Non-profit institutions and volunteering: Economic contribution, first quarter to fourth quarter 2024
Released: 2025-03-28
Fourth quarter 2024
0.3% 
(quarterly change)
2.8 million jobs
Fourth quarter 2024
-0.1% 
(quarterly change)
8.4%
Fourth quarter 2024
Real gross domestic product of non-profit institutions continues to rise
Real gross domestic product (GDP) of non-profit institutions (NPIs) rose 0.3% in the fourth quarter, following a 0.8% increase in the third quarter. All non-profit subsectors contributed positively to the rise in real GDP in the fourth quarter, although growth was weaker across subsectors compared with the third quarter.
On an annual basis, the real GDP of NPIs rose 2.9% in 2024, a fourth consecutive annual increase since 2021, when recovery from the initial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on NPI activity started. In contrast, economy-wide real GDP grew 1.5% in 2024, and it increased 0.6% in the fourth quarter.
Chart 1
Real gross domestic product, non-profit institutions
Real gross domestic product of non-profit institutions serving government slows in the fourth quarter but finishes the year strong
The real GDP of NPIs serving government was up 0.3% in the fourth quarter, a slower pace compared with the third quarter (+0.8%). On an annual basis, NPIs serving government posted a gain of 3.1%, the largest increase recorded among all NPI subsectors in 2024. It was also the only NPI subsector to register growth in 2024 that outpaced that of 2023.
Real GDP of non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH) rose 0.3% in the fourth quarter of 2024, the eighth consecutive quarterly increase. On an annual basis, NPISH increased 2.4% in 2024, a slower rate of expansion than in 2023 (+3.7%).
Real GDP of NPIs serving businesses rose 0.1% in the fourth quarter of 2024, increasing for a seventh consecutive quarter. In 2024, NPIs serving businesses recorded an increase of 1.5%, compared with a 3.4% increase in 2023.
Real GDP of NPIs, excluding those serving government, grew 0.2% in the fourth quarter of 2024, the 15th consecutive quarterly increase.
Chart 2
Real gross domestic product, non-profit institutions, by subsector
Jobs in non-profit institutions decline
The number of jobs in NPIs edged down in the fourth quarter (-0.1%), the first decline since the third quarter of 2020. In the fourth quarter of 2024, jobs were up 0.5% in NPIs serving businesses, the only subsector to register an increase in jobs for the quarter. NPIs serving government (-0.2%) and NPISH (-0.1%) each registered job losses in the fourth quarter.
On an annual basis, total jobs for all NPI activities were up 2.7% in 2024, marking the smallest annual growth since recovery from the pandemic started in 2021. Health (+3.1%) and social services (+5.4%) remained among the top contributing activities to job growth in 2024.
Chart 3
Nominal gross domestic product, non-profit institutions, by activity
Nominal gross domestic product increases
Due to a higher volume of NPI activity and increased prices, NPIs' nominal GDP rose by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Health (+1.1%) was the top contributor to growth in the quarter. All NPI activities recorded positive gains, except for social services (-0.6%).
The nominal GDP for NPIs, excluding those serving government, was up 0.6% in the fourth quarter, lower than the 1.1% increase recorded in the third quarter.
Overall, NPIs represented 8.4% of the economy-wide nominal GDP in the fourth quarter, while NPIs, excluding those serving government, represented 2.1%.
On an annual basis, higher price levels pushed nominal GDP of NPIs up by 6.9% in 2024, while the increase in real GDP of NPIs (+2.9%) was smaller. Health (+8.2%) remained the top contributor to nominal GDP growth in 2024, followed by education and research (+7.6) and social services (+6.9%). The increase in nominal GDP in 2024 is also a reflection of the increase in wages and salaries that resulted from major wage settlements in education, health and social services.
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Note to readers
In this release, new benchmark estimates from the supply-use tables for the 2021 reference year have been incorporated. As a result, indicators of non-profit institutions have been updated from the first quarter of 2021 to the fourth quarter of 2023, and new estimates have been provided for the reference period covering the first quarter to the fourth quarter of 2024. These data are directly comparable with the estimates in the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts.
For the purposes of these estimates, the definition of the non-profit sector adheres to international standards published in the United Nations' Satellite Account on Non-profit and Related Institutions and Volunteer Work. Canada's overall non-profit sector is divided into the following three broad categories:
Community non-profit institutions include organizations engaged in social services, advocacy, or sports and recreation. These make up the "non-profit institutions serving households" sector in standard macroeconomic measures.
Business non-profit institutions include business associations, chambers of commerce and condominium associations. These are classified to the business sector in standard measures.
Government non-profit institutions include hospitals, some residential care facilities, universities and colleges. These are classified to the government sector in standard measures.
Products
The data visualization product "Quarterly Non-Profit Institutions Economic Account: Interactive tool," which is part of Statistics Canada – Data Visualization Products (71-607-X), is available.
The Economic accounts statistics portal, accessible from the Subjects module of the Statistics Canada website, features an up-to-date portrait of national and provincial economies and their structure.
The Latest Developments in the Canadian Economic Accounts (13-605-X) is available.
The User Guide: Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts (13-606-G) is available.
The Methodological Guide: Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts (13-607-X) is available.
Contact information
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