Industry Statistics and Trends
Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)
Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 3.2 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $15.4bn in 2024.
Trends and Insights
Public investment in road and highway projects drives the industry
- Since local, provincial and federal governments finance most industry projects, the industry is heavily reliant on broader macroeconomic conditions, which typically determine the extent of public spending.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2024-2029)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Public investments create opportunities for new projects
- The public sector regularly accounts for nearly all of road and highway construction industry revenue.
Biggest companies in the Road & Highway Construction in Canada
| Company | Market Share (%)
2024 | Revenue ($m)
2024 | Profit ($m)
2024 | Profit Margin (%)
2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Aecon | 266.4 | N/A | N/A | |
Graham Construction | 156.7 | N/A | N/A | |
EllisDon | 94.0 | N/A | N/A |
To view the market share and analysis for all 3 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Highway construction, Local road construction and Runway construction. Highway construction is the largest segment of the Road & Highway Construction in Canada.
Trends and Insights
Highway construction remains the largest segment for industry builders
- Highway construction generates the most revenue for the industry, growing slightly as a share of revenue as the population has risen, requiring new highways and highway expansions to more populous areas.
- More insights available in the full report
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
The Road and Highway Construction industry in Canada constructs new highways, streets, roads and airport runways, excluding elevated roadways. The industry also includes highway and street construction management operators and special-trade contractors that perform subcontract work on projects, such as grading, laying pavement, installing guardrails and installing public sidewalks. Operators may subcontract some or all of the actual construction work.
What's included in this industry?
Highway and road constructionExisting road reconstruction and expansionDriveway and toll road constructionRunway constructionCompanies
AeconGraham ConstructionEllisDonPurchase this report to view all 3 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
EARTHWORKBUILDING CANADA PLANCANADA's ECONOMIC ACTION PLANIndustry Code
NAICS 237310 - Road & Highway Construction in Canada
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
Government Spending Shapes the Industry. The road and highway construction industry is closely tied to government spending and broader economic conditions. When the governmen...
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
Highway construction is the industry's biggest revenue generator. Highways, though fewer in kilometers compared to local roads, cost significantly more to build due to their ...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2024
- Product innovation level
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2024
- Major market segmentation in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
The industry is concentrated around large population centres. Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia are the leading provinces due to their high shares of the Canadian populati...
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each province
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each province in 2024
- Number and share of revenue each province accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of wages each province accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of employees in each province in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
The road and highway construction industry remains fairly competitive. A high number of contractors may compete for or coordinate on projects together.
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
There are no major players in the industry. This reflects the size and geographic segregation of most companies' operations.
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
- Overview of Aecon's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Graham Construction's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of EllisDon's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for Aecon, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Graham Construction, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for EllisDon, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
Local, provincial and federal regulations are applicable to the industry. This includes health and safety standards on job sites, as well as environmental regulations regardi...
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
Small projects see lower profits due to high competition. Larger projects are more profitable as fewer companies have the capital to compete, leading to higher barriers and m...
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Liquidity Ratios (2017-2022)
- Coverage Ratios (2017-2022)
- Leverage Ratios (2017-2022)
- Operating Ratios (2017-2022)
- Assets (2017-2022)
- Liabilities (2017-2022)
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
- Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Average Wage (2014-2029)
- Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
- Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2014-2029)
- IVA (2014-2029)
- Establishments (2014-2029)
- Enterprises (2014-2029)
- Employment (2014-2029)
- Exports (2014-2029)
- Imports (2014-2029)
- Wages (2014-2029)
Top Questions Answered
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Road & Highway Construction industry in Canada in 2024?
The market size of the Road & Highway Construction industry in Canada is $15.4bn in 2024.
How many businesses are there in the Road & Highway Construction in Canada industry in 2024?
There are 2,480 businesses in the Road & Highway Construction industry in Canada, which has declined at a CAGR of 1.3 % between 2019 and 2024.
Has the Road & Highway Construction industry in Canada grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Road & Highway Construction industry in Canada has been declining at a CAGR of 3.2 % between 2019 and 2024.
What is the forecast growth of the Road & Highway Construction industry in Canada over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Road & Highway Construction industry in Canada is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Road & Highway Construction market in Canada?
The biggest companies operating in the Road & Highway Construction market in Canada are Aecon, Graham Construction and EllisDon
What does the Road & Highway Construction in Canada include?
Highway and road construction and Existing road reconstruction and expansion are part of the Road & Highway Construction industry.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Road & Highway Construction in Canada?
The company holding the most market share in Canada is Aecon.
How competitive is the Road & Highway Construction industry in Canada?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the Road & Highway Construction industry in Canada.
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Competitors
Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.
Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in Canada include:
- Statistics Canada
- Industry Canada
- Canadian Business Patterns
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.
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