Canada is home to a wide range of museums that include cultural heritage, art, and science museums. Some of the museums offer Canadians and visitors to Canada a glimpse into the country’s rich past, while others explore the present or speculate about the future.

The museums in Canada range from sprawling national galleries to more intimate local history museums and almost every electoral district in Canada has at least one museum. The museums can be found in both urban and rural areas and help boost local, provincial, and national economies.

In this article, we explore museum statistics in Canada including visitor numbers and demographics, and the museums’ contribution to the Canadian economy. 

Museum Statistics for Canadians

  • Canada has 2,700 museums.
  • Museums generated approximately $1.1 billion in revenue in 2020.
  • 69% of the workforce in museums are volunteers.
  • 20% of Candians are avid museum goers.
  • 27% of Canadians under 34 years of age are avid museum goers.
  • Canadians who have completed further education and are on higher incomes are more likely to be avid museum visitors.
  • Almost 90% of Canadians say museums are important for preserving Canadian history.
  • 46% of Canadians feel that museums do not reflect their culture and heritage.
  • 95% of Canadians think that museums are educational.
  • The vast majority of Canadians feel museums are safe and welcoming places.
  • Almost one in four Canadians think museums are expensive.

Canada has 2,700 Museums

According to the Canadian Museums Association, there are 2,700 museums in Canada. While large metropolitan areas naturally have the highest concentrations of museums, small towns and rural areas often have their own local museums, too.

Statistics from Statistics Canada show that Vancouver has the highest number of museums per capita. There are 55 museums in Vancouver, which is 6.9 museums per 100,000 people. Next is Saint John with six museums, or 6.6 museums per 100,000 population.

Tronto and Montréal have the highest number of museums. There are 95 museums in Toronto and 93 in Montréal. The per 100,000 figures are 4.9 for Toronto and 4.0 for Montréal.

Museum Revenue in Canada

In 2020, the Canadian not-for-profit institutions generated more than $2.5 billion in revenue. This was 5% less than the highest revenue recorded in 2017. The drop was largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced 87% of the institutions to close their doors temporarily.

Museums make up approximately 57% of all not-for-profit institutions and generated 45%, which is $1.1 billion, of the revenue in 2020. Not-for-profit institutions in Ontario generated 34%, Quebec 31%, British Columbia 10%, and Alberta 8% of the revenue.

Since revenue from visitors was down because of COVID-19, the federal, provincial/ territorial, and local governments increased their funding to not-for-profit organisations in 2020. Funding increased by 13% compared to 2017 to $1.5 billion. 77% of this funding came from the federal government. Museums and other not-for-profit institutions also received funding from charities and the private sector in the form of donations.

Employment

Canada’s heritage sector employs over 32,000 people. The record number of jobs was recorded in 2017 when the sector employed over 37,200 people. Most of the sector’s employees work in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 14% of the jobs were lost, bringing the number down to approximately 32,150 people. Most of the jobs lost were part-time positions. People working on contracts were also heavily affected with the number of contractors falling by 42% from 2017.

Prince Edward Island saw the highest drop in employment because of the pandemic at 28%. It was followed by the Territories with a 27% decrease and Alberta with a 21% decrease.

Volunteering

Many institutions in the sector depend heavily on volunteers and 20% were run entirely by volunteers in 2020. During the pandemic, the number of volunteers halved. In 2017, more than 114,420 volunteers were working in the heritage sector. When museums and other heritage institutions had to close in 2020, the number of volunteers fell by 51% leaving approximately 56,000 working in the sector.

Before the pandemic, volunteers outnumbered paid workers three to one. In 2020, they outnumbered paid workers two to one and made up approximately 64% of the sector’s workforce. Museums had the highest number of volunteer workers who made up 69% of the workforce. Saskatchewan and Manitoba had the highest percentages of volunteers at 80% and 78% respectively. The lowest percentages were in the Territories at 25% and Quebec at 37%.

Demographics of Museum Visitors in Canada

Knowing the demographics of museum visitors is important to Canadian museums. Understanding who is more likely to visit museums can help museums to tailor their exhibits for their audience and plan new exhibits to attract new visitors.

3/5 Canadians Are Occasional Museum Visitors

Visitors to museums can be divided into two types: avid museum goers who visit museums more than two times in any given year and occasional museum goers who may visit a museum or two in a year or every few years. In Canada, most museum visitors, at 60%, are occasional museum goers. 20% of Canadians are avid museum goers, while the remaining Canadians do not visit museums.

Age

Younger Canadians are more likely to be avid museum visitors than older Canadians. 27% of Canadians younger than 34 years of age are avid museum goers compared to 11% of Canadians over 55 years of age. One of the reasons why visits fall with age is access and with an aging population in Canada, this is something Canadian museums need to take into consideration in the future.

Gender

Canadians who identify as male are somewhat more likely to visit museums than Canadians who identify as female. However, the difference is minimal. Canadians who identify as non-binary are more likely to be avid museum goers than Canadians identifying as male or female.

Ethnicity

Canada has always attracted many immigrants and the population is becoming more diverse. In the future, Canadian museums need to be prepared to serve increasingly diverse communities. In all ethnic groups (white, people of colour, Indigenous) the majority of people are occasional museum goers. People of colour, at 26%, are more likely than the Canadian average to be avid museum goers.

Income

In Canada, people on higher incomes are more likely to visit museums. According to a survey conducted by Reconsidering Museums, 32% of Canadians with an income below $20,000 are non visitors compared to 8% of Canadians with an income over $100,000. In all income groups, most people reported they visit museums occasionally.

Rural And Urban Visitors

Canadians who live in urban centres are more likely to visit museums than Canadians living in rural areas. 22% urban residents are avid museum visitors compared to just 8% of Canadians who live in rural areas. While location plays a part in this statistic, it is not the whole reason for the difference since 39% of people living in rural areas reported they have never visited their local museum.

Educational Background

Similarly to income, the level of education a person has completed also has an impact on their likelihood to visit museums. Canadians who have graduated from university are far less likely to be non-visitors than those who completed high-school or less. Among university graduates, approximately 10% are non-visitors, while among high school graduates, the proportion of non-visitors is 35%.

How Canadians Feel About Museums

Most Canadians see museums as important, educational institutions that preserve Canadian culture and heritage. 87% of Canadians say museums have an important role in preservation of Canadian history and 81% say they are important for preserving Indigenous history. In addition, 73% of Canadians say they are important educationally. Only 7% of Canadians feel that museums are a waste of money, while 9% feel they are elitist.

Almost Half of Canadians Feel Museums Do Not Reflect Their Culture

In a 2021 survey commissioned by Reconsidering Museums, 54% of Canadians felt museums in Canada reflect their culture and heritage. It is estimated that by 2036 immigrants and second-generation individuals will account for 40% to 50% of the Canadian population. Around 1/3 of the population will be people of colour and the Indigenous population will grow from 2.5 million to 3.2 million. Museums need to consider this diversity when planning their futures.

The Majority of Canadians Feel Museums Are Educational

According to the Reconsidering Museums survey, 95% of Canadians feel that museums are good places to learn and be inspired, while 94% think that museums can address issues such as climate change, technological innovation, and reconciliation. 80% of Canadians agree that museums are a good and credible source of information. However, 52% of people who responded to the survey agreed that museums need to work on representing all Canadians better.

Museums Are Welcoming And Safe Places

Most Canadians, 94%, feel that museums in Canada are welcoming places and 88% say museums are safe places. However, museums have more work to do in developing exhibits that resonate with the interests in their communities. 58% of Canadians feel that museums need to establish a dialogue with local communities to ensure the exhibits are relevant and interesting to the community.

Almost a Quarter of Canadians Feel Museums Are Expensive

One of the main reasons why some Canadians never visit museums is the cost. 23% of Canadians feel that museums are expensive. This is something that museums need to take into consideration if they were to attract more of the non-visiting population in the future.

However, not all museums in Canada charge an entrance fee. According to Which Museum, there are 181 museums and attractions in Canada that are free to visit.

Conclusion

Canada has 2,700 museums located all around the country and ranging from large institutions to small local heritage museums. Most Canadians are occasional museum visitors while one-fifth never visits museums.

In the future, Canadian museums need to consider the changes in Canada’s population. On one hand the population is aging and on the other hand it is becoming more diverse. Both of these are important factors to consider when planning future exhibits.

Frequently Asked Questions

The oldest museum in Canada is the Musée de l’Amérique Francophone. It was established by the Séminaire de Québec and opened in 1806. Originally, it was called the Musée du Séminaire but the name was changed in 1993 to the Musée de l’Amérique Française and again in 2023 to the Musée de l’Amérique Francophone.

The biggest museum in Canada is the Royal Ontario Museum, which is located in downtown Toronto. The museum is home to exhibits that range from dinosaurs and ancient Egypt to the history of First Nations peoples in Canada.

With over 1.2 million visitors per year, the Canadian Museum of History is the most-visited museum in Canada. It is located in Gatineau, Quebec.

Most museums in Canada are not free to visit. However, there are almost 200 museums and attractions that do not charge an entry fee. In addition, some museums may have set days or times when people can enter for free.