Canada, the second largest country in the world, is home to an abundance of minerals and metals across our vast and diverse landscapes. These resources underpin a job-creating, prosperity-generating mining industry that supports jobs for hundreds of thousands of Canadian families and makes up a significant share of our exports every year – helping Canada pay the bills for the goods and services we import.
Accounting for nearly 700,000 jobs and more than one-fifth of our exports, the sector is crucial for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous families and communities, especially those in rural areas that often heavily rely on mining for jobs and economic opportunities.
With growing global demand for the minerals and metals found within our borders, it only makes sense that mining producers like Canada position themselves to provide the world with as much of these materials as possible, supporting local businesses, families, and governments in the process.
Below we go over several facts about mining in Canada that show just how important the sector is to our country as a whole. Also see:
20+ Facts on Canadian Mining
#1 - Canada produced 60 minerals and metals at almost 200 mines and 6,500 sand, gravel and stone quarries across the nation in 2022 [1]
#2 – For 26 of those 60 minerals and metals produced in Canada, it is a top ten global producer
#3 – Approximately 694,000 people are employed by Canada’s mining sector – including 420,000 people directly, and an additional 274,000 indirectly [2]
#4 – In other words, mining accounts for 1 in 30 jobs in the Canadian economy [2]
#5 – Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas (oil sands mining) accounted for 7.8% of Canada’s gross domestic product in 2022 – at $161 billion – making up a larger portion of Canada’s economy than finance, construction, transportation, or retail trade [2]
#6 – Canada’s mineral exports were valued at $153 billion in 2022, accounting for 21% of Canada’s total merchandise exports that year
#7 – The bulk of Canada’s mineral exports – at 57% - went to the United States, followed by the United Kingdom (9.2%) and the European Union (7.8%)
#8 – Canadian mining companies held assets in 96 countries and have increased direct investment abroad to $106.1 billion in 2022 [2]
#9 – Foreign direct investment in Canadian mining reached a new high in 2022, at $65 billion – accounting for 5.1% of Canada’s inbound investment from abroad that year [2]
#10 - The value of Canada’s mineral production reached $74.6 billion in 2022 – up from $58.6 billion in 2021 – including: [1]
-
- $38 billion in metals
- $24 billion in non-metals
- $13 billion in coal
#11 – Canada’s leading mineral production, by value in 2022 (share of total), include [1]:
-
- Potash – 23%
- Gold – 18%
- Coal – 17%
- Iron ore concentrates – 8%
- Copper – 8%
- Nickel – 6%
- Sand and gravel – 3%
- Platinum group metals – 3%
- Diamonds – 3%
- Stone – 2%
- Other – 11%
#12 – Canada is the top producer of potash, second-largest producer of niobium and uranium, and the third-largest producer of precious diamonds and palladium (by metal content) [2]
#13 – The top mining jurisdictions in Canada in 2023 by spending [1], are as follows:
-
- Ontario - $989.4 million
- British Columbia - $966.7 million
- Quebec - $822 million
- Saskatchewan - $454.8 million
- Newfoundland & Labrador - $238.6 million
- Nunavut - $171.7 million
- Manitoba – $163.8 million
- Yukon - $144.7 million
- Northwest Territories - $74.8 million
- Nova Scotia - $42.3 million
- Alberta - $26.4 million
- New Brunswick - $22.4 million
#14 – Mining accounts for roughly half of Canada’s rail-freight revenues and tonnage every year, typically exceeding $6 billion in expenditures [2]
#15 – Canada has been a top destination for mineral exploration investment over the past 40 years; in 2023, for example, it accounted for 19% of global exploration spending, making it the top national destination [2]
#16 – More than 17,300 Indigenous people were employed in Canada’s mining and mineral processing industry in 2021 [1]
#17 – About half of Indigenous mining employment was in the upstream mining subsector, where First Nations accounted for 11% of the industry’s labour force – more than double the all-industry average representation of 4% [1]
#18 - More than 586 agreements (active and expired agreements at the exploration, development and post-development stages) for 385 exploration and mining projects, have been signed since 1974, with about 465 of these agreements still active in 2021.
#19 - More than half of the active agreements are in Ontario (157) and British Columbia (99).
#20 - there has been an increase in agreements with First Nations for exploration, development and post-development stages:
-
- 51 prior to 2000
- 524 between 2000 and 2021
Learn More:
- Mining in the Northwest Territories: 15 Facts
- Mining in Newfoundland & Labrador: 15 Facts
- Mining in British Columbia: 20 Facts
- Aluminum Mining in Canada: 12 Facts
- Uranium in Canada: Everything You Should Know
- Mining – Canada Action Blog Category
Join Us Today!
Canada Action supports the development of our natural resource wealth such as minerals and metals for a stronger, more prosperous future.
Join us and hundreds of thousands of Canadians online to learn more about our mining sector and support our resource families today!
Back to Mining in Canada
Let’s reinforce our natural economic strength! pic.twitter.com/336fpHbsRd
— Canada Action (@CanadaAction) March 13, 2025
SOURCES:
1 - https://natural-resources.canada.ca/minerals-mining/mining-data-statistics-analysis/minerals-economy
2 - https://mining.ca/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2024/06/Facts-and-Figures-2023-FINAL-DIGITAL.pdf
