Retail advertisers spent CAD 2.45 billion in Canada. Digital channels captured 68.4 percent of total ad spend. The statistics below detail sector allocations and consumer responses to ads.
Key Takeaways
- Retail sector led ad spend with CAD 2.45 billion in 2023, 19.6% of total market
- 68.2% of Canadian consumers noticed online ads daily in 2023 survey
- Digital advertising captured 68.4% of total ad spend in 2023 at CAD 8.55 billion
- In 2023, Canada's total advertising revenue reached CAD 12.5 billion, marking a 7.2% year-over-year growth driven by digital channels
- TV advertising spend totaled CAD 2.1 billion in 2023, down 3.2% YoY
Canadian advertising is growing rapidly, driven by digital spending and strong investor confidence.
Related reading
01 · Category
Advertising by Industry Sector11 stats
01
Retail sector led ad spend with CAD 2.45 billion in 2023, 19.6% of total market
02
Financial services advertising totaled CAD 1.38 billion in 2023, up 6.9% YoY
03
Automotive industry ad spend reached CAD 1.12 billion in 2023, driven by EV promotions
04
Telecommunications sector spent CAD 1.05 billion on ads in 2023, 8.4% of total
05
Pharmaceuticals and healthcare ad expenditure was CAD 890 million in 2023
06
Entertainment and media sector allocated CAD 760 million to advertising in 2023
07
Travel and tourism ads totaled CAD 540 million in 2023, rebounding 14.2% post-COVID
08
Food and beverage industry ad spend hit CAD 980 million in 2023, led by packaged goods
09
Government and public sector advertising was CAD 420 million in 2023
10
E-commerce platforms like Amazon spent CAD 250 million on ads in Canada in 2023
11
Real estate sector ad budget reached CAD 380 million in 2023, up 9.1% with housing market
Interpretation
Advertising by Industry Sector Interpretation
While retail loudly waves the biggest checkbook for your attention, finance quietly grows its share, your car dealer desperately pushes electric dreams, and your phone company relentlessly reminds you it exists, all proving that in the Canadian ad game, every sector is fiercely investing in a slice of your mind—and wallet.
02 · Category
Consumer Insights & Effectiveness10 stats
01
68.2% of Canadian consumers noticed online ads daily in 2023 survey
02
Ad recall rate for digital video ads was 47.3% vs 32.1% for static banners in 2023
03
55.4% of Canadians used ad blockers in 2023, highest among 25-34 age group at 62.7%
04
Brand lift from social media campaigns averaged 18.2% in Canada 2023 studies
05
41.7% of consumers made purchases influenced by OOH ads in past year per 2023 poll
06
TV ad engagement among 18-49 demographic was 28.4% in 2023 metrics
07
73.1% trust in influencer endorsements dropped to 61.2% in 2023 due to disclosures
08
Search ad click-through rate averaged 2.14% for Canadian campaigns in 2023
09
52.3% of millennials reported skipping TV ads via DVR in 2023 survey
10
ROI on digital ads measured at 4.2:1 in Canada 2023 benchmarks
Interpretation
Consumer Insights & Effectiveness Interpretation
Despite Canadians' eyes being unavoidably drawn to online ads and their brains impressively remembering nearly half of the video ones, the industry walks a tightrope where its best creative lifts brands and drives purchases, yet over half the audience is actively arming itself with ad blockers while trust in influencers erodes—proving that capturing attention is one thing, but earning it is the real ROI.
03 · Category
Digital Advertising Trends10 stats
01
Digital advertising captured 68.4% of total ad spend in 2023 at CAD 8.55 billion
02
Programmatic advertising accounted for 52.1% of digital ad spend, equating to CAD 4.45 billion in 2023
03
Social media ad revenue hit CAD 3.2 billion in 2023, up 12.7% YoY, led by Facebook and Instagram
04
Search advertising generated CAD 2.8 billion, with Google holding 78.3% market share in 2023
05
Video advertising online surged 15.4% to CAD 1.95 billion in 2023
06
Retail media networks ad spend reached CAD 850 million in 2023, growing 28.6% YoY
07
Mobile advertising comprised 61.2% of digital spend at CAD 5.23 billion in 2023
08
CTV (Connected TV) ad revenue was CAD 420 million in 2023, up 32% from 2022
09
Influencer marketing spend in digital channels totaled CAD 320 million in 2023
10
Native advertising online generated CAD 680 million, 11.8% growth in 2023
Interpretation
Digital Advertising Trends Interpretation
In the digital coliseum of 2023, Canada’s ad dollars overwhelmingly chose to court algorithms and screens, pouring billions into the hands of a few tech giants while programmatic robots and social scrolls quietly ate over half the pie.
More related reading
04 · Category
Market Size & Revenue19 stats
01
In 2023, Canada's total advertising revenue reached CAD 12.5 billion, marking a 7.2% year-over-year growth driven by digital channels
02
Advertising expenditure per capita in Canada stood at CAD 312 in 2023, up from CAD 295 in 2022
03
The Canadian ad market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.8% from 2024 to 2028, reaching CAD 15.2 billion by 2028
04
Quebec province accounted for 22.4% of national ad spend in 2023, totaling CAD 2.8 billion
05
Ontario led with 42.1% of Canada's ad revenue at CAD 5.26 billion in 2023
06
Ad spend inflation-adjusted growth was 4.1% in 2023 after accounting for 3.1% CPI rise
07
Small and medium enterprises contributed 18.7% or CAD 2.34 billion to total ad spend in 2023
08
National ad revenue grew 8.3% in Q4 2023 alone to CAD 3.4 billion
09
Forecasted ad spend for 2024 is CAD 13.3 billion, with 6.4% growth
10
Historical ad spend from 2019-2023 averaged CAD 11.2 billion annually
11
In 2023, Canada's total advertising revenue reached CAD 12.5 billion, marking a 7.2% year-over-year growth driven by digital channels
12
Advertising expenditure per capita in Canada stood at CAD 312 in 2023, up from CAD 295 in 2022
13
The Canadian ad market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.8% from 2024 to 2028, reaching CAD 15.2 billion by 2028
14
Quebec province accounted for 22.4% of national ad spend in 2023, totaling CAD 2.8 billion
15
Ontario led with 42.1% of Canada's ad revenue at CAD 5.26 billion in 2023
16
Ad spend inflation-adjusted growth was 4.1% in 2023 after accounting for 3.1% CPI rise
17
Small and medium enterprises contributed 18.7% or CAD 2.34 billion to total ad spend in 2023
18
National ad revenue grew 8.3% in Q4 2023 alone to CAD 3.4 billion
19
Forecasted ad spend for 2024 is CAD 13.3 billion, with 6.4% growth
Interpretation
Market Size & Revenue Interpretation
While Ontario and Quebec continue their polite, high-stakes duel for advertising supremacy, the real story is that every Canadian, whether they like it or not, is now worth over $300 a year to marketers, a value growing robustly even after inflation, proving that our attention is the nation's most reliably appreciating asset.
05 · Category
Traditional Media Spend10 stats
01
TV advertising spend totaled CAD 2.1 billion in 2023, down 3.2% YoY
02
Radio advertising revenue was CAD 1.05 billion in 2023, declining 2.8% from 2022
03
Newspaper print ad revenue fell to CAD 450 million in 2023, a 7.1% drop
04
Magazine advertising spend was CAD 280 million in 2023, down 5.4% YoY
05
Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising reached CAD 780 million in 2023, up 4.2% post-pandemic recovery
06
Cinema advertising generated CAD 120 million in 2023, growing 8.7% with theatrical rebound
07
Direct mail ad spend was CAD 650 million in 2023, stable with 0.5% growth
08
National TV networks captured 55.3% of TV ad spend at CAD 1.16 billion in 2023
09
Local TV advertising declined 4.6% to CAD 940 million in 2023
10
Billboard OOH spend was 42.7% of total OOH at CAD 333 million in 2023
Interpretation
Traditional Media Spend Interpretation
While traditional media is having a yard sale with declining revenues, the ads you can't avoid—like billboards on your commute, trailers at the movies, and the mail in your physical mailbox—are quietly staging a rebellion against the digital takeover.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
James Okoro. (2026, February 13). Canada Advertising Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/canada-advertising-industry-statistics
MLA
James Okoro. "Canada Advertising Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/canada-advertising-industry-statistics.
Chicago
James Okoro. 2026. "Canada Advertising Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/canada-advertising-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
38 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level