Non-profit organizations (NPOs) contribute to the well-being and development of rural communities in Canada. This infographic shows facts and figures related to NPOs in rural and urban Canada.
Description - Non-profit organizations: A rural perspective, 2019
Non-profit organizations (NPOs) contribute to the well-being and development of rural communities in Canada.
Proportion of rural and urban NPOs in Canada
There are approximately 130,000 NPOs in Canada, of which around 30,000 are in rural areas.
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| Rural | 22.5% |
| Urban | 77.5% |
NPO counts by international classification of non-profit organizations activity group
| ICNPO classification | Rural | Urban |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage | ||
| Religion | 23.6% | 17.0% |
| Sports, recreation and social clubs | 18.0% | 26.6% |
| Social services | 12.0% | 12.8% |
| Development and housing | 9.2% | 7.1% |
| Culture and recreation | 6.7% | 4.3% |
| Health | 6.2% | 3.5% |
| Philanthropic intermediaries and voluntarism promotion | 5.7% | 7.3% |
| Business and professional associations, unions | 5.1% | 7.9% |
| Education and research | 4.3% | 5.3% |
| Law, advocacy and politics | 2.9% | 3.1% |
| Environment | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Not classified elsewhere | 5.7% | 4.9% |
Distribution of rural and urban NPOs in Canada, by province and territory
| Provinces and territories | Rural | Urban |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage | ||
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 3.3% | 0.9% |
| Prince Edward Island | 1.3% | 0.5% |
| Nova Scotia | 6.3% | 2.3% |
| New Brunswick | 4.9% | 1.9% |
| Quebec | 24.3% | 23.4% |
| Ontario | 18.8% | 37.9% |
| Manitoba | 7.9% | 4.0% |
| Saskatchewan | 9.5% | 2.9% |
| Alberta | 12.4% | 10.6% |
| British-Columbia | 9.9% | 15.2% |
| Territories | 1.5% | 0.3% |
| Note: Percentage of counts located in rural or urban areas, the sum of each type being 100%. | ||
Rural and urban distribution of NPO employment in Canada
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| Rural | 11.6% |
| Urban | 88.4% |
Rural and urban distribution of NPO revenues in Canada
Canadian NPOs have over $310 billion in revenues.
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| Rural | 7.3% |
| Urban | 92.7% |
Note: The definition of rural areas used in the Rural Canada Non-Profits database is all areas outside of census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations.
Source: Statistics Canada. 2022. Rural Canada Non-Profits database, 2019.
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).