Internet Statistics

2013 Canadian Internet Usage

Usage: There are 25.5 million Internet users in Canada, and nearly all go online every day. Canadians now spend 41.3 hours per month (down from 45.3) onlined, and have dropped to #2 (USA 43 hours). But we're still #1 at 3,731 web pages vewed each month (more than 120/day). Canada is #2 in video online - the average user watches 291 videos for 24.8 hours each month. Canadian E-commerce totalled $22.3 billion dollars in 2012, a 10% growth from 2011. Smartphone subscribers grew by 17%, and Google Android has 40% of the market.

Social Media: Facebook maintains its strong lead, but some rising stars are Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram.
Source: 2013 Canada Digital Future in Focus (Comscore.com)

2012 Canadian Internet Usage

There were 28,469,069 internet users in Canada (83% of the population) at mid-year 2012. In 2011, Canada's online population hit 26 million. Growth is slowed by the already high penetration rate, which will reach 77% in 2012.
Source: Internet World Stats

2011 Canadian Internet Usage

In 2011, the percentage of all Internet users in Canada, by region:
• Ontario: 38%
• Quebec: 24%
• Prairies: 18% (Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan)
• British Columbia: 13%
• Atlantic: 7%

2010 Canadian Internet Usage

There were 27,757,540 Internet users in Canada, according to a World Bank. There is a usage chart showing the enormous growth over 4 decades.

2000 Canadian Internet Usage

A study of Internet use suggests 70% of Canadian adults now have online access, either at home, at work, or at school. According to the pollsters at Angus Reid Group, that is up dramatically from the 55% that had Internet access in 1999. Canada is second behind the U.S.A. in Internet access.

And yet, a survey (Deloitte & Touche and Angus Reid Group) showed that for Canadian online buyers, 70% prefer to buy from Canadian sites, yet 60% buy from companies outside of Canadawhen they go online -usually American! Why? There are fewer Canadians doing business online and they charge higher prices. Online shoppers don't care where you are if you can deliver the goods at a better price. Hardly surprising.

Sadly, an Andersen Consulting poll in June 1999 showed that 70% of Canadian executives don't see e-commerce as worthy of a strategic initiative. "Build it and they will come," from the movie Field of Dreams, doesn't work for Web sites.

You must built it, market it, advertise it, and provide solid service - and only then will customers do business online with you! It's more difficult to do it right the first time, but in the end, you will be further ahead at lower cost with a better business image.

• Additional Information:
• Web 101 for Business
• Web 102 Web Marketing for Business
• 8 Steps to creating a Web site
• Business Web Plan
• Domain Names explained
• Starting a Consulting Business
• Internet statistics