Critical minerals add $26.3 billion to Canadian economy in 2024

Statistics Canada puts critical mineral production at roughly a 0.9 per cent share of nominal GDP, and at 33.4 per cent of the mineral and mining sector.

By Theo Grant Business & Data Published 8 October 2026, 12:30 UTC 1 source 1 min read

Library photo Terraced walls of a deep open-pit mine. Does not depict this event. Calistemon / CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized; may be cropped for display. Photo source Photo licence

Critical mineral production contributed $26.3 billion to the total Canadian economy in 2024, roughly a 0.9 per cent share, as measured by nominal gross domestic product, Statistics Canada said. The agency published the figure on Oct. 8, 2026.¹

Critical minerals represented 33.4 per cent of the mineral and mining sector in 2024, as defined by the Natural Resources Satellite Accounts, Statistics Canada said. The agency attributed the focus on the sector to increased global demand for critical minerals.¹

The release gives no prior-year figure for either measure, so the direction of change in 2024 cannot be established from it. It also does not break the $26.3 billion down by province, territory or mineral.¹

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Evidence

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