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FUTURE OF CANADA CENTRE DIGITAL EQUITY

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Data Supplement

// 02

To create a more digitally equitable Canada by 2030, we must act now.

This requires understanding the current state of digital equity and making bold changes today for the sectors of society that are more likely to fall behind.

To understand Canada’s current state of digital equity, Deloitte analyzed more than 50 data points

from secondary data sources, including Statistics Canada and the Organisation of Economic

Co‑operation and Development (OECD). Particular attention was paid to specific population‑level

statistics (where available) as well as comparisons with peer countries.

TO UNDERSTAND A COUNTRY’S STATE OF DIGITAL EQUITY, THREE COMPONENTS MUST BE ASSESSED.

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DATA SUPPLEMENT // INTRODUCTION // 03

TO UNDERSTAND A COUNTRY’S STATE OF DIGITAL EQUITY, THREE COMPONENTS MUST BE ASSESSED.

1. AccessDo people and organizations have the digital infrastructure, devices, and content they need to interact with the digital world?

2. ParticipationDo people and organizations have the ability to engage with, learn from, and develop new digital technology?

3. EcosystemDo we have a digital and policy ecosystem that enables people and organizations to succeed in the digital world?

• In measuring these components, we want to understand how specific demographic groups perform compared to Canada’s overall performance.

• The metrics were chosen to provide a contrast between overall statistics vs. population-level statistics. This enabled a clearer view of populations that tend to be disadvantaged.

Canadian data incomplete, particularly for population groups

Little to no Canadian data available

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DATA SUPPLEMENT // INTRODUCTION // 04

THE ANALYSIS OF SECONDARY DATA SOURCES FOUND A TROUBLING LACK OF DATA WITH WHICH TO ASSESS THE STATE OF CANADA’S DIGITAL EQUITY.

MEASURE TYPE KEY DATA INDICATORS

ACCESS USAGE Internet use by gender, race, age, incomeQUALITY Internet speeds available/accessible by gender, race, age, income

Internet speeds available/accessible by Canadian businesses by size and other characteristicsINFR ASTRUCTURE Broadband subscriptions available/accessible by gender, race, age, income

Broadband subscriptions for Canadian businesses, by size and business characteristicsPRICE Broadband rates (adjusted for PPP)

% of income spent by household on internet by gender, race, age, incomeACCESSIBILITY Web accessibility score by size and industry

PARTICIPATION FORMAL EDUCATION ICT specialists by gender, race, ageDigital literacy scores by gender, race, age, income

DIGITAL SKILLS % of individuals with basic and above‑basic digital skills by gender, race, age, income% of individuals at high risk of job being automated by gender, race, age, income

TR AINING % of businesses providing training to employees to build digital skills, by size of business% of individuals accessing digital skills education

PARTICIPATION % of individuals able to access digital‑enabled services (e.g., internet banking or LinkedIn for job search) by gender, race, age, income

% of businesses adopting digital technologies, by size and other characteristics

ECOSYSTEM POLICY AND REGULATORY

E NVIRONMENT ON ACCESSIBILITY,

I NFR ASTRUCTURE, BUSINESS,

AND INDIVIDUAL PROTECTION

Digital evolution indexDARE indexPersonal information usage/cybersecurity/safety and trust

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DATA SUPPLEMENT // INTRODUCTION // 05

DESPITE THE LACK OF DATA, IT’S EVIDENT CERTAIN POPULATION GROUPS ARE ALREADY FALLING BEHIND.

1. LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS/INDIVIDUALS*

Canada has among the highest costs of digital access in the world, which limits the ability of people from low‑income backgrounds to access the broadband, devices, and skills development needed to interact with the digital world.

2. SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES (SMEs)

Most businesses recognize the need for digital transformation and invest in data and analytics. However, most SMEs lack resources and so tend to lose out on accessing the tools and talent needed to keep up with larger businesses.

3. OLDER POPULATION GROUPS

The adoption of new technology can be more difficult for older segments of the population (not just seniors but people aged 45 and up) for various reasons, including lack of skills and access to timely training.

4. RACIALIZED CANADIANS

While data is not widely available, an intersectionality of data between low‑income households and racialized Canadians leads us to believe there is a lack of access to digital tools and skills for this group.

5. RURAL POPULATIONS

Despite improvements in broadband roll‑out in the last year, Canada’s geography and high costs mean that digital access remains a major barrier for many rural areas.

6. INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

The data on Indigenous peoples paints a clear picture of a group that has less access to, and participation in, digital society. We lack detailed data, however, including statistics on the divide between on‑reserve and off‑reserve Indigenous peoples.

*Note: Our qualitative discussions highlighted that persons with disabilities are also similarly disadvantaged but there is a severe lack of data, making it harder to draw any conclusions

•

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1. ACCESS

QUICK SUMMARY

Canada ranks high among peers in overall statistics regarding individual access–except in cost of services

Cost is likely to remain the main barrier to internet access for vulnerable populations

The federal government has therefore pledged to connect 98% of Canadians to high-speed internet by 2026, and all Canadians by 2030. This raises two questions: What about businesses? And, given current social and regional inequities, is this goal achievable?

Switzerla

nd

France

BelgiumU.K

.

Sweden

IcelandU.S

.

New Zealand

Australia

Denmark

Netherla

nds

Norway

Korea

Germany

Canada

50

40

30

20

10

0

<25/30Mbps≥100Mbps ≥25/30Mbps; <100Mbps

ACCESS DIG

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DATA SUPPLEMENT // ACCESS // 07

CANADA RANKS IN THE TOP 10 AMONG OECD PEERS FOR BROADBAND CONNECTIONS, BUT ACCESS TO HIGH-SPEED SERVICE DEPENDS ON LOCATION.

Number of fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in 36 countries (June 2020)

1st SWITZERLAND 47.6

9th CANADA 41.2

18th UNITED STATES 36.0

While most of the country’s fixed broadband subscriptions are

high-speed tiers (>100 Mbps), the service isn’t available to everyone.

In Nunavut, for instance, only >5 Mbps speeds are widely available.

Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, per speed tier (June 2020)

Broadband service availability, by province/territory, % of households with >100 Mbps speed (2019)

British Columbia 93.5%Quebec 90.5%Ontario 86.8%Alberta 83.6%

New Brunswick 81.1%Nova Scotia 78.4%

Newfoundland and Labrador 73.6%Manitoba 72.8%

Prince Edward Island 61.3%Yukon 60.8%

Saskatchewan 57.6%Northwest Territories 53.7%

Nunavut 0.0%

Sources: OECD, Statistics Canada

ACCESS DIG

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DATA SUPPLEMENT // ACCESS // 08

IN CANADA, WHERE YOU LIVE DETERMINES YOUR ACCESS TO MINIMUM BROADBAND SPEEDS. RURAL RESIDENTS AND ON-RESERVE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES HAVE MUCH LESS.

While most Canadian households (87%) have access to the minimum speeds of at least 50 Mbps for downloads and 10 Mbps for uploads, such speeds are available to only 46% of rural households and 35% of First Nations reserves.

Availability of 50/10 Mbps broadband with unlimited data by % of households (2018-2019)

All Canadian households

2019 87%2018 86%

Rural households

2019 46%2018 41%

First Nations reserves

2019 35%2018 31%

OLMCOfficial Language Minority Household

2019 91%2018 89%

First Nations reserve broadband service availability by province/territory% of households with 50/10/Unlimited speed (2019)

BC 68%

AB 20%

SK 2%

MB 2%

ON 16%

QC 63%

NB 93%

NS 44%

PE 30%

NL 0%

YT 0%

NT 0%

Sources: Statistics Canada, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)

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DATA SUPPLEMENT // ACCESS // 09

MOST CANADIANS HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET AT HOME; THAT’S NOT THE CASE FOR OLDER PEOPLE AND LOWER-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.

Seniors in the lowest income bracket

63% Only 63% of seniors (aged 65+) in the lowest household income bracket (<$40,000) have access to the internet at home.

Canadians who have access to the internet at home by province (2020)

AB

96%

ON

95%

BC

95%

CA

N

94%

NL

93%

PE

I

93%

NB

93%

NS

92%

SK

92%

QC

92%

MB

91%

Access to internet at home by household income quartile (2018)

80.9%

Lowest quartile household income

≤ $40k*

95.1%

Second quartile household income

$40k – $80k

98.9%

Third quartile household income

$80k – $125k

99.6%

Highest quartile household income

>$125k

Access to internet at home by age group and household income quartile (2018)

Lowest quartile household income Highest quartile household income

Internet users aged 15 to 24 years

98.6% 100.0%

Internet users aged 25 to 44 years

93.4% 99.9%

Internet users aged 45 to 64 years

85.2% 99.5%

Internet users aged 65 years and over

63% 97.5%

Sources: Statistics Canada, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)

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DATA SUPPLEMENT // ACCESS // 10

BROADBAND PRICES IN CANADA ARE THE SECOND-HIGHEST IN THE G7. THIS HAS AN IMPACT ON DIGITAL ACCESS, AND THEREFORE EQUITY.

26%

of Canadians who had no

access to internet in 2020

cited cost as a reason.

In a 2019 study of 62 countries,

Canada was found to be in the top five

costliest places for 100-Mbps plans.

Canadian and US broadband rates

(adjusted for Purchasing Power Parity)

are higher for speeds above 16 Mbps

than other G7 countries (2019).

Average internet prices are even

higher in rural areas, with households

there paying about $7 more per month

for the same service as those living in

or near urban centres.

Average prices of 50/10 Mbps unlimited internet plans, urban and rural Canada (2019)

Urban $65.55

Rural $72.64

Sources: Statistics Canada, Picodi, Wall Communications Inc., Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)

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DATA SUPPLEMENT // ACCESS // 11

ACCESS

HEADING INTO THE PANDEMIC, 89% OF CANADIAN BUSINESSES HAD A BROADBAND CONNECTION – A DISMAL PROPORTION COMPARED TO OUR OECD PEERS.Even large Canadian businesses were less likely to be connected compared to large businesses in peer countries.

NetherlandsFinlandKoreaDenmark

100%

of businesses reported having broadband

United KingdomGermany

96%

of businesses reported having broadband

Canada

89%

of businesses reported having broadband

Canada ranked nearly at the bottom – 27th out of 30 countries–

for the number of businesses with broadband, fixed and mobile (2019).

Businesses without a broadband connection, including fixed and mobile (2019)

Canada

Australia

United Kingdom

Small(10 to 49 emplyees)

11%

1.1%

5.3%

Medium(50 to 249 emplyees)

10%

0.4%

1.1%

Large(250 emplyees and more)

7%

0.1%

1.0%

Sources: OECD, Statistics Canada

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DATA SUPPLEMENT // ACCESS // 12

IN 2019, JUST 82% OF CANADIAN BUSINESSES HAD A WEBSITE OR HOMEPAGE. SMALL COMPANIES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS LIKELY TO HAVE ONE.

Business size predicts online presence: while 5.5% of large organizations

lacked a website or homepage in 2019, this figure climbed to 8.4% for

medium-sized ones and 20.6% for small businesses.

Canadian businesses without a website or homepage, by size (2019)

Canada

Australia

United Kingdom

Small(10 to 49 emplyees)

20.6%21.2%

18.2%

Medium(50 to 249 emplyees)

8.4%

13.4%

6%

Large(250 emplyees and more)

5.5%4.2%

5.2%

NetherlandsJapanDenmark

>90%

of businesses reported having a website/homepage

United KingdomGermanyCanada

80–90%

of businesses reported having a website/homepage

FranceKorea

<80%

of businesses reported having a website/homepage

Canada is in the middle of the pack – 12th out of 29 countries –

for the number of businesses with a website or homepage (2019).

Sources: OECD, Statistics Canada

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DATA SUPPLEMENT // ACCESS // 13

BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, 28% OF CANADIAN BUSINESSES HAD A WEBSITE WITH ONLINE SALES OR E-COMMERCE CAPABILITIES, ABOVE THE OECD AVERAGE – BUT A RECENT SURVEY SHOWS THAT VERY FEW PLAN TO EXPAND THEIR DIGITAL CAPABILITIES.

Only 1 in 5 businesses said in a 2021 survey that they’re

likely to invest in building a website with online ordering,

reservation-making, or booking capabilities over the next

12 months, indicating that underinvestment in this area

will continue to affect digital equity for businesses.

Percentage of businesses that had a website capable of online ordering and booking (2019)

1st NETHERLANDS 34%

7th CANADA 28%

10th UNITED KINGDOM 24%

Canada ranked

7th out of 25 countries

Likelihood of investment by Canadian businesses in online sales and e-commerce capabilities over the next 12 months (2021)

Very unlikely/somewhat unlikely

73%

Neither likely nor unlikely

7%

Somewhat likely/very likely

20%

Sources: OECD, Statistics Canada

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DATA SUPPLEMENT // ACCESS // 14

CANADIAN BUSINESSES ARE EVEN LESS LIKELY TO INVEST IN ONLINE SALES AND E-COMMERCE CAPABILITIES IF THEY ARE SMALLER, OLDER, OR INDIGENOUS-OWNED – AND DISPARITIES ACROSS INDUSTRIES ARE TROUBLING.Just 12% of organizations with Indigenous ownership report they’re likely to invest in online sales and e-commerce capabilities over the next year, compared to 20% of all businesses.

Percentage of businesses reporting they’re somewhat likely or very likely to invest in online sales and e-commerce capabilities over the next 12 months, by industry (2021)

Most likely to invest

41.8% Information and cultural industries

37.8% Retail trade

36.1% Wholesale trade

Least likely to invest

8.4% Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

6.3% Construction

6.2% Health care and social assistance

% of businesses that reported they are somewhat/very likely to invest

18%Businesses with 1 to 4 employees

16% Businesses more than 20 years old

12% Businesses with First Nations,

Métis, or Inuit majority ownership

Sources: Statistics Canada

CANADA RANKS HIGHLY IN TERMS OF WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY, BUT WE’RE OUTPERFORMED BY SEVERAL PEER COUNTRIES.Industry-specific data reveals that improvements are needed, especially in manufacturing, retail, and tourism and hospitality. The same is true for government website accessibility: Canada scores well but trails the top performers.

DCI accessibility scores by industry (2019) Canada United States

Education

6769

Financial services

64

71

Government

6771

Health care

68

63

Manufacturing

6163

Retail

6064

Tourism and hospitality

60

68

DCI accessibility scores for government websites (2019)

United Kingdom

73

United States

71

Australia

71

Canada

67

New Zealand

64

Siteimprove Digital Certainty Index™ (DCI) digital accessibility score (2019)

Sources: Siteimprove

ACCESS

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Nor

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Net

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Japa

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Icel

and

Swed

en

Est

onia

Den

mar

k

Can

ada

Aus

tral

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Port

ugal

Bel

gium

Spai

n

Finl

and

Aus

tria

Mex

ico

New

Zea

land

Swit

zerl

and

Ital

y

Ger

man

y

Rus

sia

Indi

a

Bra

zil

Fran

ce

Sout

h A

fric

a

Chi

le

Uni

ted

Ara

b E

mir

ates

Mos

t ac

cess

ible

100

0L

east

acc

essi

ble

64

67

59

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DATA SUPPLEMENT // ACCESS // 15

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2. PARTICIPATION

QUICK SUMMARY

At a national level, Canada ranks well in digital skills compared to its peers. But that doesn’t hold true for groups that are already facing equity challenges.

It’s difficult to get an accurate picture, however, since there’s a troubling lack of data about skills for specific population groups (especially race) and little data on a standardized form of measuring these skills, which is important for digital literacy.

Businesses have a role to play in improving equity for these groups, but they aren’t making the investments required to do so.

Sources: OECD, World Economic Forum

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DATA SUPPLEMENT // PARTICIPATION // 17

MORE THAN HALF OF CANADIAN WORKERS ARE EMPLOYED IN SECTORS OF HIGH AND MEDIUM-HIGH DIGITAL INTENSITY, BUT THE AVAILABILITY OF WORKERS WITH ENOUGH DIGITAL SKILLS HAS DECLINED OVER THE YEARS.

Businesses reporting the active population in their country

possess sufficient digital skills (e.g., computer skills, basic coding,

digital reading): Canada’s ranking has been falling

2017 2018 2019

UNITED STATES 1st

2nd

12th

FINLAND 4th

3rd

1st

CANADA 15th

18th

20thAUSTR ALIA 19th

23rd

24th

Canada’s ranking in a measure of number of workers

with sufficient digital skills fell from 15th to 20th in just

two years. This is especially concerning since more jobs

are moving into sectors that require greater digital skills.

Share of total employment of high and medium-high digital intensity sectors, 2016 (% of jobs)

Australia

46.7%

Canada

52.5%

United K

ingdom

52.6%

United S

tates

53.1%

Netherla

nds

53.5%

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DATA SUPPLEMENT // PARTICIPATION // 18

THE RISK OF BEING DISPLACED BY AUTOMATION IN CANADA IS NOT EVENLY DISTRIBUTED – AGE, INCOME, RACE, AND FIRM SIZE DETERMINE WHO IS AT HIGHER RISK OF LOSING THEIR JOB.Older workers and workers in the lowest employment income percentile are the most vulnerable. To create a digitally equitable Canada, digital training for these groups will be essential.

A 2020 study of automation and job transformation in Canada found that:

10.6%

of workers were at

high risk (probability

of 70% or higher) of

automation-related job

transformation in 2016

29.1%

of Canadian workers

were at moderate risk

(probability of 50 to 70%)

of automation-related job

transformation in 2016

Canadian workers at high risk of automation-related job transformation (%)*

*A recent study by RBC also found that Indigenous workers are at a higher risk of automation than the rest of the population

By age

13.3%18‑ to 24‑ year‑olds

7.6%25‑ to 34‑ year‑olds

10.1%35‑ to 54‑ year‑olds

14.6%>55 years old

By employer size

14.9%1‑10 employees

8.6%11‑50 employees

11.2%51‑250 employees

9.8%251‑1K employees

By employment income percentile

26.8%<10th

16.6%10th to 25th

13.7%25th to 50th

5.5%50th to 75th

Sources: Statistics Canada, Longitudinal and International Study of Adults, Wave 3 (2016)

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DATA SUPPLEMENT // PARTICIPATION // 19

CANADA PERFORMS WELL IN COMPARISON TO OECD PEERS IN TERMS OF PROBLEM-SOLVING IN TECHNOLOGY-RICH ENVIRONMENTS, BUT OLDER ADULTS ARE FALLING BEHIND.

A 2012 survey of adult workers’ ability to problem-solve

in technology-rich environments found that Canada

performs above the OECD average

37%

of Canadians scoring at a proficiency Level 2 or 3 in problem-solving

31%

of individuals in the OECD are, on average, at Level 2 or 3 in problem-solving

Percentage of the Canadian population scoring Level 2 or Level 3 in problem-solving in technology-rich environments, by age (2012)

16 to 24 years old 51.6%

25 to 34 years old 49.9%

35 to 44 years old 42.9%

45 to 54 years old 28.8%

55 to 65 years old 16.7%

Canadians aged 45 and older are less likely to be proficient.

Many in this age cohort will still be part of the workforce 10 years from

now, so—without targeted intervention—this skills gap will persist.

Sources: Statistics Canada, Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) (2012, 2015)

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DATA SUPPLEMENT // PARTICIPATION // 20

CANADIAN BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY SMALLER ONES, ARE NOT INVESTING ENOUGH IN ICT SKILLS TRAINING FOR THEIR WORKERS.

Percentage of Canadian businesses that provided any type of training to develop ICT-related skills for persons not employed as ICT specialists, within the last 12 months, by size (2019)

Small (10 to 49 employees) 8%

Medium (50 to 249 employees) 19%

Large (250 employees and more) 39%

Larger companies were more likely (39%) to provide information and

communications technology (ICT) related skills training for their workers

who were not directly employed in ICT than medium-sized businesses

(19%) and small businesses (8%) in 2019.

Canada ranked nearly in the bottom – 24th out of 25

countries – in the percentage of businesses that had

provided ICT training within the past 12 months for

persons not employed in ICT (2019).

10%of Canadian businesses

43%of Norwegian businesses

Sources: OECD, Statistics Canada

PARTICIPATION

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

10th

11th

12th

13th

14th

15th

16th

17th

18th

19th

20th

21st

22nd

23rd

24th

25th

26th

27th

28th

29th

30th

31st

32nd

33rd

34th

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DATA SUPPLEMENT // PARTICIPATION // 21

ALTHOUGH MOST CANADIANS ARE BANKING ONLINE, THIS VARIES GREATLY BETWEEN DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS.

In 2018, Canada ranked

8th out of 34 countries in

the percentage of citizens

who banked online.

Germany 59%

Canada 76%

Iceland 94%

Canadians who used the internet for online banking in 2018, by age group

25 to 54 years old

86%

55 to 74 years old

63%

75+ years old

27%

Sources: OECD, Statistics Canada

PARTICIPATION

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

10th

11th

12th

13th

14th

15th

16th

17th

18th

19th

20th

21st

22nd

23rd

24th

25th

26th

27th

28th

29th

30th

31st

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DATA SUPPLEMENT // PARTICIPATION // 22

CANADIANS ARE ONLY AVERAGE IN USING THE INTERNET TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION FROM PUBLIC AUTHORITIES, WITH MAJOR GAPS BETWEEN AGE GROUPS.Seniors are much less likely to look for information from public authorities.

In 2018, only 47.4%

Canadians used the

internet to find public

information— ranking

16th out of 31 countries.

Italy 20%

Canada 47%

Denmark 89%

Canadians who used the internet for obtaining information from public authorities in 2018, by age group

25 to 54 years old

55%

55 to 74 years old

38%

75+ years old

12%

Sources: OECD, Statistics Canada

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DATA SUPPLEMENT // PARTICIPATION // 23

PRIVATE BUSINESSES HAVE FEW ONLINE INTERACTIONS WITH THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT. Except for tax declarations and document downloads, private businesses don’t tend to use the internet to do such things as renew permits or licences, apply for grants or subsidies, or register a business name. And small businesses are even less likely than large ones to interact with the government online.

Canadian private businesses: percentage of online interactions with the federal government (2019)

File a patent or other intellectual property application

1.2%

Other activity 2.6%

Submission linked to a request for proposal (RFP)

3.2%

Business did not perform any activities over the Internet

8.5%

Apply for grants, subsidies, benefits, or government‑provided insurance

10.3%

Business doesn’t know 11.1%

Register or change a business name, number or tax account

12.2%

Obtain data 14.4%

Apply for or renew business permits or license 22.2%

Other online payments to government organizations

28.2%

Download documents or forms 60.4%

Tax declaration 61.7%

Online interactions with the Canadian federal government by size of enterprise (2019)

Large enterprises (>100 employees)

Medium‑sized enterprises (20 ‑ 99 employees)

Small enterprises (0 to 19 employees)

File a patent or other intellectual property application

4%3%

1%

Other activity2%

4%2%

Submission linked to a request for proposal (RFP)

9%5%

3%

Business did not perform any activities over the Internet

3%6%

9%

Apply for grants, subsidies, benefits, or government‑provided insurance

17%15%

9%

Business doesn’t know21%

14%10%

Register or change a business name, number or tax account

17%14%

12%

Obtain data28%

17%13%

Apply for or renew business permits or license

25%24%

22%

Other online payments to government organizations

30%33%

27%

Download documents or forms67%

66%59%

Tax declaration58%

64%61%

Sources: Statistics Canada

// 24

•

•

•

3. ECOSYSTEM

QUICK SUMMARY

Canada’s regulatory ecosystem ranks near the top among its peers, but we risk slipping if regulations don’t keep up with the rapid changes occurring in the digital space.

Investments in the digital space by Canadian businesses lag significantly now and don’t currently show any increase is likely in the future, especially in digital transformation and policies.

Data that tracks the outcomes of certain digital policies and investments for specific population groups is lacking.

ECOSYSTEM

Digital momentum rank

Dig

ital e

volu

tion

rank

United Kingdom

United States

Canada

Australia

DIG

ITA

L E

QU

ITY

// FU

TU

RE O

F CA

NA

DA

CE

NT

RE

DATA SUPPLEMENT // ECOSYSTEM // 25

1st

90th

CANADA’S CURRENT STATE OF DIGITALIZATION IS HIGH, BUT WE’RE LOSING MOMENTUM.

Digitalization: Canada vs. 90 countries (2020)

Evolution: current state of digitalization Momentum: pace of digitalization over the past 12 years

Demand conditions

13th

43rd

Innovation and change

15th

67th

Supply conditions

20th

75th

Institutional environment

13th

83rd

Out of 90 countries ranked in one study on

digitalization, Canada scores high on evolution

(16th) but poorly on momentum (81st). We risk falling

behind by 2030 if we don’t address the problem now.

Sources: The Fletcher School, Tufts University, HBR

ECOSYSTEM

1st

1st

DIG

ITA

L E

QU

ITY

// FU

TU

RE O

F CA

NA

DA

CE

NT

RE

DATA SUPPLEMENT // ECOSYSTEM // 26

CANADA’S E-GOVERNMENT SERVICES RANKING IS FALLING ON A GLOBAL SCALE, BUT WE’RE IMPROVING WHEN IT COMES TO UPTAKE OF EXISTING ONLINE SERVICES.Canada ranks well below its peers on the UN’s most recent measurement of the readiness and capacity of national institutions to use information and communications technology to deliver public services, but has made progress on boosting public participation.

E-government rank (2020)

1st DENMARK

5th AUSTR ALIA

28th CANADA

Canada’s position among 193 countries

in the UN’s 2020 e-government ranking,

well below the United States, United

Kingdom, and other peers.

Canada’s e-government ranking has been falling, underscoring

the need to improve its digital services delivery.

2018

23rd

2020

28th

Meanwhile, Canada’s e-participation ranking has been improving,

highlighting the success of effective public communication

campaigns to inform people of the benefits of digital services and

to ensure more widespread use of online platforms.

2018

27th

2020

16th

Sources: UN

ECOSYSTEM DIG

ITA

L E

QU

ITY

// FU

TU

RE O

F CA

NA

DA

CE

NT

RE

DATA SUPPLEMENT // ECOSYSTEM // 27

CANADA SCORES WELL AS AN OPEN ECONOMY WITH FEW BARRIERS TO SUPPLYING SERVICES DIGITALLY, BUT LAGS IN CREATING REGULATIONS THAT, ULTIMATELY, SUPPORT INCLUSION AND EQUITY GOALS.The adoption of specific initiatives, like open-banking, can advance inclusion and equity. Canada’s regulatory environment holds progress back nationally.

Ope

n ec

onom

y Canada

United States

Mexico

Netherlands

France

Germany

Clo

sed

econ

omy

Korea

From 2015-2020, Canada

was consistently ranked the

most open economy, among

the 44 countries measured,

in digital services trade*.

*measures barriers to trade—including infrastructure and connectivity, electronic transactions,

e-payment systems, intellectual property rights, and others—in digitally enabled services

Open-banking readiness ranking (2018)

Overall ranking

Regulatory environment

Adoption potential

Consumer sentiment

Innovation environment

UNITED KINGDOM 1st 1st 1st 7th 3rd

UNITED STATES 4th 9th 6th 2nd 1st

CANADA 8th 10th 10th 8th 5th

SPAIN 10th 6th 7th 5th 9th

Sources: OECD, EY

500

ECOSYSTEM DIG

ITA

L E

QU

ITY

// FU

TU

RE O

F CA

NA

DA

CE

NT

RE

DATA SUPPLEMENT // ECOSYSTEM // 28

CANADA SCORES IN THE TOP 25% OF COUNTRIES ON MEASURES OF DIGITAL ACCESSIBILITY FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, BUT WE LACK POLICIES IN KEY AREAS, INCLUDING EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, AND INDEPENDENT LIVING.While our laws and regulations get top marks and we have strong capacity for implementation, the absence of specific policies on digital accessibility drags down our overall ranking. In addition, lack of action in these areas is contributing to a fall in rankings.

Digital Accessibility Rights Evaluation (DARE) Index scores (out of 100), 2018 and 2020

2018

2020

Canada

57 56

US

75 71.5

Australia

71

80

UK

7366.5

In 2020, Canada ranked 32nd (out of 137 countries) on the

DARE Index Score 2020, which measures countries’ progress

in commitments, capacity to implement, and actual outcomes

related to digital accessibility for persons with disabilities.

However, Canada’s DARE Index

global ranking has fallen since

2018 because it has yet to adopt

and implement specific policies

related to digital accessibility.

2018

27th

2020

32nd

DARE Index 2020: Level of implementation score (0-50)

United Kingdom 29

Australia 30

United States 29

Canada 11

Sources: The Global Initiative for inclusive ICTs (G3ict)

ECOSYSTEM DIG

ITA

L E

QU

ITY

// FU

TU

RE O

F CA

NA

DA

CE

NT

RE

DATA SUPPLEMENT // ECOSYSTEM // 29

CANADIANS FEEL THEY HAVE LITTLE TO NO CONTROL OVER HOW THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION IS BEING USED BY EITHER COMPANIES OR BY GOVERNMENT, AND THIS VARIES BY AGE AND PROVINCE.

Canadians feel they have not very much or no control at all over how their

personal information is used by companies (61%) or by government (65%),

while older population groups and people from BC were more likely to

echo this sentiment about companies.

Respondents reply to “How much control do you feel you have over how your personal information is being used by governments and companies”? (2020, N=1,516)

Great deal of control Moderate amount Not very much No control at all

Governments6% 29% 35% 30%

Companies7% 31% 37% 24%

Differences by age and province as to who feels they have control over their personal information given to companies (2020)

33%of those aged 55 and older said they have a great deal or a moderate amount of control (compared to 53% of 16 to 24 year olds and 36% of 35 to 54 year olds)

26%of respondents from British Columbia said they have a great deal or a moderate amount of control (compared to 43% from the Prairies, 41% in Atlantic Canada, and 40% in Ontario)

Sources: Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

DIG

ITA

L E

QU

ITY

// FU

TU

RE O

F CA

NA

DA

CE

NT

RE

DATA SUPPLEMENT // 30

EN

DN

OT

ES

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