Toronto At-A-Glance

A Leading City in North America

• Toronto is the 2nd fastest growing major employment region in North America (employment increased by 316,000 in the Toronto CMA, 2000 – 2006).
• 3rd largest biotechnology centre in North America
• 3rd largest screen-based arts centre in North America
• 3rd largest financial centre in North America by employment (behind New York and Chicago)
• 2nd largest food production centre in North America
• 3rd largest information technology centre in North America
• One of the world’s keys financial centres, ranking 11th place on the latest Global Financial Centres Index (CGFI)

A Chief Economic Powerhouse in Canada

• Toronto generates almost one-fifth of the national GDP and 45% of Ontario’s GDP
• The region is home to 40% of Canada’s business headquarters and more nationally and internationally top-ranked companies than any other Canadian city
• It is a main manufacturing hub for major automotive, biomedical and electronics companies
• Canada’s financial capital – home of the head offices of five of Canada’s six national banks, 90% of Canada’s foreign banks, its top accounting and mutual fund firms, and Canada’s largest stock exchange

Employment and Labour Force

• According to Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey data, over 1.3 million City of Toronto residents were employed in 2009
• Toronto is home to an educated and productive labour force
• Over 70,000 businesses are located in Toronto
• 80% of Canada's largest research and development groups, law, advertising and high-tech establishments are located in Toronto

Key Industry Clusters

(as defined by the City of Toronto)

• Aerospace
• Business Services
• Design
• Fashion/Apparel
• Film & Television
• Financial Services
• Food & Beverage
• Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
• Life Sciences
• Tourism

Size

• Toronto is the 5th largest city by population in North America. (City of Toronto, Agenda for Prosperity)
• Toronto sits in the centre of the 48th largest urban region in the world. The population in the Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) is 5,113,149. (Toronto CMA, 2006 Census)

Diversity and Social Cohesion

• Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in the world. Over 100 languages and dialects are spoken in the City
• 50% of Toronto's 2.6 million residents were born outside of Canada and the region welcomes over 100,000 newcomers annually
• The City of Toronto is one of the safest major metropolitan areas in North America.
• Toronto has experienced a continuous drop in the crime rate over 10 years; the rate in 2007 was 20.7% lower than a decade earlier