supplier has been the US; Canada's defense industry develops, maintains, and produces a range of equipment, including aircraft, combat vehicles, naval vessels, and associated components (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

1.3% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.4% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.3% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1.4% of GDP (2023)

Military service age and obligation

17 years of age for voluntary male and female military service (with parental consent); 16 years of age for Reserve and Military College applicants; Canadian citizenship or permanent residence status required; maximum 34 years of age; service obligation 3-9 years (2023)

note

note 1: Canada opened up all military occupations to women in 2001; women in 2023 comprised about 16% of the CAFnote 2: the CAF offers waivers to foreign nationals applying for military service only in exceptional cases — to individuals on international military exchanges, for example, or to candidates who have specialized skills in high demand

Disputes - international

managed maritime boundary disputes with the US at Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Gulf of Maine, including the disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; Canada and the United States dispute how to divide the Beaufort Sea and the status of the Northwest Passage but continue to work cooperatively to survey the Arctic continental shelf; US works closely with Canada to intensify security measures for monitoring and controlling legal and illegal movement of people, transport, and commodities across the international border; commencing the collection of technical evidence for submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in support of claims for continental shelf beyond 200 nm from its declared baselines in the Arctic, as stipulated in Article 76, paragraph 8, of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea

Illicit drugs

transnational criminal organizations trafficked cocaine, opium, methamphetamine, other synthetic drugs, and prescription drugs (some of which transited the United States) to Canada for domestic consumption; a source of synthetic drugs (including synthetic opioids), cannabis, and MDMA trafficked to the United States;  a major source of precursor or essential chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

22,400 (Venezuela) (refugees and migrants) (2020); 5,254 (Iran) (mid-year 2021)

stateless persons

4,323 (2022)

Space agency/agencies

Canadian Space Agency (CSA; established 1989) (2023)

Space launch site(s)

Churchill Rocket Research Range (sounding rockets; Manitoba); constructing a private, commercial space launch site in Nova Scotia (2023)

Space program overview

has a substantial program, a national space strategy, and a long history of developing space-related technologies; designs, builds, operates, and tracks communications, remote sensing (RS), multi-mission, and scientific/testing satellites; has an astronaut program (train in the US); designs, builds, or contributes to a variety of other space-related programs, including space telescopes, planetary probes, sensors, and robotic systems (such as the Canadian-made robotic arms used on the US Space Shuttle and the International Space Station); participates in international space efforts and cooperates with a variety of foreign space agencies and commercial entities, including those of Argentina, Brazil, the European Space Agency (ESA)/EU (and their member states), India, and particularly the US; ESA Cooperating State since 1979; has a robust commercial space sector that is involved in satellite communications, optics, space exploration, navigation, and space science (2023)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Hizballah

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

544.89 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

101.82 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

6.39 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north

Environment - current issues

metal smelting, coal-burning utilities, and vehicle emissions impacting agricultural and forest productivity; air pollution and resulting acid rain severely affecting lakes and damaging forests; ocean waters becoming contaminated due to agricultural, industrial, mining, and forestry activities

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Marine Life Conservation

Land use

agricultural land

6.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 4.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 1.6% (2018 est.)

forest

34.1% (2018 est.)

other

59.1% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Northern Great Plains Aquifer

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Huron* - 35,972 sq km; Great Bear Lake - 31,328 sq km; Superior* - 28,754 sq km; Great Slave Lake - 28,568 sq km; Lake Winnipeg - 24,387 sq km; Erie* - 12,776 sq km; Ontario* - 9,790 sq km; Lake Athabasca - 7,935 sq km; Reindeer Lake - 6,650 sq km; Nettilling Lake - 5,542 sq kmnote - Great Lakes* area shown as Canadian waters

Major rivers (by length in km)

Mackenzie - 4, 241 km; Yukon river source (shared with the US [m]) - 3,185 km; Saint Lawrence river mouth (shared with US) - 3,058 km; Nelson - 2,570 km; Columbia river source (shared with the US [m]) - 1,953 km; Churchill - 1,600 km; Fraser - 1,368 km; Ottawa - 1,271 km; Athabasca - 1,231 km; North Saskatchewan - 1,220 km; Liard - 1,115 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Mississippi* (Gulf of Mexico) (3,202,185 sq km, Canada only 32,000 sq km), Nelson (Hudson Bay) (1,093,141 sq km), Saint Lawrence* (1,049,636 sq km, Canada only 839,200 sq km)Arctic Ocean drainage: Mackenzie (1,706,388 sq km)Pacific Ocean drainage: Yukon* (847,620 sq km, Canada only 823,800 sq km), Columbia* (657,501 sq km, Canada only 103,000 sq km)note - watersheds shared with the US shown with *

Revenue from coal

0.08% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.08% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

2.9 trillion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

3.86 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

27.51 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

4.87 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.95% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

81.9% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

25,103,034 tons (2014 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

5,168,715 tons (2008 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

20.6% (2008 est.)