A data snapshot of Canadian youth and technology

August 12 is International Youth Day,observed annually by the United Nations (UN) in recognition of young people (aged 15 to 24) and to promote their rights and aspirations. This year’s theme is “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development,” highlighting the contributions of youth toward digitalization and the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

With that in mind, let’s take a data snapshot of youth in Canada, as well as their usage and knowledge of technology and how it affects their potential.

More youth in Canada in 2023

In non-census years, Statistics Canada estimates population by age. On July 1, 2023, there were over 2.2 million people aged 15 to 19 years and over 2.6 million aged 20 to 24 years. Together, these two age groups made up 12.1% of the estimated population of nearly 40.1 million.

This proportion was up from July 1, 2022, when the two age brackets combined to make up 11.9% of the nationwide population of more than 38.9 million.

From 2019 to 2021, both age brackets saw their numbers decline. However, these groups increased in subsequent years, largely due to the impact of permanent and temporary immigration.

Nearly all Canadian youth are connected

Nearly all (99.2%) Canadians aged 15 to 24 used the Internet in 2022, tied with those aged 25 to 44 for the highest rate among all age groups, and above the national average (94.5%).

Younger Canadians reported higher-than-average usage rates for online activities such as sending and receiving emails or instant messages, searching for information on goods or services, watching streamed video and tracking one’s fitness or health.

Increased use of artificial intelligence will affect younger workers

The world is increasingly turning toward artificial intelligence (AI). While it appears that the younger workers of today will become more familiar with its usage, they will also be more affected by it. The rate of businesses that use generative AI has noticeably increased since it became more readily available, according to findings from two surveys.

The 2022 Survey of Advanced Technology found that 3.1% of businesses reported using AI. In the second quarter of 2024, 6.1% of businesses reported using AI for producing goods or delivering services during the previous 12 months, according to the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions.

Enrollments up in most technology-related postsecondary fields of study

In the 2021/2022 academic year, there were 103,161 students enrolled in computer and information sciences and support services, 85,206 in biological and biomedical sciences, 55,473 in engineering technologies and engineering-related fields and 9,369 in communications technologies/technicians and support services. All represented an increase from the previous year.

The 4,059 students enrolled in science technologies/technicians programs and the 20,547 enrolled in mathematics and statistics in 2021/2022 were both down from the previous year.

Income for recent graduates

In 2022, postsecondary graduates of 2017 who were aged 15 to 34 at the time of graduation in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and computer sciences (STEM) had a median income ranging from $52,800 for an undergraduate associate degree to $96,800 for a doctoral degree (2022 constant dollars).