The number of commuters reached 16.5 million in May 2024, continuing an upward trend that followed notable declines recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. The number of commuters was up 585,000 (+3.7%) in May 2024 compared to May 2023, driven by employment growth (+373,000 or +1.9%) and by an increase in the share of the employed population working at locations other than home.

Commuters are employed people who work most of their hours outside the home, either with a usual fixed place of work or with no fixed work location. Employed people who work most of their hours at home are not included in the counts of commuters.

Commuting is a fact of life for many Canadians. However, it has financial costs, and for those with long commutes, it can be associated with negative health outcomes and challenges maintaining work-life balance.

For people who work from home, time saved from commuting allows them to spend more time with their children, and on leisure activities, sleep and household chores.

Measuring changes in commuting patterns is also important to plan commuting and transit infrastructure, and to better understand urbanization and changing business practices.

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