National Identity
- Official name
- Canada
- Name etymology
the name is probably derived from the Huron or Iroquois word kanata, meaning village or camp
Sources:- Constitutional Documents ↗ - Justice Laws Website - Government of Canada
- The World Factbook: Canada - CIA
- Coat of arms
- The Arms of Canada or the Royal Arms of Canada
- National flag
As published by the Government of Canada The National Flag of Canada is a red flag, twice as long as it is wide [...] In its centre is a white square the width of the Flag, with a single stylized 11-point red maple leaf in the centre.
As published in EnglishAs published by the Government of Canada The maple leaf is one of the most recognizable symbols of Canada, and has been used to represent Canadian identity since the 19th century.
As published in EnglishAs published by the Government of Canada Many Canadians have come to embrace these colours as representative of natural features prominent in some parts of our country: the white of winter snows, and the red of autumnal maple leaves.
As published in EnglishAs published by the Government of Canada The flags of British North America used in colonial Canada showcased ties to the British Empire. Both before and after Confederation in 1867, Canada used the United Kingdom’s Royal Union Flag, commonly known as the Union Jack.
As published in EnglishAs published by the Government of Canada In 1925 and again in 1946, attempts were made to consider possible concepts and designs for a new national flag. However, on both occasions the projects were shelved by Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, mainly due to fears that the issue might lead to political instability. As a compromise, the Canadian government chose to keep the Union Jack as the national flag and to fly the Canadian Red Ensign from government buildings.
As published in EnglishAs published by the Government of Canada In 1960, Lester B. Pearson, then Leader of the Opposition, declared that he was determined to solve what he called “the flag problem.” To Pearson, this issue was critical to defining Canada as a unified, independent country. As the newly elected Prime Minister in 1963, Pearson promised to resolve the question of a new national flag in time for Canada’s centennial celebrations in 1967.
As published in EnglishAs published by the Government of Canada Pearson recommended this design to members of Parliament in 1964, but his proposal was strongly opposed. Instead, a parliamentary committee was created and given a 6-week deadline to submit a recommendation for a national flag. Debate within the committee was fierce, divided between those who wished to retain the symbols that tied Canada to its colonial history, and those who wanted Canada to adopt its own symbols for the future. This period was known as the Great Flag Debate.
As published in EnglishAs published by the Government of Canada One of the more well-received concepts considered by the committee was proposed by George Stanley, Dean of Arts at the Royal Military College (RMC) in Kingston, Ontario. Inspired by RMC’s own flag, Stanley recommended a concept featuring a single, stylized red maple leaf on a white background with 2 red borders.
As published in EnglishAs published by the Government of Canada On October 22, 1964, the committee voted in favour of Stanley’s single-leaf concept. Two months later the House of Commons approved, followed shortly after by the Senate.
As published in EnglishAs published by the Government of Canada George Stanley’s original flag concept, as rendered into a working design by heraldic artist Alan Beddoe, incorporated a stylized maple leaf with 13 points. While this concept was selected to become Canada’s new National Flag, the maple leaf had to be changed, because the 13-point maple leaf lost its detail when seen from far. The leaf was redesigned with 11 points by graphic artist Jacques St-Cyr. This adapted design is now found on Canada’s National Flag.
As published in EnglishAs published by the Government of Canada The new maple leaf flag was made official by a proclamation from Queen Elizabeth II on January 28, 1965. On February 15 of that year, it was inaugurated in a public ceremony on Parliament Hill. Thousands of Canadians gathered as the Canadian Red Ensign was lowered and, at the stroke of noon, the new National Flag of Canada was hoisted.
As published in EnglishSources:- canada.ca ↗ - the Government of Canada
- canada.ca ↗ - the Government of Canada
- National anthem
- O Canada1:19
- Title (in English)
- O Canada
- Title (in French)
- Ô Canada
- Lyrics
O Canada! Our home and native land! True patriot love in all of us command. With glowing hearts we see thee rise, The True North strong and free! From far and wide, O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. God keep our land glorious and free! O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
Source: - Citizens
- Canadians
- Official name:Constitutional Documents ↗ - Justice Laws Website - Government of Canada
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: Canada - CIA
- National flag:canada.ca ↗ - the Government of Canada
- National flag:canada.ca ↗ - the Government of Canada
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- 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
- Total area
- 9,984,670 km²
- Land area
- 9,093,507 km²
- Water area
- 891,163 km²
- Land borders
- 8,892 km(2 countries)
- United States
- 8,891 km(includes 2,475 km with Alaska)
- Denmark
- 1.3 km(Greenland)
Source:- The World Factbook: Canada - CIA
- Coastline
- 202,080 km
- Terrain
Mostly plains with mountains in west, lowlands in southeast - Mean elevation
- 487 m
- Highest point
- 5,959 mMount Logan
- Lowest point
- 0 mAtlantic/Pacific/Arctic Oceans
- Climate
Varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north - Avg. temperature
- −3.7 °C
- Avg. daily range
- −7.4 to 0.6 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 669 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January −17.4 −21.1 −24.3 39 February −15.3 −19.7 −23.2 29 March −9.3 −14.3 −18.3 37 April −0.7 −5.8 −10 41 May 7.7 2.8 −1.5 53 June 15 10.1 5.7 71 July 18.6 13.7 9.4 83 August 16.9 12.1 8.1 79 September 10.7 6.3 3 73 October 1.9 −1.6 −4.3 66 November −7.5 −10.7 −13.6 53 December −14.1 −17.5 −20.6 43 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Canada - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Arable4.3%Pasture2.1%Forest42.0%Other51.4%
- Arable land
- 38,151,000 hectares (4.3%)
- Permanent crops
- 164,000 hectares (0.0%)
- Permanent meadows & pastures
- 18,560,000 hectares (2.1%)
- Forest
- 368,838,482 hectares (42.0%)
- Other land
- 451,717,518 hectares (51.4%)
Source: - Major rivers
- 6Churchill1,600km7Fraser1,368km8Ottawa1,271km9Athabasca1,231km10North Saskatchewan1,220km11Liard1,115kmSource:
- The World Factbook: Canada - CIA
- Major lakes
- Superior82,102 km²Huron59,569 km²Great Bear Lake31,328 km²Great Slave Lake28,568 km²Erie25,666 km²Lake Winnipeg24,387 km²Ontario19,010 km²Lake Athabasca7,935 km²Reindeer Lake6,650 km²Nettilling Lake5,542 km²Source:
- The World Factbook: Canada - CIA
- Natural hazards2026
- River floods7.1Very high#39/191Tsunamis5.7High#46/191Coastal floods5.4High#52/191Earthquakes4.8Medium#74/191Epidemics3.2Low#150/191Tropical cyclones2.3Very low#44/191Drought2.1Very low#123/191
Scores out of 10, ranks out of 191 countries.
Source:- INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Mean elevation, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate, Major rivers, Major lakes:The World Factbook: Canada - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
- Natural hazards:INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
Demographics
- Population change2026
- +0.85% per year+341,005 people/yearWorld Rank109thof 237
- Birth rate
- 8.9 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 8.2 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- +7.2 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 40.8 yearsWorld Rank56thof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years14.9%15-64 years64.4%65 years +20.7%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 20.7%
- Share aged under 18
- 18.1%
- Total dependency ratio
- 55
- Youth dependency ratio
- 23
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 32
- Sex ratio
- 0.99 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 2.2% 3.0% 70-79 4.4% 4.9% 60-69 6.3% 6.5% 50-59 5.9% 6.1% 40-49 6.6% 6.6% 30-39 7.3% 6.9% 20-29 6.6% 6.3% 10-19 5.5% 5.2% 0-9 4.9% 4.7% - 2026
- 0.77 below the replacement level for Canada ()1.33 births per womanreplacement 2.10123World Rank208thof 237
- 0.64 daughters per woman0.36 below replacement, long-run each generation smaller than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.5
- 2026
- +0.7 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 0.7 more births than deaths a year
- 2026
- +7.2 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 83.1% live in 33,609,017 urban residents
- Largest urban areas2021
- Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, CalgaryRankUrban Area or Population CenterPopulation (2021 census)1Toronto, ON5,647,6562Montreal, QC3,675,2193Vancouver, BC2,426,1604Calgary, AB1,305,5505Edmonton, AB1,151,6356Ottawa, ON1,068,8217Winnipeg, MB758,5158Quebec, QC733,1569Hamilton, ON729,56010Kitchener, ON522,888Source:
- Statistics Canada (2021 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution
- Vast majority of the population lives in a discontinuous band within approximately 300 km (186 mi) of the southern border with the United States; the most populated province is Ontario, followed by Quebec and British Columbia.
- Ethnic groups2021
- Respondents could pick more than one ethnic group, so shares sum past 100%.Canadian15.6%English14.7%Scottish12.1%French11.0%Irish12.1%German8.1%Chinese4.7%Italian4.3%First Nations1.7%Indian3.7%Ukrainian3.5%Metis1.5%
- Religions2021
- Christian53.3%Muslim4.9%Hindu2.3%Sikh2.1%Buddhist1.0%Jewish0.9%Traditional (North American Indigenous)0.2%Other religions and traditional spirituality0.6%None34.6%
- Languages
- French (Français), English
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Largest cities:Statistics Canada (2021 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Canada - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- Constitutional monarchyExecutive authority is vested in the monarch and carried on in Canada by a Governor General; the Preamble unites the provinces federally "into One Dominion under the Crown" (Constitution Act, 1867, Preamble, ss. 3, 9, 10).Source:
- The Constitution Acts 1867 to 1982 (Constitution Act, 1867, 30 & 31 Victoria, c. 3 (U.K.); Constitution Act, 1982), consolidation ↗, Constitution Act, 1867, Preamble, ss. 3, 9, 10
- System of government
- ParliamentaryThe Constitution creates no Prime Minister or confidence vote; by convention the government needs the House of Commons' confidence. The Governor General chooses the Privy Council and may dissolve the House before its five-year term ends (ss. 11, 13, 50).
- Territorial organisation
- Federal
- Official websites
- Capital
- Ottawa1.1 million people(2021)
- National holidays
- 5 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- FriApr 3Good Friday
- WedJul 1Canada Day
- MonSep 7Labor Day
- FriDec 25Christmas Day
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- ESTEastern TimeUTC−5 (UTC−4 in summer)
Canada spans multiple time zones, the capital's is shown here. All 7 time zones
- Currency
- Canadian Dollar (CAD)
- Entry requirements
- Official visa and entry information
- Calling code
- +1
- Internet TLD
- .ca
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- CA, CAN
- Infrastructure
- Passengers carried
- 88,618,000 by the country's airlines(2023)
- Heliports
- 506
- Aircraft departures
- 1,078,620 by the country's airlines(2023)
- Air freight
- 2,036.4 million tonne-km(2023)
- Aircraft registration prefix
- C
Sources:- The World Factbook: Canada - CIA
- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Flag carrier
- Air CanadaPrivately owned
- Passenger rail
- VIA Rail Canada
- 2025
- 75 / 100World Rank16thof 182
Significant declinerDown 9 points since 2012, when it scored 84.
Confidence intervalCorruption index score by year Year Score Lower bound Upper bound 2012 84 80 87 2013 81 77 85 2014 81 77 85 2015 83 80 86 2016 82 79 85 2017 82 80 84 2018 81 77 85 2019 77 72.4 81.6 2020 77 74.1 79.9 2021 74 70.2 77.8 2022 74 70.5 77.5 2023 76 73.2 78.8 2024 75 71.8 78.2 2025 75 71.8 78.2 Source:- Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
- Form of state, System of government, Territorial organisation:The Constitution Acts 1867 to 1982 (Constitution Act, 1867, 30 & 31 Victoria, c. 3 (U.K.); Constitution Act, 1982), consolidation ↗ - Department of Justice Canada
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Canada - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Corruption Perceptions Index:Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
Economy
- High income
- GDP growth (real)2026
- +1.1% per yearWorld Rank161stof 195
- GDP per capita (PPP)2026
- GDP per capita (nominal)
- $60,105 (23rd in the world)
Source:- 2022
- Services64.1% of GDPIndustry27.4% of GDPAgriculture1.9% of GDPManufacturing9.3%part of industry
- Households
- +55.8%
- Government
- +21.9%
- Investment
- +23.2%
- Exports
- +31.3%
- Imports
- −32.2%
The shape of the economyGDP by end useSource:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Inflation2026
- 2.8%up 0.8 percentage points0.8pp from 2025
- Labor force2024
- 21.8 million (55% of population)World Rank33rdof 187
- Labor force participation2024
- 64.7% of people aged 15+
- Unemployment2024
- 6.4%
- Youth unemployment2024
- 13.3% ages 15 to 24
- Labor productivity2024
- $68.6 per hour worked at PPP
- Labor cost2024
- CA$45.95 per hour$33.56 (USD), $37.03 (PPP)
- Budget balance2026
- 2.5% of GDP deficit
- Current account
- 0.1% of GDP, $1.6 billion deficit
Source: - Debt2024
- Government debt110.8% of GDPHousehold debt100.1% of GDPCompany debt118% of GDPInterest on debt3.5% of GDPCentral government debt52% of GDP
- Trade2025
- Goods$554.7 billion76.3%
- Services$171.9 billion23.7%
- Total exports
- $726.6 billion
- Change from 2024
- down 1.4 percent on the previous year1.4%
Sources:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- The World Factbook: Canada - CIA
- 2024
- +0.79World Rank35thof 145
- Projected GDP growth
- +1.4% a year over the next 10 years
Source:- Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products2024
- Lentils (dry), Rape or colza seed, Peas (dry), and 7 more
- 1Lentils (dry)28.1×
- 2Rape or colza seed19.9×
- 3Peas (dry)19.3×
- 4Oats13.6×
- 5Barley5.2×
- 6Wheat4.1×
- 7Soya beans1.7×
- 8Meat of cattle with the bone (fresh or chilled)1.7×
- 9Meat of pig with the bone (fresh or chilled)1.7×
- 10Potatoes1.5×
ProductSource:- FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Gold reserves2025
- NoneNo gold in official reserves
- Industries
- transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products, petroleum, natural gas
- Income level, GDP by sector, Trade, Gold reserves:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- GDP (nominal), GDP growth (real), GDP per capita (PPP), Inflation, Budget balance:IMF World Economic Outlook ↗
- Labor force, Labor force participation, Unemployment, Youth unemployment, Labor productivity, Labor cost:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Debt:IMF Global Debt Database ↗
- Debt:IMF Public Finances in Modern History ↗
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: Canada - CIA
- Economic Complexity Index:Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products:FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
Cost of Living
- Cost of living index
- Loading
- Monthly costs (excluding rent)
- Loading
- Rent
- Loading
- Buying an apartment
- Loading
- Average gross salary2025
- CA$5,762 per month$4,121 (USD), $4,571 (PPP)
- Median
- CA$5,027 per month($3,595)
- Men
- CA$6,395 per month($4,574)
- Women
- CA$5,093 per month($3,643)
Source:- ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- 2024
- CA$2,884 per month, gross$2,106 (USD), $2,324 (PPP)
- Average gross salary, Minimum wage:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
Society
- 2023
- 0.939Very highWorld Rank16thof 193CanadaWorld
Human Development Index by year Year Canada World 1990 0.865 0.608 1991 0.868 0.611 1992 0.873 0.614 1993 0.871 0.617 1994 0.877 0.620 1995 0.881 0.625 1996 0.884 0.631 1997 0.884 0.636 1998 0.883 0.641 1999 0.888 0.646 2000 0.894 0.651 2001 0.897 0.657 2002 0.899 0.662 2003 0.902 0.669 2004 0.906 0.675 2005 0.909 0.681 2006 0.913 0.688 2007 0.914 0.694 2008 0.916 0.698 2009 0.915 0.701 2010 0.918 0.707 2011 0.921 0.713 2012 0.927 0.717 2013 0.930 0.721 2014 0.932 0.726 2015 0.932 0.731 2016 0.933 0.735 2017 0.935 0.739 2018 0.935 0.741 2019 0.937 0.745 2020 0.931 0.742 2021 0.937 0.742 2022 0.935 0.752 2023 0.939 0.756 Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- 2022
- 31.5
- Mean years of schooling2023
- 13.9 years
- Expected for a child today
- 15.9 years
Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Education expenditure2022
- 4.8% of GDP
- Share of government spending
- 10.7%
Source:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users2024
- 94.4% of the population
- Households with Internet access
- 95.8%
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Mobile subscriptions2024
- 37.4 million
- Fixed telephone lines
- 10,968,500
- Fixed broadband
- 42.5 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership2021
- 83% of adults
- Debit-card ownership
- 96%
- Account at a bank or mobile-money provider
- 100%
- Made or received a digital payment
- 98%
Source:- Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted2025
- 389,250 people
- Asylum seekers
- 303,385
- Stateless persons
- 8,672
- Internally displaced persons
- 130All due to disasters
- Refugees from Canada abroad
- 344
Sources:- Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- Inbound tourists2024
- Official tourism site19.9 million arrivalsdown 10% against 201910% below 2019World Rank14thof 139
- Per resident
- 5 arrivals per 10 residents
- Same-day visitors
- 9.9 million arrivals
- $49.9 billion
- Spending per arrival
- $2,505
- 1.8% tourism direct GDP
- Domestic trips
- 122.1 million overnight trips by residents
- Residents' trips abroad
- 33.1 million overnight trips
- $43.4 billion
- 3.2 nights(estimated)
Overnight arrivals by year2010 to 2024A tourist stays at least one night. Arrivals count trips, not people.
Source:- UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites2021
- 22 sites10 cultural11 natural1 mixed
Site Type L'Anse aux Meadows Cultural Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks Natural Dinosaur Provincial Park Natural Historic District of Old Quebec Cultural Old Town Lunenburg Cultural Wood Buffalo National Park Natural Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Cultural Gros Morne National Park Natural Pimachiowin Aki Mixed The Factbook names 9 of the 22 sites.
Source:- The World Factbook: Canada - CIA
- Human Development Index, Mean years of schooling:Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Income inequality (Gini), Education expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users, Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership:Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted:Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Refugees hosted:Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- Inbound tourists:UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites:The World Factbook: Canada - CIA
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
- Loading
- Active humanitarian crisisAug 2026
- None - no active crisis
- Homicide rate2024
- Low by global standards2 per 100,000 peopleWorld Rank60thof 115
- Crime rates
- 7 offence categories
Offence Per 100,000 Count Year Homicide (victims) 2.0 788 2024 Serious assault 226.9 89,151 2023 Sexual violence 106.1 41,689 2023 Kidnapping 10.1 3,975 2023 Burglary 342.3 132,897 2022 Theft 1,356.3 526,532 2022 Vehicle theft 272.2 105,673 2022 A low figure can also mean weak recording.
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Prison population2022
- 90.7 per 100,000 people
- Persons held
- 35,207
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Active humanitarian crisis:INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Homicide rate, Crime rates, Prison population:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 83.1 years
- Health expenditure2024
- 11.3% of GDP$6,378 per person
- Physicians2023
- 2.82 per 1,000 population
- Hospital beds2022
- 2.5 per 1,000 population
- Infant mortality2026
- 3.8 per 1,000 live births
- Maternal mortality2023
- 12 per 100,000 live births
- Alcohol consumption2022
- 10 litres of pure alcohol per adult per year
- Tobacco use2023
- 11.7% of adults
- Men
- 14.2%
- Women
- 9.1%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Alcohol and Tobacco Spending2023
- 3.5% of household spendingWorld Rank39thof 105
- World median
- 3.1%
Source:- The World Factbook: Canada - CIA
- Road traffic deaths2019
- 5.3 per 100,000 population
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Health expenditure, Physicians, Hospital beds, Road traffic deaths:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Maternal mortality:Maternal mortality estimates ↗ - UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-agency Group
- Alcohol consumption, Tobacco use:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Alcohol and Tobacco Spending:The World Factbook: Canada - CIA
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 578 Mt per yearup 1.9 percent on the previous year1.9% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 14.9 t per personWorld Rank12thof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- 1.5%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 133.1 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 40.9 Mt CO₂-eq
- Fluorinated gases
- 16.1 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 768.1 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 6.7 µg/m³ of PM2.50.2 years of life expectancy lost against the WHO guidelineMost polluted169thof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
- National standard
- 8.8 µg/m³
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- air pollution and acid rain from vehicle emissions, coal-burning, and metal smelting severely affecting lakes and forests
- seawater pollution from agriculture, industry, mining, and forestry
- International agreements
- 15 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 128 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement in force 2016 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in force 1994 Kyoto Protocol withdrew 2012 2005 Ozone layer Montreal Protocol in force 1989 Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) in force 1988 Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity in force 1993 CITES in force 1975 Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) not a party Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety signed 2001, not ratified Nagoya Protocol not a party Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in force 1981 World Heritage Convention in force 1976 UN Convention to Combat Desertification in force 1996 Chemicals and waste Basel Convention in force 1992 Rotterdam Convention (PIC) in force 2004 Stockholm Convention (POPs) in force 2004 Minamata Convention on Mercury in force 2017 Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in force 2003 High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) signed 2024, not ratified MARPOL 73/78 in force 1993 Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Air pollution:Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: Canada - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
- No access to safe drinking water2022
- 0.2% of the population
- Renewable water2022
- 2,902 billion m³ per year
- Per person
- 74,753 m³ per year
- Dependency ratio
- 2% originates outside the country
- Annual water withdrawal
- 36 billion m³ per year
- Withdrawn for agriculture
- 11%
- Water stress
- 4% of available freshwater withdrawn
Source:- AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Obesity2024
- 26% of adults
- Men
- 27.5%
- Women
- 24.4%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- No access to safe drinking water, Renewable water:AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Obesity:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- Per capita
- 336.6 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- 2.1%
- Supply
- Surplusproduces 1.8× what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- Net exporter, net 12 TWh in 2024, 2.2% of consumption611 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 611 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 573 TWh per year
- Imports
- 23 TWh per year
- Exports
- 36 TWh per year
- Net
- +12 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal
- Surplusproduces 2.5× what it consumes, 2025Oil reserves2025163.1 billion barrelsWorld Rank4thof 99
Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.
- Mineral resources2025
- Copper, Lithium, Rare earths
Mineral Mine production Reserves Copper 500,000 t2.2% of world 7 million t Lithiumas pure lithium 5,600 t1.9% of world 1.6 million t Rare earthsas rare-earth oxide No mine production 830,000 t USGS estimates. Shows only minerals where the country is a major producer.
Source:- Mineral Commodity Summaries ↗ - U.S. Geological Survey
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal:Worldwide Oil and Gas Survey ↗ - Oil & Gas Journal
- Mineral resources:Mineral Commodity Summaries ↗ - U.S. Geological Survey
Defense
- Military expenditure2024
- 1.3% of GDP$29.3 billion, 3.1% of government spending
- Military personnel2025
- approximately 75,000active-duty military personnel
- Military service2025
- Voluntarymen and women 17+ with parental consent; 16 for Reserve and Military College applicants; 3–9 year service obligation depending on the position
Canadian citizenship or permanent residence status required.Canada opened up all military occupations to women in 2001; women in 2024 comprised about 16% of the CAF.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.
Source:- The World Factbook: Canada - CIA
- Space program2025
- Canadian Space Agency (CSA; established 1989)
Has 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; involved in the development and production of advanced communications systems, lunar rovers, planetary probes, robotics, sensors, and space telescopes; participates in international space programs, including the International Space Station, the Hubble Space Telescope, the Square Kilometer Array radio telescope, and the James Webb Space Telescope; Cooperating State of the ESA since 1979 and participates in a variety of ESA programs, such as the Copernicus Earth observation project; works with numerous foreign space agencies and commercial entities, including those of Argentina, Brazil, individual ESA and EU member states, Japan, India, and particularly the US; has an active commercial space sector
- Launch sites
- Developing commercial space port sites in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland
- 1959-1962
- Launched first domestically built sounding rocket (Black Brant 1); first domestically designed and built satellite (Alouette) launched by US
- 1972-1973
- First domestic communications satellites (Anik A-1 and Anik A-2) launched by US, making Canada first country to employ satellites for domestic communications
- 1970s
- Began participating in US Space Shuttle (first Canadian in space on Shuttle in 1984) and US Mars probe/exploration programs
- 1995
- First Canadian-built, radar-capable remote sensing satellite (Radarsat-1) launched by US
- 2019
- Began participating in US/NASA Lunar Gateway orbital station program; launched constellation of remote sensing satellites (RADARSAT Constellation Mission)
- 2020
- Signed the US-led Artemis Accords for space exploration (active participant in planned Moon missions under the Artemis program)
Key milestones
the Churchill Rocket Research Range in Manitoba was used for rocket testing from 1956-1985
Source:- The World Factbook: Canada - CIA
- Nuclear weapons2026
- None - no nuclear arsenal
- Military expenditure:SIPRI Military Expenditure Database ↗ - Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
- Military expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Military personnel, Military service, Space program:The World Factbook: Canada - CIA
- Nuclear weapons:Status of World Nuclear Forces ↗ - Federation of American Scientists
