Australia and Canada Economies: A Side-by-Side Table Comparison

In comparing Australia and Canada, we find that Canada has a population 1.5 times larger and is over twice the size in surface area. While Canada’s GDP is slightly larger, Australians enjoy a higher GDP per capita. Australia spends more on defense and imports less, while Canada’s exports are more varied.

Basic Indicators

Indicator	Australia	Canada	Comparison
Population source (2022 data), updated 2024	26.01 million (54th)	38.93 million (36th)	Canada’s population is approximately 1.5 times larger than Australia’s.
Surface area (sq. km) source (2022 data), updated 2024	7.74 million sq. km (6th)	15.63 million sq. km (2nd)	Canada is 2.02 times larger than Australia.
GDP source (2022 data), updated 2024	1,692.96B USD (12th)	2,161.48B USD (9th)	Canada’s total GDP is 1.28 times larger than Australia’s.
GDP per capita source (2022 data), updated 2024	$65,100 (13th)	55,522 USD (17th)	Australia’s GDP per capita is roughly 17% higher than Canada’s, with Australians producing about $9,577 more per person annually.

Economic Indexes

Index	Australia	Canada	Comparison
HDI (Human Development Index) source (2022 data), updated 2024	0.946 (10th)	0.935 (18th)	Australia’s HDI is 0.946 (very high), while Canada’s is 0.935 (very high). Australia’s score is 0.011 higher, indicating a slightly better level of human development overall.
Index of Economic Freedom source (2024 data)	76.2 (12th)	72.4 (15th)	Australia’s Index of Economic Freedom is 5.8 points higher than Canada’s, reflecting a difference of approximately 8%.
GINI source (2022 data), updated 2024	34.3 (2018 est.)	31.7 (2019 est.)	With a 10% higher Gini coefficient, Australia has a higher degree of income inequality than Canada.

International trade _{source(2023 data), updated 2024}

Indicator	Australia	Canada
Total imports	363.57B USD	726.14B
Imports % of GDP	19.71%	33.71%
Main import partners	China 28%, US 10%, South Korea 6%, Japan 6%, Singapore 5%	US 56%, China 11%, Mexico 4%, Germany 3%, Japan 2%
Main import items	refined petroleum, cars, garments, trucks, plastic products	cars, refined petroleum, vehicle parts/accessories, trucks, crude petroleum
Total exports	447.51B USD	717.68B
Exports % of GDP	25.43%	33.85%
Main export Partners	China 29%, Japan 19%, South Korea 10%, India 7%, Taiwan 6%	US 75%, China 4%, Japan 2%, UK 2%, Mexico 1%
Main export items	coal, iron ore, natural gas, gold, wheat	crude petroleum, cars, natural gas, refined petroleum, gold

Australia’s imports are half of Canada’s, and Australia imports 14% less of its GDP compared to Canada. Australia’s exports are $447.51B, focusing on minerals and wheat, while Canada’s $717.68B exports are more diverse, led by crude oil and cars.

Military Power _{source (2023 data), updated 2024}

Indicator	Australia	Canada
Military expenditure	32.3B USD	27.2B USD
Military expenditure (% of GDP)	1.90%	1.24%
Active military	59k	67k
Active military per 1,000 capita	3.8	3

Australia’s military expenditure is approximately 19% larger and $5.1 billion higher than Canada’s, while Australia allocates a greater percentage of its GDP to defense compared to Canada.