Madhumitha Jaganmohan
Research expert covering climate and environmental sustainability
Canadian mining industry - statistics & facts
Canada's mining industry is one of the largest in the world. Producing more than 60 metals and minerals, Canada is among the top ten worldwide producers of several commodity metals and minerals. Canada is the largest producer of potash worldwide, the fourth-largest uranium producer, and the third-largest diamond producer. For primary aluminum and nickel, it is the world's fourth and sixth-largest producer, respectively.
Economic contribution of Canada's mining sector
Given the substantial production volume and wide range of mineral products produced by the Canadian mining industry, it is not surprising that it has a significant impact on the country's economy. In 2020, the mining industry contributed some 34.6 billion Canadian dollars to Canada's real gross domestic product (gdp). The mining industry has the highest average wages/salaries of any industry in the country, and as of 2020 there were some 377,000 people directly employed by the mining industry, and a further 315,000 people indirectly employed.Canadian mining companies
A significant amount of the world's leading mining companies are headquartered in Canada, operating domestically and internationally. For example, Barrick Gold and Teck Resources are both headquartered in Toronto, and the largest potash producing company in the world, Nutrien (known as PotashCorp prior to the 2018 merger with Agrium) is based in Saskatchewan. Additionally, there are more than 3,700 companies that supply the financial, environmental, engineering, geotechnical, and other services to the mining activities throughout the country.
