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Ecommerce Facts and Figures in Canada

Mobile commerce and online shopper behaviour in Canada

Read below more about ecommerce growth, Ecommerce sales and cross-border ecommerce in Canada

In Canada, over 50% of the population are buying online, but the market is still relatively small, at USD 19.9 billion. However, Canadian consumers show impressive trends towards cross-border activity. 45% of ecommerce spend goes to non-Canadian websites, with the US being the primary destination. The main reasons why Canadians shop cross-border are lower prices and better product selection on overseas websites.

Total Population
- 35.1 million
Age Breakdown
- 41% of the population in Canada are between 25 and 54.
Religion
- Canada is a multi-cultured country with many religions. 38.7% are Roman Catholic.
- Religious affiliation is decreasing; 23.9% do not identify with a religion, up from 16.5% in 2001.
Urban Population
- 81%
Internet Penetration
- 87% 
- 29.8 million people
Mobile Penetration
- 78.9% 
- 27.7 million subscribers
Tablet Penetration
- 7 million users
- 20% 
Smartphone Penetration
- 75%
Online Shoppers 
- 18.5 million
Ecommerce Sales
- USD 20.6 billion 
Ecommerce Penetration
- 52.7% 
Mobile Commerce
- 27% of smartphone users, 5.2 million people, make purchases on their mobile phone.

Cross-border Ecommerce Opportunities
• In Canada, a significant proportion of ecommerce spending goes to non-Canadian websites; 45% goes towards purchases from non-Canadian websites. One-third of the total is spent in the US, with the rest in Asia and Europe.
• The trend of Canadians shopping overseas is driven by lower prices and better selection in other markets, cited by 41% and 23% of survey recipients, respectively.
• Canadians can purchase products from the US Amazon website, with a price tag 50% lower or more. Even when duty and taxes are added the price is still favorable.

Language as a Key Driver
• The official languages of Canada are English and French, spoken by 56.9% and 21.3% of the population, respectively.
• Over 85% of Canadians have working knowledge of English while only 30.1% have a working knowledge of French.
• More than 200 languages are present in Canada. Chinese languages are the most prominent, with more than a million people speaking either Mandarin or Cantonese. Punjabi was listed as the next most common foreign language spoken in Canadian households, with 460 thousand declaring it as their mother tongue.
• English is the most popular language online, with 26.8% share.