Industries with Largest Number of Businesses in Canada in 2026

• 1. Apartment Rental in Canada

  Number of Businesses for 2026: 404,170

  Revenue for Canadian apartment lessors has gained through the end of 2025. Apartment lessors collect rental income from rental properties, so market forces largely determine their rates. The supply of apartment rentals has grown slower than demand, which has elevated rental rates for lessors' benefit. Favourable economic conditions and demographic trends during most of the period have driven growth in demand. In 2020, the spread of COVID-19 lessened demand for apartment rentals, but the natur...

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• 2. IT Consulting in Canada

  Number of Businesses for 2026: 111,107

  The rapid pace of technological change propelled the IT Consulting industry in Canada, with the prevalence of cloud-based services, mobile apps and other cutting-edge software fueling spending across the economy. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) technology joins the long list of cutting-edge trends fueling need for IT consultants across various sectors. The Canadian government is simultaneously bolstering the industry with its large-scale investments, announcing a $2.0 billion inves...

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• 3. Real Estate Sales & Brokerage in Canada

  Number of Businesses for 2026: 101,221

  Real estate sales and brokerage services are closely aligned with the health of the Canadian real estate market. Revenue rises alongside property prices and real estate transaction volumes as real estate agents are paid on commission when they close a deal. The industry has experienced significant volatility through the end of 2025, as fluctuations in interest rates have heavily impacted demand. Revenue will drop at a CAGR of 3.4% to $19.0 billion through the end of 2025, including an estimat...

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• 4. Full-Service Restaurants in Canada

  Number of Businesses for 2026: 78,287

  Full-service restaurants in Canada have staged a strong rebound from their pandemic lows, but elevated inflation, rising costs and shifting consumer behaviour are now slowing the pace of growth. The industry remains on a growth trajectory in both historical and forecast terms, yet restaurants face persistent pressure on profitability and demand. Overall, industry revenue has expanded at a CAGR of 9.8% to C$47.2 billion over the five years to 2025, including a 0.2% decline in 2025 alone.

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• 5. Management Consulting in Canada

  Number of Businesses for 2026: 76,004

  Management consultants in Canada continue to drive considerable demand from a wide range of clients, as the vital nature of their services remains a core calling card for a variety of clients. Inflation volatility in recent years, which peaked at 8.1% in 2022 per the Bank of Canada, hampered individual clients’ capability of securing long-term commitments from consultants and encouraged in-house alternatives. Despite this, the economic downturn caused some customers to invest in countercyclic...

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• 6. Primary Care Doctors in Canada

  Number of Businesses for 2026: 70,458

  Demographic trends drive the rising demand for primary care doctor services. The growing older adult population’s expanding medical needs are increasing the number of people seeking medical care. General practitioners (GPs) and family physicians (FPs) remain the primary point of contact for older adults, coordinating care for multiple conditions and navigating specialist services. Additional demand, driven by a surge in immigration and the influx of temporary residents, has also increased the...

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• 7. Long-Distance Freight Trucking in Canada

  Number of Businesses for 2026: 65,714

  Revenue for long-distance freight trucking services is expected to climb in tandem with favourable consumer trends. The North American trucking market navigated a challenging landscape marked by a freight recession that began in 2023. Carriers faced pricing pressures as merchant negotiations resulted in lower shipping rates, particularly affecting smaller enterprises and those heavily reliant on spot markets. Oversaturation compounded the issue as record numbers of new entrants sought to capi...

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• 8. Taxi & Limousine Services in Canada

  Number of Businesses for 2026: 56,013

  The industry faces significant competitive pressure from rideshare platforms, which've become the dominant mode of urban transportation in major metropolitan areas like Toronto. Traditional taxi businesses responded by adopting smartphone apps that offer upfront fare transparency, mirroring the user experience that made rideshare services popular. These digital upgrades allow passengers to view trip costs in advance, addressing a key consumer pain point. Metered pricing structures mandated by...

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• 9. Home Builders in Canada

  Number of Businesses for 2026: 55,202

  Homebuilders have endured considerable volatility. Immigration into Canada has led to unprecedented population growth, exacerbating an existing housing crisis. New housing starts haven't kept up with the population growth, making homebuilders more critical than ever to meet housing needs. Home shortages and changes in buying behaviour supported homebuilders during the COVID-19 pandemic early in the recent five year period. Still, the pandemic's disruption to global supply chains didn't spare ...

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• 10. Local Freight Trucking in Canada

  Number of Businesses for 2026: 41,545

  Canadian local freight truckers navigated persistent labor constraints and tariff-driven cost pressures throughout the current period. Still, they maintained steady revenue growth by adapting operations to support expanding e-commerce fulfillment and just-in-time logistics networks. Local freight truckers faced a structural driver shortage since experienced drivers retired while younger workers hesitated to join. Wage concerns and demanding schedules persist. This forces carriers to raise com...

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