Canadian Internet Use Survey, 2022
Released: 2023-07-20
Year over year, various trends in technology reflect a smarter and more connected lifestyle, benefiting both the younger and older generations. The year 2022 was no exception, with Internet use among Canadians aged 15 years and older reaching 95%, up from 92% in 2020. The largest increase was seen among Canadians aged 75 years and older, up from 62% in 2020 to 72% in 2022.
As the use of digital technologies grows, Canadians are becoming more acquainted with newer technologies and incorporating them into their daily routines.
More than three in four Canadians (78%) used the Internet to conduct general online banking, and one in six (16%) used it to manage investments online, such as stocks, mutual funds and cryptocurrencies.
About two-thirds (68%) of Canadians stated that they have noticed the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in various applications online. Examples include chatbots (48%), recommendation algorithms that suggest content, products or services to users (48%) and content moderation (26%).
The use of Internet-connected smart home devices continued to grow, up from 42% in 2020 to 47% in 2022, with smart speakers (30%) being the most popular device.
Although many Canadians noticed the role of AI and used smart home devices, some said that they did not trust AI technologies (31%), smart speakers (40%) and other smart home devices (28%) with their personal information.
Cyber security incidents increase 12 percentage points
The proportion of Canadians who experienced cyber security incidents increased from 58% in 2020 to 70% in 2022. The most common incidents reported were receiving unsolicited spam (60%) and receiving fraudulent content (40%). Other incidents included being redirected to fraudulent websites asking for personal information (22%), having a virus or other malicious software installed without permission (11%) and experiencing fraudulent payment card use (9%). In 2022, among those who experienced a cyber security incident, 6% reported a financial loss.
Canadians report feeling victimized by incidents online
In 2022, 8% of Canadians felt victimized by an incident online, such as incidents related to bullying, harassment and discrimination, or related to the misuse of personal pictures, videos or other content. Among various age groups, younger Canadians aged 15 to 24 years (11%) had the highest proportion of people who felt victimized online.
About half (51%) of Canadians said that they had seen content online that may incite hate or violence, and three-quarters (73%) of Canadians reported that they had seen content online that they suspected to be false or inaccurate, such as misinformation.
Almost 9 in 10 Canadians have a home Internet connection download speed of 50 megabits per second or more
The proportion of individuals who had access to the Internet at home remained stable in 2022 compared with 2020, at 94%, but the proportion of Canadians who reported having a download speed of 50 megabits per second (Mbps) or more increased. Among respondents who knew their home Internet download speed, 87% had a download speed of 50 Mbps or more, compared with 72% in 2020.
In addition, 84% of Canadians had access to the Internet through a mobile data plan for personal use in 2022, and about 600,000 people (2%) reported having a mobile data plan but no home Internet connection.
Digital economy and society statistics portal and publications
For more information on the digital economy and society, visit the Digital economy and society statistics portal and the new Digital Insights publication, which bring together a variety of data from across Statistics Canada and other sources to provide statistics, analysis and interactive tools related to the digital economy and society in Canada.
Sustainable Development Goals
On January 1, 2016, the world officially began implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—the United Nations' transformative plan of action that addresses urgent global challenges over the next 15 years. The plan is based on 17 specific sustainable development goals.
The Canadian Internet Use Survey is an example of how Statistics Canada supports the reporting on the Global Goals for Sustainable Development. This release will be used to help to measure the following goals:
Note to readers
The 2022 Canadian Internet Use Survey (CIUS), sponsored by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, was conducted from December 2022 to April 2023.
The CIUS target population is all persons 15 years of age and older living in the 10 provinces of Canada. It excludes full-time (residing for more than six months) residents of institutions. The CIUS makes efforts to identify and exclude units on reserves based on their associated geographies on the building-unit-based frame.
In 2021, the Northern Canada Internet Use Survey collected information about Internet access in the territories, notably the quality and reliability of Internet connections at home and Internet use. Results were released in the article "Canada's Far North less remote than meets the eye."
The access to Internet at home indicator includes only home Internet service through a fixed connection. Home Internet is typically accessed through a wireless (Wi-Fi) connection, or by using a corded connection in your home. Examples of home Internet include a digital subscriber line, cable Internet, satellite broadband and fibre optics.
An Internet download speed of 50 megabits per second (Mbps) or more allows users to do online activities such as supporting multiple users at a time, streaming ultra-high-definition video with more than one connected device, or quickly downloading a high-definition movie. This indicator can be used by the Government of Canada to track its objective to make broadband connectivity with a download speed of 50 Mbps and an upload speed of 10 Mbps available to 95% of Canadians by 2026.
The CIUS was redesigned in 2018, and its findings should not be compared with those from previous surveys.
For more information about survey questions and when making comparisons between cycles, refer to the questionnaires, as there may be minor differences between question wording, reference period, notes, inclusions and exclusions.
Products
The infographic "Online safety in Canada, 2022," part of Statistics Canada - Infographics (11-627-M), is now available.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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