By the numbers - The Chief Statistician's Top Ten 2019

The Chief Statistician's Top Ten 2019 (PDF, 1.37 MB)

The Chief Statistician's Top Ten - 2019
Description: By the numbers - The Chief Statistician's Top Ten 2019

Key statistics

Highest population increase ever recorded

In July 2019, Statistics Canada reported that Canada's population grew by over 531,497 people to 37,589,262 - the highest increase ever observed, adding more than one person per minute. The agency projects that Canada's population could reach between 44.4 million and 70.2 million by 2068.

As well, the country's population aging continues, with the number of centenarians topping 10,000 for the first time. Baby boomers now account for the majority of seniors.

Immigration is the main driver of population growth in most provinces

Canada's sustained population growth is driven mostly (82.2%) by the arrival of a large number of immigrants and non-permanent residents. In 2016, there were 7.5 million immigrants representing 21.9% of the population - the proportion could reach between 24.5% and 30.0% by 2036.

Employment in Canada

In May 2019, the unemployment rate fell to 5.4%, its lowest level since comparable data became available in 1976. Employment continued to expand in 2019, increasing by 285,000 from January to November, while average wage growth increased after being relatively flat through much of 2018. For more information on Canadian employment data, visit the Labour Force survey in brief.

Gender wage gap

Building on its work in Gender-based Analysis Plus and the launch of the Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics hub, the agency released The Gender wage gap in Canada: 1998 to 2018. This research paper reports the hourly gender wage gap has narrowed by $1.04 since 1998 (when it was $5.17) due to changes in the distribution of men and women across occupations.

Better understanding our relationship with the environment

Household activities, either directly or indirectly, account for about 40% of Canada's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In 2019, Statistics Canada reported that clean technology activities accounted for 3% of GDP in 2017 and over 282,000 jobs. The agency also noted that zero-emission vehicles registration are increasing.

Digital economic activities

In May, Statistics Canada released a report on Measuring digital economic activities in Canada, 2010 to 2017, finding that the digital economy—or the billions of online transactions that occur every day—is outpacing economy wide gross domestic product. The nominal gross domestic product (GDP) associated with digital economic activities was $109.7 billion, or 5.5%, of total economic activity in Canada in 2017.

Use of sustainable transportation is rising in large cities, but challenges remain

The proportion of Canadian commuters using public transit is 12%, which represents an increase from 10% in 1996. In 2016, the average commute to work took 26 minutes. In 2019, Statistics Canada also launched the Transportation Data and Information Hub and the Canadian Energy Information Portal, providing Canadians with single windows of access for statistics on Canada's transportation and energy sectors.

Modernization

Indigenous statistics and partnerships

Statistics Canada continued to build partnerships with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities and organizations. The agency launched an Indigenous Statistics Portal which produces statistics on a variety of topics such as education, language, health, population and income.

The road to AgZero

In 2019, the agency began taking an "AgZero" approach to data collection after listening to farmers who said they would prefer to focus their energies on farming-related work. To do this, we developed an initiative using existing satellite technology and advanced data processing to reduce the response burden on farmers and businesses, and quickly deliver support to farmers when needed.

Statistics Canada's Trust Centre

Take a tour of the Statistics Canada Trust Centre to see how your national statistical office upholds the privacy and confidentiality that Canadians expect and deserve. There, you will find videos and infographics to show you how the agency puts Canadians' privacy and confidentiality at the heart of everything we do.

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