Canada

There were 28,469,069 internet users in Canada (representing 83% of the population) at mid-year 2012, according to Internet World Stats. (Internet World Stats, December 2012)

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Canada's online population hit 26 million in 2011 and will add another 400,000 users in 2012, according to eMarketer. Growth is slowed by the already high penetration rate, which will reach 77% in 2012.

According to comScore's "2012 Canada Digital Future in Focus" report, during Q4 2011, 38% of internet users in the country were located in the province of Ontario, followed by Quebec (24%) and the combined prairie provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan (18%).

Internet users in Canada, by region, Q4 2011 (% of total):
- Ontario: 38%
- Quebec: 24%
- Prairies: 18%
- British Columbia: 13%
- Atlantic: 7%

Combining comScore's data with eMarketer's estimates reveals that Ontario had approximately 10 million internet users at the end of 2011.

In February 2012, Statistics Canada listed Ontario as the largest province in the country, with nearly 12.9 million residents, so it isn't surprising that it accounts for the largest portion of internet users in the country. In a report from October 2011, the firm found that the region had an internet penetration of 81% in 2010, behind British Columbia (86%) and Alberta (84%), but ahead of Quebec (76%). (eMarketer, April 2012)

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The weekly internet usage of online Canadians has moved ahead of the number of hours spent watching television, according to the latest Inter@ctive Reid Report by Ipsos Reid that tracks online Canadians usage of the internet. This is a first since the start of their tracking research.

Overall, online Canadians are now spending more than 18 hours a week online, compared to 16.9 hours watching television. Internet usage is up from 14.9 hours last year. The number of hours watching television also experienced an increase in the last year, rising from 15.8 hours. Other media, such as newspapers, radio and magazines have all remained relatively stable in the last year.

Interestingly, males are spending significantly more time online than females (20 hours compared to 16). Also of interest is the minimal gap between age groups - on average, 18-34 year olds are spending 20 hours a week online, compared to 18 hours for those over the age of 35. (Ipsos, March 2010)

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More than 69% of the population is online in Canada in 2009, according to eMarketer. This compares with less than 65% in the US.

Internet users and penetration in Canada, 2008-2013:
- 2008: 22.6 million (68.1% of the population)
- 2009: 23.4 million (69.2%)
- 2010: 24.1 million (70.9%)
- 2011: 24.8 million (71.9%)
- 2012: 25.4 million (74.1%)
- 2013: 25.9 million (74.9%)

A large part of the personal time internet users in Canada spend online is taken up with e-mail and instant messaging (IM). Two-thirds of the Web users polled said they checked their e-mail often during an average day, and 95% checked at least once a day. In addition, over one-third of respondents used IM several times a day. (eMarketer, March 2009)

Age

Canadian Boomers (89%) rival younger Canadians (99%) in their levels of internet access and are slowly beginning to take up new media and devices, according to the Ipsos Canadian Inter@ctive Reid Report.

Boomers are beginning to make up ground in adopting emergent technology, but there is a definite lag behind younger Canadians. The study, which delved into the internet and technology-related behaviours and attitudes of Canadians aged 46 to 65 (those born in 1947 - 1966), found that online Baby Boomers have not yet embraced smartphones (29%) and the constant connectedness they provide to the same degree as that of younger Canadians (49%).

Smartphone ownership among online Boomers has increased 11 percentage points since 2011 (was 18%), and they are now just as likely to own a tablet as younger Canadians (16% vs. 18%)."

Online Baby Boomers are not necessarily replacing familiar traditional technology, but they are certainly starting to supplement it by incorporating new channels and devices into the mix. So while television still rules the roost with 86% of online Boomers turning to TV for video consumption, including shows, movies, sports, news, etc., a surprising four-in-ten (43%) report that they watch video content via a computer on a weekly basis.

This release is based on the findings of an Ipsos Reid syndicated study, The Ipsos Canadian Inter@ctive Reid Report, fielded August 3rd to 9th, 2012 and released in 2012-Issue4. This online survey of 814 Canadian adults was conducted via the Ipsos Online Panel. (Ipsos Canada, November 2012)