Canadians’ Arts, Culture, and Heritage Participation in 2016

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November 14, 201814 November 2018

Virtually all Canadians participate in culture

In 2016, virtually all Canadians (15 or older) participated in some type of arts, culture, or heritage activity (100%, or 99.5% if rounded to one decimal place). This is one insight from Canadians’ Arts, Culture, and Heritage Participation in 2016, the 47^th report in the Statistical Insights on the Arts series from Hill Strategies Research, based on Statistics Canada’s 2016 General Social Survey (Canadians at Work and Home).

Arts attendance levels were very high in 2016, with nearly nine in ten Canadians (86%) attending an art gallery, an arts performance, an artistic or cultural or festival, or a movie theatre.

Another key finding from the analysis is that one-half of Canadians 15 or older made or performed art in 2016 (or 14.8 million Canadians). Questions related to respondents’ active participation in making or performing art were asked for the first time in the 2016 General Social Survey. It will be interesting to follow changes in this key indicator in future iterations of the General Social Survey.

The participation rates for many arts, culture, and heritage activities have increased over 25 years, based on those questions that were also asked in previous General Social Surveys.

Key indicators of arts, culture, and heritage participation

While 99.5% of Canadians participated in culture in 2016, this broad indicator includes, for example, someone who read a newspaper, watched a movie, or listened to music at any point in 2016. The participation rates for each of these activities are all above 90%, when digital and analog formats as well as all locations are taken into account (newspapers: 94%; movies: 93%; and music: 91%).

Figure ES1 provides more specific indicators of arts, culture, and heritage participation by Canadians 15 or older in 2016:

• Exactly one-half of Canadians (50%) made or performed art (crafts, music, visual arts, writing, dancing, etc.)
• 86% attended an arts activity, such as a performing arts event or artistic or cultural festival (68%), an art gallery (39%), or a movie theatre (71%)
• 70% visited a heritage site, such as an art gallery (39%), another type of museum (35%), a historic site (50%), or a zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, planetarium, or observatory (46%)
• 77% read a book in print or electronic format in 2016

Nearly nine in ten Canadians attended an arts activity

In 2016, 86% of Canadians 15 or older attended an arts activity (25.3 million Canadians). The arts attendance statistic includes art galleries (39%), arts performances or festivals (68%), and movie theatres (71%). Further details are provided in Figure ES2.

Even when movie theatre attendance is excluded, 73% of Canadians attended an arts performance or exhibition (including art galleries, performing arts, and artistic or cultural festivals).

One-half of Canadians make or perform art

One-half of Canadians 15 or older made or performed art in 2016 (or 14.8 million Canadians). Figure ES3, which presents the participation rates in eight activities, shows that the most common arts practice is crafts (18%, or 5.2 million Canadians 15 or older), followed by music (15%, or 4.3 million Canadians), visual arts (13%, or 3.8 million Canadians), writing (11%, or 3.2 million Canadians), dancing (9%, or 2.7 million Canadians), audio-visual and interactive media (4%, or 1.2 million Canadians), theatre (1.4%, or 411,000 Canadians), and another creative arts activity (5%, or 1.5 million Canadians).

Trends in participation

There were largely positive results regarding trends in arts, culture, and heritage participation over the past 25 years, as evidenced by strong increases in the art gallery and historic site attendance rates between 1992 and 2016. Movie theatres, museums, and other heritage activities have also seen increasing attendance rates.

On the other hand, listening to music on CDs, vinyl, or other conventional formats has decreased substantially in recent years.

Questions related to the performing arts have changed over time, precluding an analysis of long-term participation trends.

Because the questions related to making and performing art were newly added in 2016, no historical data are available.

 

This report examines the number and percentage of Canadians 15 or older who, in 2016:

• Made or performed art
• Attended arts performances or exhibitions
• Visited cultural heritage sites
• Read newspapers, magazines, or books
• Watched movies
• Listened to recorded music

The data are drawn from Statistics Canada’s General Social Surveys of 1992, 1998, 2005, 2010, and 2016, in-depth surveys of Canadians 15 years of age or older.

The surveys asked Canadians about their participation during the previous 12 months, including information about the frequency of participation (for most activities). Trends in participation between 1992 and 2016 are highlighted where comparable historical data are available.

The 2016 General Social Survey reached 9,844 Canadians who reside in one of the ten provinces,[1] including telephone and online respondents.[2]

General Social Survey (GSS) questions in 2016

For the first time, the 2016 GSS asked respondents whether they made or performed art, phrased in the survey as “active participation in” the following eight activities:

• “Making music (e.g.., singing, playing an instrument or remixing music)
• Theatre (e.g.., acting, storytelling or comedy)
• Audio-visual and interactive media (e.g.., making films, animation or videos)
• Dance (e.g.., socially, in a performance or choreography)
• Visual arts (e.g.., painting, photography, sculpture or drawing)
• Crafts (e.g.., needlework, scrapbooking, woodwork, metalwork or pottery)
• Writing (e.g.., poetry, plays, stories, editorials and reviews)”[3]
• Other participatory activities (specified by respondents)

The 2016 General Social Survey also asked Canadians 20 questions about their arts, culture, and heritage activities:

• Visiting a public art gallery or art museum (including attendance at special art exhibits)
• Visiting a museum other than a public art gallery or art museum
• Attending a live performance such as drama, musical theatre, dinner theatre, comedy
• Attending a popular music performance
• Attending a symphonic or classical music performance
• Attending a cultural or artistic festival (such as film, jazz, folk, or comedy)
• Attending a performance of cultural or heritage music, theatre or dance (e.g. Aboriginal Peoples, Chinese, Ukrainian)
• Attending any other kind of cultural performance
• Visiting an historic site
• Visiting a zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, planetarium or observatory
• Reading a newspaper (with separate questions for online news and print newspapers)
• Reading a magazine (with separate questions for online and print magazines)
• Reading a book (with separate questions for e-books and print books)
• Watching a movie (with separate questions for going to a movie theatre and watching on any device)
• Listening to music (with separate questions for digital music and music on CD or vinyl)

The 2016 GSS did not contain questions specifically related to dance or opera performances, as well as book or poetry readings. These activities might have been included by respondents in “other kinds of cultural performances”.

This report combines the responses to some of the GSS questions into key indicators such as overall arts attendance, heritage attendance, and more.

In addition to new questions about making or performing art, the 2016 GSS also asked respondents about their digital participation in culture.

Another GSS question concerned Canadians’ visits to conservation areas or nature parks, including provincial and national parks, interpretation centres and wildlife areas and reserves. Because this report focuses on participation in the arts, culture, and cultural heritage, an analysis of this question has not been included.

Radio listening and TV watching are also part of Canadians’ cultural activities. However, because these questions were asked in a very different way from the questions analyzed in this report (i.e., hours per week, rather than number of times during the year), they have not been included in this report.

The 2016 survey did not include any detailed questions regarding, for example, the specific types of performances attended, exhibitions visited, or books read.  In addition, there were no questions about motivations for participating or barriers to participating.

Important elements of the General Social Survey

While the survey included questions related to the frequency of participation, in general, individuals are counted only once in each activity regardless of how many times they participated in the activity. As such, this report provides estimates of the participation rates of Canadians in cultural activities, not estimates of overall attendance. The survey questions were not specific enough to derive reliable estimates of overall attendance.

The data include attendance of Canadians while travelling out of province or out of the country and exclude attendance by residents of other countries while travelling in Canada. For example, the art gallery attendance statistics represent the number and proportion of Canadians who visited at least one art gallery (anywhere) during the survey year, not the total visits made to Canadian art galleries.

All statistics in this report have a high degree of precision due to relatively low margins of error. For example, the art gallery attendance rate of 39% could vary by a maximum of 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The statistics in this report have been adjusted for non-response. This means that, in all survey years, responses of “don’t know” or “not stated” are excluded from the results. The implicit assumption is that those who did not complete the survey or respond to a specific question participated in an activity in the same proportion as those who did respond.

Changes over time

Some of the General Social Survey questions about cultural participation have remained consistent over time, allowing for historical comparisons. Some of these historical comparisons show a strong increase between 2005 and 2010, an increase that has no ready explanation. In particular, there were no major methodological changes during that timeframe.

Between 1992 and 2010, the cultural participation questions were a module of General Social Surveys that had a core focus on Canadians’ time use. In 2016, the focus of the survey was on work, work-life balance, and leisure activities, including culture. While it is unknown whether this change in core focus could have resulted in some differences in survey responses, we believe that any such difference should be relatively small.

Organization of this report

The remaining sections of this report are organized by type of activity:

• Summary indicators of arts, culture, and heritage participation
• Making and performing art
• Arts attendance
• Cultural heritage attendance
• Reading
• Movies
• Recorded music
• Appendix: Key statistics

[4]

 

This section provides overall participation rates in some key groupings of the arts, culture, and heritage activities in the 2016 General Social Survey. Details of participation rates in individual activities are provided in other sections of this report.

Virtually all Canadians (15 or older) participated in some type of arts, culture, or heritage activity in 2016 (100%, or 99.5% if rounded to one decimal place).

This is a very broad indicator, including, for example, someone who read a newspaper, watched a movie, or listened to music at any point in 2016. The participation rates for each of these activities are all above 90%, when digital and analog formats as well as all locations are taken into account (newspapers: 94%; movies: 93%; and music: 91%).

Figure 1 provides more specific indicators of arts, culture, and heritage participation by Canadians 15 or older in 2016:

• Exactly one-half of Canadians (50%) made or performed art (crafts, music, visual arts, writing, dancing, etc.)
• 86% attended an arts activity, such as a performing arts event or artistic or cultural festival (68%), an art gallery (39%), or a movie theatre (71%).
• 70% visited a heritage site, such as an art gallery (39%), another type of museum (35%), a historic site (50%), or a zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, planetarium, or observatory (46%)
• 77% read a book in print or electronic format

 

In 2016, for the first time, the General Social Survey included questions related to respondents’ active participation in eight arts activities.

One-half of Canadians 15 or older (50%) made or performed art in some way in 2016 (or 14.8 million Canadians).[5]

Figure 2 presents the participation rates in eight activities, with the most common arts practice being crafts (18%, or 5.2 million Canadians 15 or older), followed by music (15%, or 4.3 million Canadians), visual arts (13%, or 3.8 million Canadians), writing (11%, or 3.2 million Canadians), dancing (9%, or 2.7 million Canadians), audio-visual and interactive media (4%, or 1.2 million Canadians), theatre (1.4%, or 411,000 Canadians), and another creative arts activity (5%, or 1.5 million Canadians).

Respondents were not asked about the frequency of these activities. Because the questions related to making and performing art were newly added in 2016, no trend data are available.

 

Nearly nine in ten Canadians attended an arts activity in 2016 (86% of the population 15 or older, or 25.3 million Canadians). The arts attendance statistic includes art galleries (39%), arts performances or festivals (68%), and movie theatres (71%). Further details are provided in Figure 3.

Even when movie theatre attendance is excluded, 73% of Canadians attended an arts performance or exhibition (including art galleries, performing arts, and artistic or cultural festivals). This represents 21.3 million Canadians 15 or older.

Additional details of attendance rates at art galleries and arts performances or festivals are provided in this section, while a subsequent section examines movie watching.

Art galleries

In 2016, 39% of Canadians 15 years of age or older visited a public art gallery or art museum in 2016, including attendance at special art exhibits. This represents 11.5 million Canadians visiting a public art gallery during the year.[6]

Regarding the frequency of visits to public art galleries in 2016, Figure 4 shows that:

• One-third of Canadians 15 or older visited art galleries between one and four times (33%, or 9.7 million Canadians)
• Another 4% visited art galleries five or more times, but not every month (1.1 million Canadians)
• Another 2% visited art galleries at least once every month (638,000 Canadians)
• 61% of Canadians 15 or older did not visit an art gallery in 2016 (17.8 million Canadians)

Between 1992 and 2016, there was a strong and consistent increase in the art gallery attendance rate, as shown in Figure 5.

The number of Canadians visiting an art gallery increased from 4.2 million in 1992 to 11.5 million in 2016 (an increase of 7.3 million Canadians).[7]

Questions about the frequency of art gallery attendance were first asked in the 1998 General Social Survey. Between 1998 and 2016, the proportion of Canadians visiting art galleries frequently (i.e., at least five times) increased slightly (from 4% to 6%).

Arts performances or festivals

About two-thirds of Canadians 15 years of age or older attended an arts performance or festival in 2016 (68%, or 20.0 million Canadians).

The arts performance and festival attendance rate include six different activities, as shown in Figure 6.

Details about attendance rates at each of these activities follow.

In 2016, 31% of the population 15 or over attended an artistic or cultural festival, such as film, jazz, folk, or comedy (9.1 million Canadians).[8]

Figure 7 depicts the frequency of attendance at artistic or cultural festivals:

• 27% of the population 15 or older attended artistic or cultural festivals between one and four times in 2016 (7.9 million Canadians)
• Another 2% attended artistic or cultural festivals five or more times, but not every month (572,000 Canadians)
• Another 2% attended artistic or cultural festivals at least once every month (547,000 Canadians)
• 69% of Canadians 15 or older did not attend an artistic or cultural festival in 2016 (20.3 million Canadians)

 

Between 1998 and 2016, there was an increase – albeit inconsistent – in the artistic or cultural festival attendance rate. As shown in Figure 8, the overall attendance rate increased from 25% in 1998 to 31% in 2016 (but was down from the high of 37% in 2010).

The number of Canadians attending an artistic or cultural festival increased from 6.0 million in 1998 to 9.1 million in 2016 (an increase of 3.1 million Canadians).

From 1998 to 2016, the proportion of Canadians attending artistic or cultural festivals frequently (i.e., at least five times) increased slightly from 2% to 4%.

 

In 2016, 40% of Canadians attended a live theatre or comedy performance (such as drama, musical theatre, dinner theatre, or comedy, excluding festival performances). In other words, 11.6 million Canadians attended these types of performances during the year.[9]

Regarding the frequency of theatre and comedy attendance in 2016, Figure 9 shows that:

• One-third of Canadians 15 or older attended between one and four times (34%, or 10.0 million Canadians)
• Another 4% attended five or more times, but not every month (1.0 million Canadians)
• Another 2% attended at least once every month (577,000 Canadians)
• 60% of Canadians 15 or older did not attend a theatre or comedy performance in 2016 (17.7 million Canadians)

The live theatre and comedy question had a slight wording change between 2010 and 2016. In 2010, the question specifically referenced “a theatrical performance” first:

• During the past 12 months how often did you attend a theatrical performance such as a drama, musical theatre, dinner theatre, comedy?
• Include drama, comedy, avant-garde theatre, dinner theatre and musical (includes rock operas such as Tommy, Broadway style shows such as My Fair Lady and West Side Story, and music/theatre spectacles such as Phantom of the Opera, Mama Mia and Showboat).

In 2016, the question included the words “a live performance” rather than “a theatrical performance” (and explicitly excluded festivals):

• During the past 12 months, how often did you attend a live performance, such as a drama, musical theatre, dinner theatre or comedy, excluding at festivals?
• Include: drama, comedy, avant-garde theatre, dinner theatre and musical (includes rock operas such as Tommy, Broadway-style shows such as The Book of Mormon and West Side Story, and music/theatre spectacles such as Phantom of the Opera, Mama Mia and Cats).

While this may have had some impact on survey respondents, it is believed that this change was minor enough to allow for comparisons between 2010 and 2016. This question was asked very differently prior to 2010 and is therefore not comparable.

Between 2010 and 2016, the proportion of Canadians attending a theatrical or comedy performance decreased from 44% to 40%. The decrease appears to be driven by a decline in frequent attendees: 9% of Canadians attended at least five theatre or comedy performances in 2010, compared with 5% in 2016.

 

In 2016, 46% of Canadians attended a live music performance, excluding festivals (13.6 million Canadians). This includes the 42% of Canadians who attended a pop music performance, excluding festivals (12.4 million Canadians) and the 16% who attended a “performance of symphonic or classical music, excluding at festivals” (4.6 million Canadians).[10]

 

For popular music performances (excluding festivals), Figure 10 shows that:

• Just over one-third of Canadians 15 or older attended a performance between one and four times (35%, or 10.3 million Canadians)
• Another 4% attended five or more times, but not every month (1.2 million Canadians)
• Another 3% attended at least once every month (915,000 Canadians)
• 58% of Canadians 15 or older did not attend a pop performance in 2016 (16.9 million Canadians)

Because of changes in survey questions, comparable popular music attendance rates are available only in 2010 and 2016. Between 2010 and 2016, the proportion of Canadians attending a pop music performance increased from 39% to 42%. The proportion of frequent pop music attendees remained stable at 7%.

 

For classical music performances (excluding festivals), Figure 11 indicates that the vast majority of attendees went to four performances or less in 2016:

• 13% of Canadians 15 or older attended a classical performance between one and four times (3.9 million Canadians)
• Another 2% attended five or more times, but not every month (411,000 Canadians)
• Another 1% attended at least once every month (274,000 Canadians)
• 84% of Canadians 15 or older did not attend a classical performance in 2016 (24.7 million Canadians)

Because of changes in survey questions, the classical music attendance rates are comparable only in 2010 and 2016. Between 2010 and 2016, the proportion of Canadians attending a classical music performance increased from 13% to 16%. The proportion of frequent classical music attendees remained stable at 2%.

 

In 2016, 20% of Canadians attended a “performance of heritage or ethnic dance, theatre or music, for example, Aboriginal Peoples, Chinese or Ukrainian“ (6.0 million Canadians).[11]

Figure 12 shows that:

• 18% of Canadians 15 or older attended such a performance between one and four times (5.4 million Canadians)
• Another 1% attended five or more times, but not every month (296,000 Canadians)
• Another 1% attended at least once every month (281,000 Canadians)
• 80% of Canadians 15 or older did not attend a heritage or ethnic performance in 2016 (23.4 million Canadians)

Because of changes in survey questions, only 2010 and 2016 data are comparable. During this period, the proportion of Canadians attending a performance of heritage or ethnic dance, theatre, or music decreased from 23% to 20%. The proportion of frequent attendees (i.e., at least five times) decreased very slightly, from 3% in 2010 to 2% in 2016.

 

In 2016, 20% of Canadians attended another kind of cultural performance (5.9 million Canadians).[12]

The General Social Survey did not contain questions specifically related to dance or opera performances, as well as book or poetry readings. These activities might have been included by respondents in “other cultural performances”.

As shown in Figure 13, the vast majority of other cultural performance attendees went to four performances or less in 2016:

• 17% of Canadians 15 or older attended another kind of cultural performance between one and four times (5.0 million Canadians)
• Another 2% attended five or more times, but not every month (513,000 Canadians)
• Another 1% attended at least once every month (360,000 Canadians)
• 80% of Canadians 15 or older did not attend another kind of performance in 2016 (23.4 million Canadians)

Between 2010 and 2016, the percentage of Canadians attending another kind of cultural performance increased from 18% to 20%. (Changes in survey questions preclude comparisons beyond 2010.) The proportion of frequent attendees (i.e., at least five times) increased very slightly, from 2% in 2010 to 3% in 2016.

 

A series of questions in the 2016 General Social Survey examined attendance at cultural heritage sites such as:

• Public art galleries
• Museums other than public art galleries
• Historic sites
• Zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, planetariums or observatories[13]

Exactly 70% of Canadians 15 years of age or older, or 22.2 million Canadians, visited at least one of these cultural heritage sites in 2016.

Figure 14 provides the 2016 attendance rates at each of four cultural heritage activities:

• 39% of the population 15 or older visited a public art gallery or art museum (11.5 million Canadians)
• 35% visited a museum other than a public art gallery (10.2 million Canadians)
• 50% visited an historic site (14.7 million Canadians)
• 46% visited a zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, planetarium or observatory (13.3 million Canadians)

Museums

In 2016, about one-half of Canadians (48%, or 14.2 million Canadians), visited either an art gallery or another type of museum.

More specifically, 39% of Canadians 15 years of age or older visited a public art gallery or art museum in 2016, including attendance at special art exhibits. (Public art gallery attendance is examined in detail in the arts attendance section of this report.)

About one-third of Canadians (35%, or 10.2 million Canadians) visited a museum other than a public art gallery.[14]

For museums other than art galleries, Figure 15 shows that:

• Almost one-third of Canadians 15 or older visited museums between one and four times (31%, or 9.1 million Canadians)
• Another 3% visited museums five or more times, but not every month (712,000 Canadians)
• Another 1% visited museums at least once every month (374,000 Canadians)
• 65% of Canadians 15 or older did not visit a museum in 2016 (19.2 million Canadians)

Questions about museum attendance (separate from art galleries) were first asked in the 2005 General Social Survey.

Figure 16 presents the trends in museum attendance rates between 2005 and 2016, showing that the proportion of Canadians visiting a museum (other than a public art gallery) increased from 21% in 2005 to 35% in 2016.

Between 2005 and 2016, the proportion of Canadians visiting museums frequently (i.e., at least five times) increased slightly (from 2% to 4%).

Historic sites

Exactly one-half of Canadians 15 years of age or older (50%) visited an historic site in 2016 (14.7 million Canadians).

Regarding the frequency of visits to historic sites, Figure 17 shows that:

• 41% of the population 15 or older visited historic sites between one and four times in 2016 (12.1 million Canadians)
• 6% visited historic sites five or more times, but not every month (1.7 million Canadians)
• Another 3% visited historic sites at least once every month (792,000 Canadians)
• 50% of Canadians 15 or older did not visit an historic site in 2016 (14.6 million Canadians)

As shown in Figure 18, there was a significant increase in the percentage of Canadians visiting an historic site between 1992 (27%) and 2016 (50%).

The number of Canadians visiting an historic site increased from 5.8 million in 1992 to 14.7 million in 2016, an increase of 8.9 million Canadians, or 155%.

Questions about the frequency of historic site attendance were first asked in the 1998 General Social Survey. From 1998 to 2016, the proportion of Canadians visiting historic sites frequently (i.e., at least five times) increased from 5% to 9%.

Other cultural heritage venues

Close to one-half of Canadians 15 years of age or older (46%) visited a zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, planetarium or observatory in 2016 (13.3 million Canadians).

Figure 19 shows the frequency of visits to zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, planetariums and observatories in 2016:

• 41% of the population 15 or older visited these heritage organizations between one and four times (12.1 million Canadians)
• Another 3% visited these organizations five or more times, but not every month (810,000 Canadians)
• Another 2% visited these organizations at least once every month (436,000 Canadians)
• 54% of Canadians 15 or older did not visit a zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, planetarium, or observatory (16.0 million Canadians)

After decreasing slightly between 1992 and 2005, the percentage of Canadians visiting a zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, planetarium, or observatory increased in 2010 and 2016. As shown in Figure 20, the percentage of Canadians visiting these locations was 36% in 1992 and 46% in 2016.

Between 1992 and 2016, the number of Canadians visiting a zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, planetarium, or observatory increased from 7.6 million in 1992 to 13.3 million in 2016, an increase of 5.7 million Canadians.

From 1998 to 2016, the proportion of Canadians visiting zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, planetariums, or observatories frequently (i.e., at least five times) changed very little (3% in 1998 and 4% in 2016).

 

 

Digital participation

 

Respondents were asked whether they had, as a leisure activity (not for paid work or studies), read a newspaper, a magazine, or a book in the 12 months preceding the survey.[15]

Figure 21 shows that, in 2016:

• 77% of Canadians 15 or older read at least one book (22.6 million Canadians). This includes the 74% who read a book in print (21.6 million Canadians) and the 27% who read an e-book (7.9 million Canadians)
• 72% read a magazine (21.2 million Canadians), including 67% who read a print magazine (19.6 million Canadians) and 32% who read an online magazine (9.3 million Canadians)
• 94% of the population 15 or older read the news (27.5 million Canadians), including 75% who read a print newspaper (21.9 million Canadians) and 79% who read online news (23.2 million Canadians)

The General Social Survey asked respondents separate questions about their frequency of reading print and electronic versions of books, magazines, and newspapers. As such, it is not possible to estimate the overall frequency of reading books, magazines, or newspapers in any format.

Because of major changes to the reading questions in 2016, historical comparisons are not possible.

Books

Regarding print books, Figure 22 shows that:

• 10% of the population 15 or older read at least one print book each week (i.e., 2.9 million Canadians read at least 52 print books during the year)
• Another 21% read at least one print book each month (i.e., 6.0 million Canadians read at least 12 print books during the year)
• Another 19% read at least one print book every three months (i.e., 5.6 million Canadians read at least 4 print books during the year)
• Another 11% read at least one print book every six months (i.e., 3.4 million Canadians read at least 2 print books during the year)
• Another 12% read at least one print book during the year (3.7 million Canadians)
• 26% of the population 15 or older did not read a print book in 2016 (7.7 million Canadians)

Many fewer Canadians read e-books than print books in 2016. As shown in Figure 23:

• 4% of the population 15 or older read at least one e-book each week (i.e., 1.2 million Canadians read at least 52 e-books during the year)
• Another 7% read at least one e-book each month (i.e., 2.2 million Canadians read at least 12 e-books during the year)
• Another 6% read at least one e-book every three months (i.e., 1.8 million Canadians read at least 4 e-books during the year)
• Another 4% read at least one e-book every six months (i.e., 1.2 million Canadians read at least 2 e-books during the year)
• Another 5% read at least one e-book during the year (1.6 million Canadians)
• 73% of the population 15 or older did not read an e-book (21.4 million Canadians)

Magazines

Regarding print magazines, in 2016:

• 2% of the population 15 or older read a print magazine daily (710,000 Canadians)
• Another 15% of the population 15 or older read a print magazine at least once a week (4.5 million Canadians)
• Another 26% read a print magazine at least once a month (7.7 million Canadians)
• Another 23% read a print magazine less than once a month (6.7 million Canadians)
• 33% of the population 15 or older did not read a print magazine in 2016 (9.7 million Canadians)

For online magazines:

• 3% of the population 15 or older read an online magazine daily (1.0 million Canadians)
• Another 8% of the population 15 or older read an online magazine at least once a week (2.4 million Canadians)
• Another 10% read an online magazine at least once a month (2.8 million Canadians)
• Another 10% read an online magazine less than once a month (3.0 million Canadians)
• 68% of the population 15 or older did not read an online magazine in 2016 (20.1 million Canadians)

Newspapers

For newspapers in print:

• 17% of the population 15 or older read a printed newspaper daily in 2016 (5.0 million Canadians)
• Another 28% read a newspaper at least once a week (8.1 million Canadians)
• Another 14% read a newspaper at least once a month (4.2 million Canadians)
• Another 15% read a newspaper less than once a month (4.5 million Canadians)
• 25% of the population 15 or older did not read a printed newspaper in 2016 (7.4 million Canadians)

In terms of online news reading in 2016:

• 44% of the population 15 or older read online news daily (12.9 million Canadians)
• Another 22% read online news at least once a week (6.6 million Canadians)
• Another 7% read online news at least once a month (2.1 million Canadians)
• Another 6% read online news less than once a month (1.7 million Canadians)
• 21% of the population 15 or older did not read online news (6.1 million Canadians)

 

In 2016, as shown in Figure 24, the vast majority of Canadians watched a movie:[16]

• 93% of the population 15 or older watched a movie in any format in 2016 (24.5 million Canadians)
• 71% saw a movie at a theatre (19.1 million Canadians)
• 88% watched a movie on a device, such as “a DVD, Blu-ray disc, online or any other source” (22.2 million Canadians)

Regarding the frequency of watching movies in theatres, Figure 25 shows that:

• 40% of the population 15 or older went to a movie between one and four times in 2016 (11.7 million Canadians)
• Another 17% went to a movie five to 11 times (5.0 million Canadians)
• Another 13% went to a movie at least once every month (3.7 million Canadians)
• Another 2% went to a movie at least once every week (553,000 Canadians)
• 29% of the population 15 or older did not go to a movie at a theatre in 2016 (8.4 million Canadians)

While there was a slight wording change to the question regarding watching a movie at a theatre (the phrase “or drive-in” was removed in 2016), historical comparisons should still be valid.

Movie going remained quite popular in 2016, as shown in Figure 26. The overall rate of movie going increased sharply from 49% in 1992 to 64% in 1998 and then continued to trend upward, reaching 71% in 2016.

The number of movie-goers increased significantly, from 10.5 million in 1992 to 19.1 million in 2016.

From 1998 to 2016, the proportion of Canadians going to movie theatres frequently (i.e., at least five times) increased from 30% to 34%.

As shown in Figure 27, many Canadians frequently watch movies on devices (such as “a DVD, Blu-ray disc, online or any other source”):

• 10% of the population 15 or older watched a digital movie between one and four times in 2016 (2.8 million Canadians)
• Another 9% watched a digital movie five to 11 times (2.7 million Canadians)
• Another 25% watched a digital movie at least once every month (7.3 million Canadians)
• Another 37% watched a digital movie at least once every week (10.7 million Canadians)
• Another 8% watched a digital movie every day (2.3 million Canadians)
• 12% of the population 15 or older did not watch a movie on a device in 2016 (3.4 million Canadians)

The question regarding watching movies on a device was new in the 2016 General Social Survey; therefore, a trend analysis is not possible.

 

The 2016 General Social Survey asked respondents whether they had listened to downloaded music or to music on CD, vinyl, or other recorded formats in the 12 months preceding the survey.[17] As shown in Figure 28, the vast majority of Canadians 15 or older listened to recorded music in some format in 2016:

• 91% listened to recorded music in some format (26.6 million Canadians)
• 60% listened to “music on a CD, cassette or vinyl record” (17.6 million Canadians)
• 79% of the population 15 or older listened to music on a “computer, mobile device, tablet or MP3 player” (23.3 million Canadians)

In terms of the frequency of listening to recorded music on CD, vinyl, and other formats in 2016, Figure 29 shows that:

• 12% of the population 15 or older listened to music on CDs daily (3.6 million Canadians)
• Another 19% listened to music on CDs at least once a week (5.5 million Canadians)
• Another 14% listened to music on CDs at least once a month (4.0 million Canadians)
• Another 15% listened to music on CDs less than once a month (4.4 million Canadians)
• 40% of the population 15 or older did not listen to music on CDs (11.7 million Canadians)

While there was a slight wording change to the question regarding listening to music on CDs, vinyl, or other formats (from music on “CDs, cassette tapes, DVD audio discs, records, etc.” to “CD, cassette or vinyl record”), historical comparisons should still be valid.

Listening to music in conventional formats has decreased substantially in recent years, as shown in Figure 30. The overall rate of listening to music on CD, vinyl, or other conventional formats remained stable between 1992 and 2005 before decreasing sharply to 60% in 2016.

The number of Canadians listening to music in conventional formats remained stable (17.4 million in 1992 and 17.6 million in 2016). The stability in the number of Canadians listening to music in these formats is due to the 38% population growth between 1992 and 2016.

Regarding digital music, Figure 31 shows that, in 2016:

• 48% of the population 15 or older listened to digital music daily (14.1 million Canadians)
• Another 21% listened to digital music at least once a week (6.2 million Canadians)
• Another 6% listened to digital music at least once a month (1.7 million Canadians)
• Another 4% listened to digital music less than once a month (1.3 million Canadians)
• 21% of the population 15 or older did not listen to digital music (6.1 million Canadians)

The question regarding digital music was asked very differently prior to 2016; therefore, a trend analysis is not possible.

 

Endnotes

[1] Because of the survey sample design, no territorial data are available.

[2] Previous iterations of the survey were conducted by telephone only. The number of respondents to the survey’s cultural questions varied somewhat over the years: 9,815 (1992), 10,749 (1998), 9,851 (2005), 7,502 (2010), and 9,844 (2016). The analysis of the 2016 data in this report is based on Statistics Canada’s General Social Survey (GSS) Canadians at Home and at Work – Cycle 30 Public Use Microdata File, 2016. All computations, use, and interpretation of these data are entirely that of Hill Strategies Research.

[3] Statistics Canada (2016). General Social Survey – Canadians at Work and Home: Questionnaire. Retrieved from http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3Instr.pl?Function=assembleInstr&lang=en&Item_Id=302913

[4] Environics Research (2017). Arts and Heritage Access and Availability Survey 2016-17. Ottawa, Canada: Department of Canadian Heritage and Canada Council for the Arts; LaPlaca Cohen and Nanos Research (2018). Culture Track Canada. Toronto, Canada: Business/Arts.

[5] The phrasing of these questions was: “Now, some questions about cultural activities or hobbies you are involved in. In the past 12 months, which of the following have you actively participated in? a) Making music (e.g., singing, playing an instrument or remixing music); b) Theatre (e.g., acting, storytelling or comedy); c) Audio-Visual and Interactive Media (e.g., making films, animation or videos); d) Dance (e.g., socially, in a performance or choreography); e) Visual arts ( e.g., painting, photography, sculpture or drawing); f) Craft (e.g., needlework, scrapbooking, woodwork, metalwork or pottery); g) Writing (e.g., poetry, plays, stories, editorials and reviews); h) Other – Specify”. Source: Statistics Canada (2016). General Social Survey – Canadians at Work and Home: Questionnaire. Retrieved from http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3Instr.pl?Function=assembleInstr&lang=en&Item_Id=302913

[6] This question was phrased as follows: During the past 12 months, how often did you go to a public art gallery or art museum (including attendance at special art exhibits)? Source: Statistics Canada (2016). General Social Survey – Canadians at Work and Home: Questionnaire. Retrieved from http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3Instr.pl?Function=assembleInstr&lang=en&Item_Id=302913

[7] In this report, all differences are calculated from unrounded numbers; the rounded numbers presented in the report may vary slightly.

[8] The question was phrased as follows: During the past 12 months, how often did you attend a cultural or artistic festival, such as film, jazz, folk or comedy? Source: Statistics Canada (2016). General Social Survey – Canadians at Work and Home: Questionnaire. Retrieved from http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3Instr.pl?Function=assembleInstr&lang=en&Item_Id=302913

[9] The theatre and comedy question was phrased as follows: During the past 12 months, how often did you attend a live performance, such as a drama, musical theatre, dinner theatre or comedy, excluding at festivals? Source: Statistics Canada (2016). General Social Survey – Canadians at Work and Home: Questionnaire. Retrieved from http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3Instr.pl?Function=assembleInstr&lang=en&Item_Id=302913

[10] The questions were phrased as follows: During the past 12 months, how often did you: a) attend a performance of popular music, excluding at festivals; b) attend a performance of symphonic or classical music, excluding at festivals? Source: Statistics Canada (2016). General Social Survey – Canadians at Work and Home: Questionnaire. Retrieved from http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3Instr.pl?Function=assembleInstr&lang=en&Item_Id=302913

[11] The full question was: During the past 12 months, how often did you: a) attend a performance of heritage or ethnic dance, theatre or music, for example, Aboriginal Peoples, Chinese or Ukrainian? Source: Statistics Canada (2016). General Social Survey – Canadians at Work and Home: Questionnaire. Retrieved from http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3Instr.pl?Function=assembleInstr&lang=en&Item_Id=302913

[12] The question was phrased as follows: During the past 12 months, how often did you attend any other kind or type of cultural performance not already described? Source: Statistics Canada (2016). General Social Survey – Canadians at Work and Home: Questionnaire. Retrieved from http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3Instr.pl?Function=assembleInstr&lang=en&Item_Id=302913

[13] The General Social Survey also contained a question about natural heritage attendance: 61% of Canadians visited a conservation area or nature park in 2016 (17.9 million Canadians).

[14] This question was phrased as follows: During the past 12 months, how often did you visit museums other than public art galleries or art museums? Source: Statistics Canada (2016). General Social Survey – Canadians at Work and Home: Questionnaire. Retrieved from http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3Instr.pl?Function=assembleInstr&lang=en&Item_Id=302913

[15] The questions were phrased as follows: During the past 12 months: a) how many books did you read in hard copy or print form; b) how many e- books did you read; c) how often did you read or scan the news online; d) how often did you read a print copy of a newspaper; e) how often did you read a magazine online; and f) how often did you read a print copy of a magazine? Source: Statistics Canada (2016). General Social Survey – Canadians at Work and Home: Questionnaire. Retrieved from http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3Instr.pl?Function=assembleInstr&lang=en&Item_Id=302913

[16] The questions were phrased as follows: During the past 12 months, how often did you: a) go to a movie theatre; b) watch a movie or film viewed from a DVD, Blu-ray disc, online or any other source? Source: Statistics Canada (2016). General Social Survey – Canadians at Work and Home: Questionnaire. Retrieved from http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3Instr.pl?Function=assembleInstr&lang=en&Item_Id=302913

[17] The questions were phrased as follows: During the past 12 months, how often did you: a) listen to music on a CD, cassette or vinyl record; b) listen to music on your computer, mobile device, tablet or MP3 player? Source: Statistics Canada (2016). General Social Survey – Canadians at Work and Home: Questionnaire. Retrieved from http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3Instr.pl?Function=assembleInstr&lang=en&Item_Id=302913

 

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