Statistics revealed 33% of all business owners In Canada are Immigrants!


Immigrants continue to make a significant contribution to Canada’s economy and society. In Canada’s aging population, it is expected that the contribution of immigrants will increase. Canada’s best-kept secret is the Immigrant-Owned Business! Around 33% of businesses in Canada are owned by immigrants. These businesses play a crucial role in generating employment for workers in Canada and also make a considerable impact on Canada’s economy. 

According to Statistics Canada, 24.5 – 30 % of the population will be immigrants in Canada by 2036. Immigration will always be the main contributor to the future growth of Canada. In 2036, Canada will have almost half its population made up of immigrants or second-generation people. 

A second-generation person is a non-immigrant individual born in Canada who has at least one parent who was an immigrant in Canada. 

Reports revealed that half of all private companies in Canada have been started by immigrants since 1997. This is near twice the US immigrant ownership rate, which stands at 22%. As projected by Statistics Canada “Starting in 2031, more than 80% of this growth is projected to come from immigration, compared to about 67% in 2011.” 

Immigrants in Canada are statistically more likely than the general population to start businesses. Foreign entrepreneurs are twice as likely to become self-employed than Canadian citizens. Foreign entrepreneurs were 20.1% more likely to innovate than Canadians (weighted average) in terms of production, marketing, and organizational management practices.       

Canada’s business sector employs over 12 million people. Entrepreneurs play a vital role in the Canadian economy and in the business sector. Over 2.7 million Canadians work for themselves, while more than 800,000.000 have employees.   

                  Percentage of foreign business owners by sectors 

SectorsPercentage
Truck transportation56 %
Grocery Stores53 %
Computer Systems design& Services51 %
Restaurants50 %
Data processing, hosting & services 40 %
Dentists offices 36 %
Software publishers 30 %

Source: Statistics Canada, 2016 census 

Immigrant entrepreneurs are more likely to be highly educated in the field of science, technology engineering, mathematics (STEM). These immigrant entrepreneurs are also more likely to file patents.

Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Employer-Employee Dynamics Database–2016 Census

Ultimately, Immigrants are risk-takers by nature. They are willing to take risks and start a new life in another country. Many immigrants have this entrepreneurial spirit, which can be used to drive businesses of all sixes – small family-owned shops to publicly traded companies. Some of the most successful businesses in the world are created by them. Their entrepreneurial spirit has made Canada a vibrant, diverse country that is among the top ten worldwide.

Key Highlights :

  • 33% of all business owners in Canada are immigrants
  • 600,000+ self-employed immigrants in Canada
  • 260,000 of self-employed immigrants have paid employees
  • 47,000+ immigrants in senior management roles
  • 12 million people are employed in Canada’s Business sector 

All statistics are taken from Statistics Canada: Economic and Social reports 

If you’re an Entrepreneur and looking to migrate to Canada with your family, talk to our experts at Lebiz Canada, #1 Business Consultancy firm for Canada. 


Komal Singh

Hi, my name is David.I am a blogger and love to explore trending topics.Read my blog on Here2visit.You can also explore my blogs on guest globe.Read Also : CTO New Canaan.Visit eurasianhub. You can explore home improvement articles at starpod.

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