Industry Statistics and Trends
Market size and recent performance (2016-2031)
Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 1.5 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $14.4bn in 2026.
Trends and Insights
Canada's working parents increasingly depend on day care
- More Canadian parents have been depending on comprehensive child care in recent years, strengthening the role of day care centres in filling this need, but also supporting vital economic growth. For instance, the 2024 Fall Economic Statement from the Department of Finance Canada links affordable childcare to the 4% increase in the labour force participation rate for women with young children from 2019 to 2023.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2026-2031)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Public funding programs and payments will continue to support growth
- Ongoing government subsidies help many families manage the cost of child care and can prompt more families to seek professional care options. Ontario's 2023 initiative to halve fees has increased demand and waitlist numbers, suggesting that affordable care remains a key concern for operators and parents.
Biggest companies in the Day Care in Canada
| Company | Market Share (%)
2026 | Revenue ($m)
2026 | Profit ($m)
2026 | Profit Margin (%)
2026 |
|---|
There are no companies that hold a market share exceeding 5% in the Day Care in Canada industry.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Full-time day care, Part-time day care and Other. Full-time day care is the largest segment of the Day Care in Canada.
Trends and Insights
Full-time childcare drives occupancy in centres and anchors predictable monthly fee revenue
- Full-time childcare refers to the service in which children attend day care centres most weekdays throughout the year, typically aligning with parental work schedules. In Canada, most full-time care is provided in centre-based facilities rather than in informal or part-time arrangements.
- More insights available in the full report
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
Day care centres are licensed facilities that provide care, supervision and early childhood education to children, typically from infancy to age five. These centres support working families by offering structured, safe environments where children can be cared for during their parents’ work day while learning, socializing and developing key skills under the supervision of caregivers.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in the Day Care industry in Canada include Providing preschool-aged day care centres, Providing school-aged day care centres and Providing regulated family child care.Companies
Companies covered in the Day Care industry in Canada include .Purchase this report to view all major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
Related terms covered in the Day Care industry in Canada include occupancy rate, child-to-staff ratio and canada child benefit.Industry Code
NAICS 624410 - Day Care 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
The Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care program is a first-of-its-kind investment to expand access to affordable day care in Canada through 2031. While the CWELCC has d...
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 (2016-2025) and forecast (2026-2031)
- Employees, including historical (2016-2025) and forecast (2026-2031)
- Businesses, including historical (2016-2025) and forecast (2026-2031)
- Profit, including historical (2016-2026)
- 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
Infant care is the most labour-intensive and expensive childcare service. That’s because infants require constant supervision and provincial rules enforce very low staff-to-c...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2026
- Product innovation level
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2026
- Major market segmentation in 2026
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
Day care centres are more prevalent in densely populated areas. Providers in these areas benefit from a higher demand from larger populations needing childcare services. Dens...
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 2026
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each province in 2026
- Number and share of revenue each province accounts for in 2026
- Number and share of wages each province accounts for in 2026
- Number and share of employees in each province in 2026
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
Caregivers select a day care based on what’s most available to them. A day care’s proximity to a parent’s home or work is the most important criterion when selecting a day ca...
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 2021-2026
- 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
There are no companies that hold a market share exceeding 5% in the Day Care in Canada industry.
Analyst insights
No single day care provider has more than a 5% market share. Most day cares in Canada are independently owned and provide childcare to families in their local communities.
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
Staffing regulations are critical but sharply limit capacity. Every province enforces staff-to-child ratios to ensure the safety and well-being of the children enrolled in pr...
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 (2016-2031)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2016-2031)
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
Day care profit are under strain from rising operating costs and government fee caps. With wages and inflation increasing while the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care ...
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 2026
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2026
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Liquidity Ratios (2019-2024)
- Coverage Ratios (2019-2024)
- Leverage Ratios (2019-2024)
- Operating Ratios (2019-2024)
- Assets (2019-2024)
- Liabilities (2019-2024)
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2016-2031)
- Revenue per Employee (2016-2031)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2016-2031)
- Employees per Establishment (2016-2031)
- Employees per Enterprise (2016-2031)
- Average Wage (2016-2031)
- Wages/Revenue (2016-2031)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2016-2031)
- IVA/Revenue (2016-2031)
- Imports/Demand (2016-2031)
- Exports/Revenue (2016-2031)
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 (2016-2031)
- IVA (2016-2031)
- Establishments (2016-2031)
- Enterprises (2016-2031)
- Employment (2016-2031)
- Exports (2016-2031)
- Imports (2016-2031)
- Wages (2016-2031)
Top Questions Answered
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Day Care industry in Canada in 2026?
The market size of the Day Care industry in Canada is $14.4bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Day Care industry in Canada in 2026?
There are 39,300 businesses in the Day Care industry in Canada, which has grown at a CAGR of 3.4 % between 2021 and 2026.
How may import tariffs affect the Day Care industry in Canada?
The Day Care industry in Canada is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Day Care industry in Canada?
The Day Care industry in Canada is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Day Care industry in Canada grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Day Care industry in Canada has been growing at a CAGR of 1.5 % between 2021 and 2026.
What is the forecast growth of the Day Care industry in Canada over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Day Care industry in Canada is expected to grow.
What does the Day Care industry in Canada include?
Providing preschool-aged day care centres and Providing school-aged day care centres are part of the Day Care industry in Canada.
How competitive is the Day Care industry in Canada?
The level of competition is high and steady in the Day Care industry in Canada.
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.
Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.
