National & Regional Data

Young woman smiling while working with tablet at office, success

 Canada’s food and beverage manufacturing industry was made up of nearly 15,000 (2024) establishments contributing $35.2B (2023) to Canada’s GDP and directly employing over 315,000 people (2024). In the same year, the value of Canadian food and beverage exports was estimated at $59.7B accounting for 7.6% of Canada’s total exports.

Male worker working laptop on background of warehouse

Sector Profiles

There are over 8,800 food and beverage processing businesses operating in the sector that employ at least one person and the vast majority of these establishments are small or medium-sized businesses, with roughly 91% of food and beverage processors in Canada having fewer than 100 paid employees.

Labour Market Tightness

Labour Market Tightness

While this concept applies to economic sectors in Canada it is particularly serious for food and beverage manufacturers — especially those located in semi-rural and rural regions of the country.

Canadian Education Data

The huge variety of occupations and career paths available in Canada’s food and beverage manufacturing industry is reflected in the educational landscape through colleges, universities, private trainers, and associations. In the fall of 2019, there were 490 industry-relevant programs of study provided by 160 institutions, offering the opportunity for a mix of theoretical instruction and practical application.

Download or View Online