The Mining Story - Facts and Figures of the Canadian Mining Industry Highlights State of Canada's Mining Industry

Cision Canada

20-05-2025

OTTAWA, ON, May 20, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) released The Mining Story – Canadian Mining Industry Facts and Figures, a report that provides an overview of current trends in Canada's mining sector based on the latest statistics and analysis.
The current state of mining and the Canadian economy is strong. In 2023, the sector contributed $117 billion, or 4% of Canada's gross domestic product (GDP). The mining sector encompasses extraction, mining services, primary metal and mineral manufacturing, and downstream metal and mineral manufacturing. When mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction are included, the sector's contribution rises to 5.1% of GDP, a stable and significant share of Canada's economy over the past decade, with Alberta's mined oil sands playing a major role. There were 430,000 people employed in high-quality jobs within the sector, with an additional 281,000 in indirect employment—representing one in every 28 employees in the Canadian labour force. Notably, the minerals industry is an important employer of Indigenous peoples, providing jobs for more than 12,000 individuals in 2023.
Extraction contributed $54.8 billion to GDP
Mining services contributed $8.6 billion to GDP
Primary metal/mineral manufacturing contributed $21 billion to GDP
Downstream metal/mineral manufacturing contributed $32.4 billion to GDP
Oil and gas made up a quarter of all of Canada's exports, at $177 billion. In 2022, Canada was the third largest exporter of crude oil, responsible for 9% of global exports, and
Crude oil production in Canada grew from 1.3 billion barrels in 2016 to 1.7 billion barrels in 2024. The majority of Canadian crude oil is exported, and the fraction is growing: from 86% of production in 2016 to 90% of production in 2024. Because of our strong infrastructure and business links, the United States is the primary export destination for Canadian crude oil, receiving more than 95% of our exports.
"Despite some economic headwinds, mining has been a steady source of growth for the Canadian economy," said Pierre Gratton, MAC's President and CEO. "As Canada and its allies work to secure critical minerals to meet economic, security, and climate goals, these numbers show the wealth that could come to Canada if we develop our mineral endowment. But we cannot rest on our success—geopolitical challenges, national security concerns, the transition to a low-carbon economy and the basic need to build and sustain a strong economy in the face of tariffs will require far more mined materials than we currently produce. Canada's mining sector is better positioned than most to withstand economic headwinds caused by tariffs, so now is the time to double down on attracting new investment into this important sector of the Canadian economy."
Canada produces more than 60 minerals and metals through its mining activities. The total value of Canadian mineral production in 2023 was $71.9 billion, up from $58.6 billion in 2021. This growth was led by the increase in production values for nonmetals and coal. The total value of mineral and metal production has quadrupled since 2000. Canada is among the top producers of metals and non-metallic minerals in the world. It is the top producer of potash, second largest producer of niobium and uranium, and third largest producer of precious diamonds and palladium (by metal content).
Climbing commodity prices have boosted the value of gold, with the industry now surpassing passenger vehicles as Canada's second largest export. Canada's mineral product exports are reaching new records, driven largely by its gold production. The economy of the future depends on minerals and metals from Canada. To supply the resources that are needed, Canada must foster a more efficient investment and regulatory environment. In recent years, the mining sector has welcomed positive commitments from the federal government, including the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy, Fall Economic Statements, and the 2022, 2023, and 2024 Budgets. These measures are encouraging—but the true test of success lies in the effective and efficient implementation of policies that accelerate the delivery of Canadian minerals and metals to global markets that are demanding them. The report includes the following recommendations to help achieve that goal.
Investors and mining companies are interested in investing in new mines, expanding existing mines, and building refining and smelting capacity in Canada. Unfortunately, regulatory inefficiency can slow project momentum. Action is especially important on coordination with provinces including enhanced use of substituted assessments (one project, one review), coordination within the federal government, and process improvements on Indigenous consultation.
The mining sector will require more than a hundred thousand new workers over the next decade. The industry can build on its success in recruiting Indigenous employees, but will need to increase recruitment of women, young workers and visible minorities to reflect the demographics of the Canadian workforce. Increasing the number of university and college graduates in mining-related fields will also help to create a strong pool of mining workers for the next generation.
Transporting minerals and metals from mines to processing facilities is becoming more challenging. In 2024, Canada experienced its first-ever simultaneous halt of rail service from both Class 1 railways. Lockouts at ports in British Columbia and Quebec threatened to stop the movement of goods by ship. Costs for both road and rail shipping remain well above their pre-pandemic levels. While the government is seized with economy-wide supply chain challenges, concrete solutions, such as legislative fixes to longstanding mining industry recommendations to address transportation network challenges remain elusive.
Continued growth in the mining sector is critical for both the Canadian economy and the environment. A strong mining industry means safe, well-paid jobs for hundreds of thousands of people, and the production of minerals and metals with high environmental and high labour standards. Canada's trading partners and allies will increasingly rely on us for a secure and stable supply of minerals and metals, and it is the responsibility of government and industry to work together to deliver the mined materials required for the green economy of the future.
For more information on MAC's The Mining Story – Canadian Mining Industry Facts and Figure report, and its associated policy recommendations, visit: https://mining.ca/resources/reports/facts-figures-2025/
About MAC
The Mining Association of Canada is the national organization for the Canadian mining industry. Its members account for most of Canada's production of base and precious metals, uranium, diamonds, metallurgical coal and mined oil sands, and are actively engaged in mineral exploration, mining, smelting, refining and semi-fabrication. Please visit www.mining.ca.