Canada at a Glance, 2023
Agriculture
Did you know?
- In 1931, 1 in 3 Canadians was a member of the farm population. By 1971, that proportion had decreased to 1 in 14, and by 2021, that proportion had decreased further to 1 in 61 Canadians.
- In 2020, the median income of farm households was $95,142, with 45.9% of farm households reporting wages, salaries and commissions as their major source of income.
- More of the farm population is living in urban areas. In 1971, 7.5% of the farm population resided in urban areas. By 2021, that figure had grown to nearly one-quarter (24.5%), up from 16.1% in 2016.
| Total population | Farm population | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| number | number | provincial share (%) | share of the total population (%) | |
| Canada | 36,211,910 | 590,710 | 100 | 1.6 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 502,100 | 1,020 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Prince Edward Island | 150,480 | 3,955 | 0.7 | 2.6 |
| Nova Scotia | 955,855 | 8,175 | 1.4 | 0.9 |
| New Brunswick | 759,195 | 5,680 | 1.0 | 0.7 |
| Quebec | 8,308,480 | 97,010 | 16.4 | 1.2 |
| Ontario | 14,031,750 | 157,420 | 26.6 | 1.1 |
| Manitoba | 1,307,190 | 43,995 | 7.4 | 3.4 |
| Saskatchewan | 1,103,205 | 93,940 | 15.9 | 8.5 |
| Alberta | 4,177,715 | 124,675 | 21.1 | 3.0 |
| British Columbia | 4,915,945 | 54,840 | 9.3 | 1.1 |
|
Notes: Canada's farm population comprises farm operators (people responsible for the management decisions in operating a farm) and the individuals in their households. Totals may not equal 100% due to rounding. Sources: Agriculture–Population Linkage, 2021, and Census of Population, 2021. |
||||
Data table for Chart 34
| Rural farm population | Urban farm population | |
|---|---|---|
| percent | ||
| All farm types | 75.5 | 24.5 |
| Dairy cattle and milk production | 93.6 | 6.4 |
| Sheep and goat farming | 90.5 | 9.5 |
| Hog and pig farming | 89.6 | 10.4 |
| Beef cattle ranching and farming, including feedlots | 84.0 | 16.0 |
| Poultry and egg production | 77.7 | 22.3 |
| Other animal production | 76.4 | 23.6 |
| Other crop farming | 72.4 | 27.6 |
| Oilseed and grain farming | 72.2 | 27.8 |
| Vegetable and melon farming | 65.6 | 34.4 |
| Greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production | 55.4 | 44.6 |
| Fruit and tree nut farming | 54.8 | 45.2 |
| Source: Agriculture–Population Linkage, 2021. | ||
Agriculture surveys… in brief
Statistics Canada not only conducts the Census of Agriculture every five years, but also conducts several agricultural sample surveys. The data from these surveys help to draw a comprehensive, up-to-date portrait of agriculture in Canada. Thank you to all farm operators for participating in our surveys.
To learn more
- Date modified: