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Christmas… by the numbers
2012
In Canada, Christmas is the time of year when friends and relatives get together to celebrate the holidays.
Here are some facts on assorted topics related to the festive season.
(Last updated November 28, 2012)
Christmas trees
For information on Christmas trees, see Christmas trees… by the numbers.
Gifts of all kinds
Exchanging gifts is a big part of Christmas, not to mention Hanukkah, Eid and Kwanzaa.
Some families might see some of these items in their Christmas stocking or left under the tree!
(Data are seasonally unadjusted.)
$4.5 billion — The value of food and beverages purchased at large retailers in Canada in December 2011, up 20% from average monthly sales of $3.7 billion for this category in 2011 and up 23% from November.
$694.6 million — The value of televisions and audio and video equipment purchased at large retailers in Canada in December 2011, up 151% from average monthly sales of $277.2 million for this category in 2011 and up 107% from November.
$466.3 million — The value of toys, games and hobby supplies, including electronic games, purchased at large retailers in Canada in December 2011, up 207% from average monthly sales of $152.1 million for this category in 2011 and up 73% from November.
$410.8 million — The value of computer hardware and software purchased at large retailers in Canada in December 2011, up 89% from average monthly sales of $217.2 million for this category in 2011 and up 84% from November.
$238.7 million — The value of small electrical appliances purchased at large retailers in Canada in December 2011, up 113% from average monthly sales of $112.2 million for this category in 2011 and up 48% from November.
$209.5 million — The value of tableware, kitchenware, cookware and bakeware purchased at large retailers in Canada in December 2011, up 87% from average monthly sales of $112.3 million for this category in 2011 and up 50% from November.
$196.4 million — The value of cosmetics and fragrances purchased at large retailers in Canada in December 2011, up 100% from average monthly sales of $98.3 million for this category in 2011 and up 78% from November.
$183.6 million — The value of pre-recorded CDs, DVDs and video and audio tapes purchased at large retailers in Canada in December 2011, up 157% from average monthly sales of $71.4 million for this category in 2011 and up 100% from November.
$162.0 million — The value of sporting goods purchased at large retailers in Canada in December 2011, up 17% from average monthly sales of $138.0 million for this category in 2011 and up 70% from November.
$156.8 million — The value of stationery, office supplies, cards, gift wrap and party supplies purchased at large retailers in Canada in December 2011, up 109% from average monthly sales of $75.1 million for this category in 2011 and up 75% from November.
$138.0 million — The value of jewellery and watches purchased at large retailers in Canada in December 2011, up 164% from average monthly sales of $52.3 million for this category in 2011 and up 131% from November.
$134.4 million — The value of cameras (still and digital) and related photographic equipment and supplies purchased at large retailers in Canada in December 2011, up 140% from average monthly sales of $56.0 million for this category in 2011 and up 135% from November.
$79.6 million — The value of giftware, novelties and souvenirs purchased at large retailers in Canada in December 2011, up 254% from average monthly sales of $22.5 million for this category in 2011 and up 37% from November.
$76.0 million — The value of books, newspapers and other periodicals purchased at large retailers in Canada in December 2011, up 84% from average monthly sales of $41.2 million for this category in 2011 and up 64% from November.
Source: CANSIM, table 080-0009 (Monthly Survey of Large Retailers).
Toys
1,566 — The total number of employees in the doll, toy and game manufacturing industry in Canada in 2010.
$274.1 million — The total revenue of the doll, toy and game manufacturing industry in Canada in 2010.
309 — The number of manufacturers of dolls, toys and games in Canada in 2010.
Source: CANSIM, table 301-0006 (Annual Survey of Manufactures and Logging).
Imported toys on parade
Here is a selection of various toys imported to Canada. China is the predominant source country for these goods.
$688.7 million — The value of imports to Canada in 2011 of video games and associated parts and accessories (the kind used with a television receiver).
$302.9 million — The value of imports to Canada in 2011 of toys (unspecified).
$276.5 million — The value of imports to Canada in 2011 of hand held electronic games.
$115.4 million — The value of imports to Canada in 2011 of stuffed toys representing animals or non-human creatures.
$78.6 million — The value of imports to Canada in 2011 of dolls.
$63.3 million — The value of imports to Canada in 2011 of construction sets and constructional toys made of plastics.
$41.5 million — The value of imports to Canada in 2011 of board games.
$26.2 million — The value of imports to Canada in 2011 of wheeled toys (designed to be ridden by children).
$24.9 million — The value of imports to Canada in 2011 of toy guns.
$23.7 million — The value of imports to Canada in 2011 of puzzles.
$21.9 million — The value of imports to Canada in 2011 of play balls and balloons.
$17.1 million — The value of imports to Canada in 2011 of toy musical instruments (battery and non-battery powered).
$7.0 million — The value of imports to Canada in 2011 of tricycles.
$3.3 million — The value of imports to Canada in 2011 of construction sets and constructional toys made of wood.
$2.5 million — The value of imports to Canada in 2011 of train sets.
$663,275 — The value of imports to Canada in 2011 of construction sets and constructional toys made of metal.
$650,481 — The value of imports to Canada in 2011 of pedal cars.
Source: Statistics Canada, International Trade Division.
Christmas on ice
$82.2 million — The value of ice hockey sticks (some 228,631 dozen hockey sticks!) imported to Canada in 2011, up from $76.1 million in 2010. By dollar value, in 2011, nearly 66% of imported ice hockey sticks came from China, with other major source countries being Ukraine, Mexico, Vietnam and the United States.
$32.7 million — The value of ice hockey sticks (103,642 dozen hockey sticks!), exported from Canada in 2011, mostly to the United States, but also to Russia, Czech Republic, Switzerland and Sweden.
$51.1 million — The value of ice skates imported to Canada in 2011, up from more than $44 million in 2010. In 2011, nearly 64% of imported ice skates came from China, with the rest from Thailand, and to a lesser extent, from the United States and Germany.
$19 million — The value of ice skates exported from Canada in 2011, mostly to the United States.
Source: Statistics Canada, International Trade Division.
Christmas decorations
$181.1 million — The value of articles for Christmas festivities imported to Canada in 2011, up from $177.5 million in 2010. Of the amount imported in 2011, by value, 88% came from China, with the rest coming primarily from the United States, Austria, Taiwan, India, Indonesia and the Philippines.
$17.2 million — The value of articles for Christmas festivities exported from Canada in 2011, up from $13.8 million in 2010. Of the amount exported in 2011, by value, 97% went to the United States; the rest was shipped to Oceania, Asia, Africa, Europe, Middle East and the Caribbean.
Source: Statistics Canada, International Trade Division.
Poinsettias
8.6 million — The number of poinsettia indoor potted plants produced in greenhouses in Canada in 2011.
5.1 million — The number of poinsettia cuttings produced in greenhouses in Canada in 2011.
Source: CANSIM, table 001-0049 (Annual Greenhouse, Sod and Nursery Survey).
Holiday lights
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have emerged as an energy-efficient alternative to conventional incandescent lighting. Festive holiday lighting has proven to be particularly well-suited to LED technology.
32% — The proportion of Canadian households that reported using LED holiday lights in 2009, up from 29% in 2007.
The highest rate of reported use of LED holiday lights was in Prince Edward Island, at 41%.
| Geography | % | |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 2009 | |
| Canada | ||
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 22 | 35 |
| Prince Edward Island | 32 | 41 |
| Nova Scotia | 29 | 39 |
| New Brunswick | 27 | 38 |
| Quebec | 25 | 28 |
| Ontario | 31 | 31 |
| Manitoba | 33 | 35 |
| Saskatchewan | 26 | 36 |
| Alberta | 31 | 34 |
| British Columbia | 34 | 36 |
| Source: Statistics Canada, Environment Accounts and Statistics Division. | ||
Source: CANSIM, table 153-0059 (Households and the Environment Survey).
$37.7 million — The value of “lighting sets of a kind used for Christmas trees” imported to Canada in 2011.
Source: Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database.
The cybermall
114 million — The approximate number of orders placed online in Canada in 2010.
11.2 million — The approximate number of people in Canada aged 16 and older who placed an order online in 2010, or 51% of Internet users.
$15.3 billion — The approximate value of goods and services ordered over the Internet for personal or household consumption in Canada in 2010. Among those who placed an order, individuals averaged about 10 orders over a 12-month period, with an average total value of $1,362 per person.
Source: "Individual Internet use and E-commerce," The Daily, Wednesday, October 12, 2011.
Have you been naughty?
According to tradition, naughty children receive a lump of coal in their Christmas stocking!
67.1 million tonnes — The amount of coal produced in Canada in 2011.
Source: CANSIM, table 135-0002 (Coal Monthly).
Holiday candy and snacks
$465.3 million — The amount of monthly sales of candy, confectionery and snack foods sales at large retailers in December 2011, the month with the highest sales.
$276.2 million — The average monthly sales of candy, confectionery and snack foods at large retailers in 2011.
Source: CANSIM, table 080-0009 (Monthly Survey of Large Retailers).
A time for sharing
13.3 million — The approximate number of Canadians (47% of the population aged 15 and over) who did some volunteering in 2010 through a group or organization.
Source: “Study: Volunteering in Canada, 2010,” The Daily, Monday, April 16, 2012.
$8.3 billion — The amount of donations to charities claimed by Canadian taxfilers in 2010.
5.7 million — The number of taxfilers claiming donations in 2010.
$260 — The median donation in Canada in 2010, up slightly from $250 in 2009.
Source: “Charitable donors,” The Daily, Monday, December 5, 2011.
See also: Charitable donors, Summary tables; Financial Data and Charitable Donations.
Cookies and milk for Santa
97 — The number of establishments manufacturing cookies and crackers in Canada in 2010.
$1.14 billion — The total revenue of cookie and cracker manufacturers in Canada in 2010.
Source: CANSIM, table 301-0006 (Annual Survey of Manufactures and Logging).
50.5 litres — The volume of milk available for consumption as food per capita in Canada in 2011. This number includes standard 3.25% milk, partly skimmed 2% milk, partly skimmed 1% milk and skim milk. (Data adjusted for retail, household, cooking and plate loss.)
Source: CANSIM, table 002-0011 (Food Availability (per person)).
Eggnog
5.7 million litres — The volume of commercial sales of eggnog in Canada in December 2011. More than 2 million litres were sold the previous month (November 2011). Virtually all eggnog sales are in November and December.
Incidentally, sales of whipping cream peaked in December 2011 at nearly 5 million litres. This was up 39% from the average of 3.6 million litres of whipping cream sold each month in 2011. The next highest month for sales of whipping cream is October.
Source: CANSIM, table 003-0012 (Dairy Factory Production and Stocks).
Christmas turkey and other feasts!
20.8 million — The number of turkeys produced in Canada in 2011.
159.6 tonnes — The amount of turkey produced in Canada in 2011.
Source: CANSIM, table 003-0018 (Production of Poultry and Eggs).
1,956 — The number of farms reporting turkey production in Canada in 2010.
Source: 2011 Census of Agriculture, Farm and farm operator data, Turkeys, Turkey production, 2011 and 2006.
See also: Production of poultry, by province in Summary tables; “Turkey industry adapting to new Canadian demographics,” Canadian Agriculture at a Glance, released September 26, 2008.
2.2 kilograms — The amount of turkey (boneless weight) available for consumption as food per capita in Canada in 2011. (Data adjusted for retail, household, cooking and plate loss.)
8.6 kilograms — The amount of pork (boneless weight) available for consumption as food per capita in Canada in 2011. (Data adjusted for retail, household, cooking and plate loss.)
11.6 kilograms — The amount of beef (boneless weight) available for consumption as food per capita in Canada in 2011. (Data adjusted for retail, household, cooking and plate loss.)
0.4 kilograms — The amount of mutton and lamb (boneless weight) available for consumption as food per capita in Canada in 2011. (Data adjusted for retail, household, cooking and plate loss.)
Source: CANSIM, table 002-0011 (Food Availability (per person)).
Cranberries
267 — The number of farms producing cranberries in Canada in 2011.
15,191 acres — The area of land devoted to the production of cranberries in Canada in 2011, up 80% from 2006.
According to the 2011 Census of Agriculture, this agricultural activity is concentrated in Quebec and in British Columbia.
Source: 2011 Census of Agriculture, Farm and farm operator data, Cranberries, 2011 and 2006.
86,286 tonnes — The amount of cranberries produced in Canada in 2011, with a farm gate value of $87.98 million.
Sources: Fruit and Vegetable Production, February 2012; CANSIM, table 001-0009 (Fruits and Vegetables Survey).
1 kilogram — The amount of fresh cranberries available for consumption as food per capita in Canada in 2011. (Data adjusted for retail, household, cooking and plate loss.)
Source: CANSIM, table 002-0011 (Food Availability (per person)).
Much to celebrate
Canada is a nation of people of diverse ethno-cultural and religious backgrounds.
Sources: Population by religion, by province and territory (2001 Census); Population by selected ethnic origins, by province and territory (2006 Census) (Canada); Linguistic Characteristics of Canadians (2011 Census)
Here are just some of the holy days celebrated in many homes and communities across Canada this time of year:
- Christmas is December 25, but many Canadians of Central and Eastern European origin celebrate the holiday earlier in December or on January 7.
- Hanukkah (December 8 to 16, 2012; November 27 to December 5, 2013) is celebrated by people of the Jewish faith.
- Kwanzaa (December 26 to January 1) is marked by many people of African origin.
- Buddhists celebrate Bodhi Day in early December.
- Guru Gobind Singh's Birthday is celebrated by those of the Sikh faith in January 2013.
- Eid-ul-Adha, the Islamic Feast of Sacrifice, is the most important feast of Islam and was celebrated in October 2012. There is also Eid-al-Fitr (August) and the Islamic New Year Al-Hijira in November. Ramadan will next be observed in July 2013.
- Diwali, the festival of lights (celebrated by those of the Sikh and Hindu faiths) will next be observed in November 2013.
For more information on religion in Canada, consult: Religions in Canada, 2001 Census; Canada’s Ethnocultural Mosaic, 2006 Census: Findings; Society and community: Religion in Statistics by subject; the Media Room’s 2001 Census and 2006 Census pages; Profiles of Ethnic Communities in Canada; Canadian Social Trends; Guides to the latest information: Religion.
See also: 2011 Census.
Check out Statistics Canada’s website on May 8, 2013 for 2011 National Household Survey data on religion.
Festively named places in Canada
You (or Santa Claus!) can ‘visit’ these and other places using the Census Profile.
Chimney Lake, Christmas Island, Cranberry, Cranberry Junction, Cranberry Portage, L'Enfant-Jésus, Gift Lake, Holly, Noëlville, Reindeer Station, Sled Lake, Snowflake, Stocking Harbour, Turkey Point.
See also: Census Geography.
Burning off those holiday calories
Sales of exercise and fitness equipment at large retailers peak in January.
$41.3 million — The value of sales of exercise and fitness equipment at large retailers in Canada in January 2012. In December 2011, the value of sales of exercise and fitness equipment at large retailers was $32.1 million.
For comparison, the monthly average in 2011 for sales of exercise and fitness equipment at large retailers in Canada was $17.6 million.
Source: CANSIM, table 080-0009 (Monthly Survey of Large Retailers).
Let’s go skiing and snowboarding!
$903.3 million — The operating revenues of the skiing industry in Canada in 2010, down 3.4% from 2009.
This marks the second consecutive decrease from the all time skiing peak of 2008, during which higher than usual snowfall amounts were recorded. The weather in 2010 was again a factor, with warm weather and heavy rain melting the early snow accumulation.
Source: Amusement and recreation, 2010.
$42.5 million — The value of downhill skis imported to Canada in 2011, mostly from Austria, but also from Spain, China, France, Germany and Slovenia.
$15.4 million — The value of snowboards imported to Canada in 2011, mostly from China, but also from Austria, the United States, Tunisia and Spain.
$4.9 million — The value of cross country skis imported to Canada in 2011, mostly from Ukraine, but also from Austria and Bulgaria.
Source: Statistics Canada, International Trade Division.
Welcome 2013!
As the clock strikes midnight on the last day of December 2012, people across Canada ring in the New Year with a glass of sparkling wine.
$339.95 million — The value of sales of sparkling wines in Canada in 2010/2011, down 0.3% from 2009/2010. Canadian products made up nearly a quarter of this amount.
20.7 million litres — The volume of sparkling wines sold in Canada in 2010/2011, up 4.5% from 2009/2010. This represents the equivalent of some 10 million 750 ml bottles of domestic sparkling wines and nearly 18 million 750 ml bottles of imported bubbly in 2010/2011.
Source: CANSIM, table 183-0015 (Control and Sale of Alcoholic Beverages in Canada).
Please enjoy responsibly
Designate a driver, use urban transit, or get a ride with one of the more than 41,000 taxi and limousine operators in Canada!
90,277 — The number of incidents of impaired driving reported by police in 2011. This was 3,046 more than in 2010.
121 — The number of incidents of impaired driving (drugs or alcohol) causing death in 2011, down 30% from 2010.
Sources: “Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2011,” Juristat; CANSIM, table 252-0051 (Uniform Crime Reporting Survey).
Happy Holidays!
Happy New Year!
For more information about this page or for help finding more data, contact Media Relations.
See features on many other subjects in Previous By the numbers.
