Total natural resource rents in Canada
Canada: Total natural resource rents was 4.9% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Total natural resource rents in Canada, 1970–2021
Source: The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2021, total natural resource rents in Canada stood at 4.9%.
That represents a change of up 298.5% on the previous year and up 90.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total natural resource rents in Canada peaked at 9.0% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2015.
That places Canada 76th out of 211 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Total natural resource rents in Canada, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.0% | — |
| 1971 | 1.7% | -14.7% |
| 1972 | 1.8% | +4.9% |
| 1973 | 2.9% | +64.7% |
| 1974 | 5.7% | +96.9% |
| 1975 | 4.6% | -19.2% |
| 1976 | 4.2% | -10.4% |
| 1977 | 4.3% | +4.3% |
| 1978 | 3.9% | -9.1% |
| 1979 | 8.5% | +114.5% |
| 1980 | 9.0% | +7.0% |
| 1981 | 5.8% | -35.6% |
| 1982 | 3.2% | -44.2% |
| 1983 | 4.3% | +31.8% |
| 1984 | 4.3% | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 4.2% | -2.0% |
| 1986 | 1.9% | -55.2% |
| 1987 | 2.7% | +44.2% |
| 1988 | 2.7% | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 2.7% | -2.0% |
| 1990 | 2.8% | +3.2% |
| 1991 | 2.1% | -23.5% |
| 1992 | 2.4% | +11.9% |
| 1993 | 2.6% | +11.1% |
| 1994 | 2.5% | -5.0% |
| 1995 | 2.5% | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 3.2% | +28.8% |
| 1997 | 2.7% | -15.3% |
| 1998 | 1.7% | -37.5% |
| 1999 | 2.4% | +39.3% |
| 2000 | 4.6% | +95.1% |
| 2001 | 3.5% | -24.1% |
| 2002 | 2.9% | -18.0% |
| 2003 | 4.1% | +43.9% |
| 2004 | 4.4% | +7.5% |
| 2005 | 5.6% | +25.4% |
| 2006 | 4.1% | -26.6% |
| 2007 | 3.9% | -4.5% |
| 2008 | 5.1% | +30.1% |
| 2009 | 1.9% | -62.1% |
| 2010 | 2.1% | +10.6% |
| 2011 | 2.6% | +21.9% |
| 2012 | 1.4% | -44.4% |
| 2013 | 1.7% | +18.8% |
| 2014 | 1.7% | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 0.3% | -80.3% |
| 2016 | 0.8% | +136.2% |
| 2017 | 1.2% | +52.2% |
| 2018 | 1.8% | +50.2% |
| 2019 | 1.9% | +7.5% |
| 2020 | 1.2% | -35.8% |
| 2021 | 4.9% | +298.5% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 4.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.1%, 41.5× the median. (82 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Total natural resource rents in Canada changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +298.5% | 1.2% | 4.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.0% | 1.7% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.1% | 1.9% | 9.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.5% | 1.7% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.0% | 1.9% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.6% | 0.3% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.1% | 1.2% | 4.9% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More reference data data for Canada
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 6.86 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 7.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 22.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 99.83 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.88 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total natural resource rents in Canada?
- Total natural resource rents in Canada was 4.9% in 2021, according to The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total natural resource rents recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 9.0% in 1980.
- What is the lowest total natural resource rents recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2015.
- How does Canada rank for total natural resource rents?
- Canada ranks 76th out of 211 countries with data for 2021.
- Is total natural resource rents rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 90.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total natural resource rents. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 52 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Natural resources rents are estimated as the difference between the price of a commodity and the average cost of producing it. Total natural resources rents are the sum of oil rents, natural gas rents, coal rents, mineral rents, and forest rents.