Canada
Globally, Canada places #4 in land area. This ranking reflects a standout track record. Ready to explore more about Canada?
Canada is a country in North America with a population of 39.19M and an area of 9,984,670 km². Life expectancy is 81.6 years.
At a Glance
The numbers that define this country
Land Area
8.79MTotal land area in square kilometers, excluding lakes, rivers, and territorial waters.
CO2 Per Capita
13.42How many tonnes of CO2 the average person produces per year.
Human Development Index
0.94The Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
Life Expectancy
82.6 yearsHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
GDP Per Capita
$56.7KGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
Where They Stand Out
Global rankings worth knowing
🌍Coastline Length
202.1KTotal coastline length from CIA World Factbook.
🌱Forest Area
3.47MTotal forest area in square kilometers, including natural and planted trees at least 5 meters tall.
👥Land Area
8.79MTotal land area in square kilometers, excluding lakes, rivers, and territorial waters.
🔧Airports
1.5KTotal airports from CIA World Factbook.
⚡Electricity Capacity
161.99MInstalled generating capacity from CIA World Factbook.
Did You Know?
Facts that catch players off guard
Ranks #1 globally in coastline length
Coastline Length: 202.1K
Total coastline length from CIA World Factbook.
Ranks #3 globally in forest area
Forest Area: 3.47M
Total forest area in square kilometers, including natural and planted trees at least 5 meters tall.
World Bank 2023Ranks #4 globally in land area
Land Area: 8.79M
Total land area in square kilometers, excluding lakes, rivers, and territorial waters.
World Bank 2023Ranks #5 globally in airports
Airports: 1.5K
Total airports from CIA World Factbook.
Ranks #5 globally in railway length
Railway Length: 49.4K
Total railway length from CIA World Factbook.
Surprised? See how you stack up.
Play NowHow Canada Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
GDP per Capita
Above avgGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
World Bank 2023Life Expectancy
Above avgHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
World Bank 2023Human Development Index
Above avgThe Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
Our World in Data 2023Internet Users
Above avgThe percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
World Bank 2023Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Test Your IntuitionAbout Canada
A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867, while retaining ties to the British crown. Canada gained legislative independence from Britain in 1931 and formalized its constitutional independence from the UK when it passed the Canada Act in 1982. Economically and technologically, the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across the world's longest international border. Canada faces the political challenges of meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care, education, social services, and economic competitiveness, as well as responding to the particular concerns of predominantly francophone Quebec. Canada also aims to develop its diverse energy resources while maintaining its commitment to the environment.
- Location
- Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US
- Climate
- varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north
- Terrain
- mostly plains with mountains in west, lowlands in southeast
- Natural Resources
- bauxite, iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, uranium, rare earth elements, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower
- Natural Hazards
- continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to development; cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and North American interior, and produce most of the country's rain and snow east of the mountains volcanism: the vast majority of volcanoes in Western Canada's Coast Mountains remain dormant
- Size Comparison
- slightly larger than the US
- Languages
- English (official) 87.1%, French (official) 29.1%, Chinese languages 4.2%, Spanish 3.2%, Punjabi 2.6%, Arabic 2.4%, Tagalog 2.3%, Italian 1.5% (2022 est.)
- Religions
- Christian 53.3%, Muslim 4.9%, Hindu 2.3%, Sikh 2.1%, Buddhist 1%, Jewish 0.9%, Traditional (North American Indigenous) 0.2%, other religions and traditional spirituality 0.6%, none 34.6% (2021 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Canadian 15.6%, English 14.7%, Scottish 12.1%, French 11%, Irish 12.1%, German 8.1%, Chinese 4.7%, Italian 4.3%, First Nations 1.7%, Indian 3.7%, Ukrainian 3.5%, Metis 1.5% (2021 est.)
- Major Cities
- 6.372 million Toronto, 4.308 million Montreal, 2.657 million Vancouver, 1.640 million Calgary, 1.544 million Edmonton, 1.437 million OTTAWA (capital) (2023)
- Government Type
- federal parliamentary democracy (Parliament of Canada) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm; federal and state authorities and responsibilities regulated in constitution
- Capital
- Ottawa
- Capital Coordinates
- 45 25 N, 75 42 W
- Capital Timezone
- UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Name Origin
- the name is probably derived from the Huron or Iroquois word kanata, meaning village or camp
- Independence
- 1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (recognized by UK per Statute of Westminster)
- National Symbols
- maple leaf, beaver
- National Anthem
- "God Save the King"
- UNESCO Heritage
- 22 (10 cultural, 11 natural, 1 mixed) (2021)
- Overview
- high-income economy and second-largest US trading partner; key timber, oil, and gas industries; trade uncertainties and weak business investments contributing to economic slowdown; high and growing public debt; inflation moderating but remains above target range
- Industries
- transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products, petroleum, natural gas
- Agricultural Products
- wheat, rapeseed, maize, milk, barley, soybeans, potatoes, peas, oats, pork (2023)
- Export Partners
- USA 71%, China 5%, UK 3%, Japan 2%, Mexico 2% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- crude petroleum, cars, gold, natural gas, refined petroleum (2023)
- Import Partners
- USA 51%, China 11%, Mexico 6%, Germany 3%, Japan 3% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- cars, trucks, vehicle parts/accessories, refined petroleum, crude petroleum (2023)
- Military Forces
- Canadian Forces: Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force (2025)
- Military Service
- 17 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service (with parental consent); 16 years of age for Reserve and Military College applicants; Canadian citizenship or permanent residence status required; service obligation 3-9 years depending on the position (2025)
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 18.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); nuclear: 13.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 1.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 58.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); biomass and waste: 1.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- 2 public TV broadcasting networks, 1 in English and 1 in French, each with a large number of network affiliates; several private commercial networks, also with multiple network affiliates; a total of about 150 TV stations, accessible via multi-channel satellite and cable systems; mix of public and commercial radio, with over 1,000 licensed stations; public broadcaster Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) provides 4 radio networks, Radio Canada International, and radio services to ethnic populations in the north (2016)
- Space Program
- has a national space strategy and a long history of developing space-related technologies; designs, builds, operates, and tracks communications, remote sensing (RS), multi-mission, and scientific/testing satellites; has an astronaut program; involved in the development and production of advanced communications systems, lunar rovers, planetary probes, robotics, sensors, and space telescopes; participates in international space programs, including the International Space Station, the Hubble Space Telescope, the Square Kilometer Array radio telescope, and the James Webb Space Telescope; Cooperating State of the ESA since 1979 and participates in a variety of ESA programs, such as the Copernicus Earth observation project; works with numerous foreign space agencies and commercial entities, including those of Argentina, Brazil, individual ESA and EU member states, Japan, India, and particularly the US; has an active commercial space sector (2025)
Deep Dive
78 of 151 metricsEvery stat we track, organized by category
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Total land area in square kilometers, excluding lakes, rivers, and territorial waters.
Frequently Asked Questions about Canada
Canada has a population of 39.19M, ranking #37 globally by population.
Canada is located in North America. It has an area of 9,984,670 km².
Life expectancy in Canada is 81.6 years, ranking #38 globally.
Canada's GDP per capita (PPP) is 65.5K, ranking #30 globally.
Canada ranks particularly high in Land Area (#4), CO2 Per Capita (#14), Human Development Index (#16).
Canada has an HDI of 0.939, ranking #16 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
Canada has a population density of 4.6 people per km², ranking #206 globally.
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