The Digital Face Of a Nation: What Canadians Do Online

It’s little surprise that Canada ranks high up on the list of countries with the greatest levels of internet access. Though the country is sparse, most citizens live in densely populated areas with outstanding technological infrastructure. While there are a few outliers, by and large, access to the internet is a choice.

Of the 37 million Canadians, nearly 34 million are online, and that’s a figure that researchers expect to grow in the coming years. All in all, some 92% of Canadians are online, with the 8% who are not online typically part of the 65 and older demographic. How Canadians access the internet is also shifting. In the past four years, the use of desktop computers and tablets has declined, while the rate of mobile, smart TV, and home internet technology use has risen.

With such a large percentage of the population online, we thought it’d be interesting to look into what they’re doing when they login into the digital sphere. Let’s take a look.

Communication

At the top of the list of activities is communication. 85% of internet users in Canada use email communications, while 58% use social media regularly. The most popular messaging apps in the country are Whatsapp, Telegram, and Facebook Messenger. These figures are growing year on year, especially among older people who are increasingly investing in smartphones. By far, the most popular social media website is Facebook, with 84% having an account, though, in terms of daily users, the rate is going down.

Work

As with most countries in the western world, the rate of remote workers in Canada has been increasing in recent years. What is different about Canada is that the rate of change has been so sudden. In 2016, only around 4% of workers conducted their professional activity online. In 2021, 32% of workers conducted the majority of their work online.

Entertainment

Just as with work and socialising, the internet is also playing a more prominent role in how Canadians are having fun, with more and more canucks using their devices to facilitate their leisure time. They’ll play games, stream videos, and visit a Canadian casino site with live dealers during their downtime. The rise in internet-driven entertainment has led to a downturn in the popularity of other entertainment outlets, such as television.

Shopping

Another trend on the rise is the number of Canadians who are using the internet to make purchases. By far, the most popular ecommerce site in Canada is Amazon, which receives around 181 million visits from within Canada each month. That’s not so significant since Amazon is the most popular shopping site wherever it is. The second most popular ecommerce store is typically Canadian, however; Canadian Tire receives some 44 million visits a month and specialises in automotive, hardware, and outdoor products.

Current Events and Everyday Life

Canadians spend a lot of time catching up on news and current events online. Some 53% of users visit news websites on a regular basis. They also use the web to streamline life’s admin tasks, with 64% using online banking.

The Most Popular Sites In Canada

Google is far and away the most popular site in Canada; it accounts for nearly 20% of internet traffic within the country! YouTube, Facebook, and Wikipedia also score highly.

Final Thoughts

Canada is an outdoorsy nation that is increasingly turning to the online world to facilitate all aspects of their lives, including day to day activities, communication, work, and having fun. In the past, the demographic that was most underrepresented in the digital world were those aged 65 and older, but that’s beginning to change.