15+ Exciting Canadian Internet Usage Statistics

Global internet use is on the rise, with more and more people gaining access every day. The internet is also changing and developing all the time, constantly redefining what’s normal. In developed countries like Canada, this has long ago become the norm. Canadians use the internet in many different ways. 

Today, we’ll take a closer look at the latest Canadian internet usage statistics. We’ll also delve deeper into important topics such as internet/social media addiction and the consequences of the increasing use of the internet. 

Let’s dive right in.

Essential Internet Usage Statistics (Editor’s Choice)

• More than four billion people have access to the internet.
• 94% of Canadians have access to the internet.
• At least 50% of all Canadian internet users spend more than 10 hours per week on internet-related activities. 
• 71% of Canadian seniors use the internet. 
• 50% of Canadian users spend more than 10 hours per week using various internet services.
• An average 100 Mpbs internet plan in Canada costs around US$62.
• Canada’s businesses lost $14 billion to cybersecurity breaches in 2017. 

Internet World Stats

1. More than four billion people around the world have access to the internet.

(Source: Statista)

It’s not easy to answer how many internet users in the world there are. The most reliable facts we have actually come from 2019, as it takes time to gather and analyze data from all parts of the globe.

Here’s the scoop:

We know for sure that in 2019 there were around four billion internet users. This is more than half of the world’s population! And the numbers are rising every day. Developing countries in Africa and Asia are by far the biggest contributors to this growth. 

Besides general internet stats getting more positive, computer usage facts also show that people are getting more tech-savvy. This is primarily due to widespread smartphone use. 

2. With around 900 million internet users, China is the biggest contributor to the increasing internet penetration. 

(Source: Statista)

This might seem impressive, but there’s still space for further rise. Since China has a population of around 1.4 billion people, we may expect the number to keep going up.

What’s more: 

1.5 billion internet users come from other Asian countries like Indonesia, India, Japan, Pakistan, etc.

3. Internet traffic statistics show Northern Europe has the highest Internet penetration rate in the world, with 96%. 

(Source: Statista)

Internet penetration is, simply put, the percentage of people in a given country who have access to the Internet. Northern Europe is closely followed by Western Europe (93%), North America (90%), and Southern Europe (86%). 

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Internet Usage Statistics for Canada in 2020

4. 94% of Canada’s population has access to the Internet.

(Source: Data reportal, Statista)

While most Canadians (around 80%) live in urban areas, even those in rural areas have good internet coverage. 2020 data on the number of Internet users in Canada shows that internet penetration in Canada is as high as 94%, which is actually above the North American average. 

Now:

We have to point out that certain sources, like Statista, are a little bit more conservative. For example, Statista researchers believe that as of 2021, the internet penetration rate in Canada is closer to 87.7%, with 88.3% as projected growth for 2025. This is probably due to slightly different criteria according to which people are classified as internet users. 

5. As of January 2021, there were 35.6 million Canadian internet users.

(Source: Data reportal)

It’s interesting to see that while Canada’s population increased by 328,000 in 2020, the number of Canadian internet users increased by 308,000 in the same year. As a comparison, there are 32 million social media users and 37 million mobile connections in Canada. 

The number of social media users is growing quite fast, with an 8% increase (2.4 million) between 2020 and 2021. However, not all internet users in Canada use social networks, at least not to a significant extent. 

6. British Columbia and Alberta have the highest internet penetration rate, with 94%. 

(Source: 150 Stat Can)

These Canadian internet usage statistics date from 2018. British Columbia and Alberta are closely followed by Ontario (92%), Manitoba (91%), and Saskatchewan (89%). 

Curiously, the province with the lowest internet penetration is Newfoundland and Labrador, but it’s still relatively high at 86%. So to conclude, internet access in Canada is almost impeccable, and virtually all provinces have good coverage. 

7. More than 71% of Canadian seniors use the Internet.

(Source: 150 Stat Can)

Between 2012 and 2018, the number of senior Canada internet users skyrocketed from 48% to 71%. Needless to say, younger people are the most enthusiastic adopters.

The thing is: 

Seniors are often reluctant to adopt new technologies for a variety of reasons. Some are unwilling to change their old habits, while others might be suffering from technology anxiety. 

8. 84% of Canadian internet users buy goods and services online, internet usage statistics reveal.

(Source: 150 Stat Can)

2018 internet statistics show that online shopping is incredibly popular in Canada. This has only intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to the Canadian Internet Use Survey (CIUS), Canada’s online spending amounted to $57.4 billion in 2018, more than a threefold increase from $18 billion in 2012. 

9. The average Canadian internet usage is also increasing, with 46% of Canadian internet users spending more than 10 hours online each week. 

(Source: 150 Stat Can)

According to 2018 internet usage statistics, nearly half of Canadian internet users spend more than 10 hours online per week. Time spent on online gaming services and streaming services are excluded from these statistics, so the actual number is probably even higher. 

That being said:

We have to note that more recent internet statistics from 2020 detect a different trend in Canadians’ online habits. Accordingly, people spend an average of 1 hour 49 minutes on social networks and almost 6 hours in total on the internet every day. 

10. Facebook is Canada’s favourite social network, with a 57% market share of visits.

(Source: Statista, Statista)

Next come Pinterest (23%), Twitter (13%), and Instagram (2.5%). Facebook also has the highest number of users (25 million), followed by Instagram (12.6 million) and Twitter (7.6 million). This looks more like what we would expect, although social media penetration is still significantly lower than in the US – 67% compared to 80%. 

11. With 2.4 billion visits per month, Google.com is the most visited website in the country, Canadian internet usage statistics confirm.

(Source: Statista)

In this respect, internet usage in the Great White North resembles the trends in other developed countries. The second most visited website is YouTube (1.03 billion visits per month), followed by Facebook (633 million), Google.ca (238 million), and Amazon.ca (213 million).

12. Internet services in Canada are the most expensive, at an average of 100 Mbps plans costing around US$62.

(Source: Mobile syrup)

The only countries with more expensive internet are South Africa, Iceland, Norway, and Australia.

Why is that?

First and foremost, the cost of labour is quite high in Canada. 

Second, internet infrastructure is expensive, especially for a country of that size.

Key takeaway:

A vast territory, coupled with high-quality service, is the biggest contributor to high internet cost in Canada. Click To Tweet

13. Canada’s official minimum internet speed is 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload.

(Source: CRTC.gc, Statista)

This Canadian government expects to achieve this goal by the end of 2021. Most regions already have access to an internet provider with at least 50 Mbps (download) and 10 Mbps (upload) speed; however,  more work is needed to assure stable and fast internet access in some rural regions.

Now:

The average internet speed in Canada was somewhat lower just a few years ago. In 2018, for instance, even the most well-covered provinces like New Brunswick or British Columbia only had from 34.5 to 39.6 Mbps download speed, on average. Ontario and Saskatchewan were far worse, with 15.2 and 15, respectively.  

14. Canadian businesses lose more than $14 billion each year due to cybersecurity issues.

(Source: 150 Stat Can)

Internet privacy laws in Canada are pretty clear and strict, but this isn’t enough to prevent most cybersecurity breaches. In 2018, 33,000 online security breaches were reported. Among businesses that invested in cybersecurity (94% of all), the average amount of money spent on this security aspect was $78,000 per year. 

To make matters worse:

Cybersecurity breaches damaged 21% of all Canadian businesses in 2017. However, if we look more closely at those who were victims of cybercrime, we see that 50% reported incidents that prevented employees from doing certain work-related activities. Additionally, 30% of all security breaches inflicted serious damage and subsequent spendings on system repairs. 

Last but not least:

It’s also important to note a significant increase in the number of successful cybercrime attempts on Canadian businesses between 2017 to 2018 – a full 12%. 

15. Banking, education, and pipeline transportation are the most hit sectors in terms of cybersecurity breaches. 

(Source: 150 Stat Can)

Hackers who choose to focus on Canada usually choose the banking sector, education, and pipeline transportation systems. All of these sectors report high frequencies of cyberattacks – 47%, 46%, and 45%, respectively. 

16. In 2017, only 10% of businesses that were hit digitally reported the incident to the police.

(Source: 150 Stat Can)

On the other hand, businesses often didn’t know the motive of the cybersecurity breach (8.1%). A further 8% realized that the hackers demanded money in the form of a ransom attempt.

Next:

5.3% of serious security breaches referred to attempted access to forbidden areas. 4.8% of the incidents were linked to personal information theft and ransom. 4.6%  had to do with defacing a business and 2% with monitoring activity of third parties. Finally, 1.9% were about stealing data and intellectual property. 

And on that note:

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Final Thoughts

We’ve covered everything you need to know about internet usage in Canada. From general statistics to very detailed facts on Canada’s cybersecurity, everything’s in this comprehensive collection of exciting internet usage statistics.

It’s important to note that internet use stats are very diverse, and collecting data takes time. This is why we’ve often referred to 2018 or even 2017 studies, as they are sometimes the most recent updates on the situation.