- Canada has one of the highest Internet usage rates in the world - 84% of the population in 2008 used the Internet.
- An estimated 88% of people who accessed the Internet at home did so with a high-speed connection in 2007. The U.S. is not expected to achieve a comparable penetration.
- Users in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario were above the national average. In Calgary, 85% of people aged 16 and older used the Internet.
- About $12.8 billion was spent in online purchases by Canadians in 2007, up 61% from 2005.
- Among those Canadians aged 16 and over who used the Internet in 2007, 44% made an online order. Demographically, Internet users aged 25 to 34 were the heaviest online consumers, with more than one-half (51%) ordering online. Regionally, Internet users from Alberta were the heaviest online shoppers in 2007, with one-half placing an online order.
- For many Canadians, the Internet has become a supplement to traditional retail shopping more than a substitute. In 2007, 43% of Canadians logged on to do research on products, or to "window shop." Of these window shoppers, a majority (64%) reported that they had subsequently made a purchase directly from a store. The most popular items for browsing were consumer electronics, such as cameras and VCR's; housewares, such as large appliances and furniture; and clothing, jewelry and accessories. The most common types of online orders were travel services, books and magazines, other entertainment products such as concert tickets, and clothing, jewelry and accessories.
The statistics above were provided by the following resources:
Canadian Internet Use Survey report from 2008
Stats Canada "E-Commerce Shopping On The Internet report from 2008
Canadian Internet Usage, Broadband and Telecommunications from Internet World Stats 2008
Top 20 Countries With Highest Number Of Internet Users from Internet World Stats, June 2008
