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AI CanadaPulse

Canada versus world

Canada is strong in AI, but not in every ranking.

There is no single honest answer to "where does Canada rank on AI?" Each ranking asks a different question: whether government is ready, how active the AI sector is, how prepared the economy is, or how strong the wider innovation base is. The numbers age quickly, so each one shows its edition and when it was last updated.

Last updated October 1, 2026. Every ranking is the newest edition.

See the scorecardCheck sources

Scorecard

Canada in 4 international rankings

Each rank is out of a different number of countries, from different years and methods. Read each one on its own; do not add or average them.

Canada's rank in each international AI ranking, with edition and freshness
What it measuresCanadaEditionStatus
Government readinessCan government support and govern AI?12of 195Oxford Insights2025 edition (December 2025)Updated September 25, 2026Newest editionNext edition expected December 2026.
AI activityHow active is the AI sector?10of 36Stanford HAI2025 edition (November 24, 2025; data through 2024)Updated October 1, 2026Newest editionNext edition expected November 2026.
AI preparednessIs the economy prepared to absorb AI?18of 174International Monetary Fund2023 data (published 2024); no newer edition as of September 2026Updated September 25, 2026Newest editionThe publisher has no fixed release calendar.
Innovation contextHow strong is the broader innovation base?16of 139World Intellectual Property Organization2026 edition (September 29, 2026)Updated October 1, 2026Newest editionNext edition expected September 2027.

Under Oxford's earlier 2024 method Canada ranked 6th of 188. Oxford changed the method in 2025, so the two ranks cannot be compared directly.

Peer countries

Canada beside peer countries

One ranking at a time, so each comparison uses a single country list and method.

Canada in this lens
Rank 10 of 36Score 15.56

2025

AI activity, 2025

36 countries

New AI research, money going into AI, and company activity in Stanford's 36-country list.

United StatesScore 78.60
Rank1
ChinaScore 36.95
Rank2
IndiaScore 21.59
Rank3
United KingdomScore 16.64
Rank5
CanadaScore 15.56
Rank10
FranceScore 14.63
Rank13
GermanyScore 13.15
Rank15

Newest edition. Details are in the scorecard above.

Source: Stanford HAI Global AI Vibrancy Tool 2025. Limit: This ranking covers 36 countries, so do not compare it directly with rankings that cover nearly every country. Scores use Stanford's default weights and 2024 data.

Careful comparison

What not to compare

Use each source for the question it was built to answer. A strong result in one does not cancel a weaker one in another.

Which ranking answers which question

SourceWhat it checksHow to use itDo not use it as
ReadinessOxford Insights, Oxford Insights
Government and structural conditions
How prepared public institutions are to enable and govern AI
Do not treat as business adoption or model leadership
AI activityStanford HAI
New AI research, money going into AI, company activity, and AI-sector activity
How active a country's AI sector looks among the countries Stanford tracks
Do not compare directly with rankings that cover nearly every country
PreparednessInternational Monetary Fund
Digital infrastructure, skills, labour rules, innovation, oversight
Whether an economy has the basic conditions to absorb AI
Do not read as current usage or productivity impact
Claude useAnthropic
Claude.ai usage patterns and task mix
Where one model provider sees relatively more use
Do not label as national AI capacity or all-model adoption
Government data pagesOECD.AI, OECD
Government decisions, initiatives, indicators, and country profiles
Where to look for government-decision details
Do not turn data pages into a single Canada rank
Source: AI Canada Pulse reading guide from source method notesThis is a reading guide, not an additional ranking.

References

Every source used on this page

11 sources, each with its date, what it is good for and its limit. Ranking claims go stale quickly, so this page is updated when a publisher updates an index or method.

Source and date

Government AI Readiness Index 2025

Oxford Insights | Government readiness index | Date: 2025

Use for

Compare how ready governments appear to support and govern AI across 195 countries.

Limit

Oxford Insights updated the 2025 method, so the 2025 rank should not be treated as a simple change from 2024.

Source and date

Government AI Readiness Index 2024

Oxford Insights | Government readiness index | Date: 2024, published December 2024

Use for

Show where Canada sat in the older readiness ranking.

Limit

Use only as historical context. It covered 188 countries and used the 2024 method.

Source and date

The State of AI Competition in Advanced Economies

Federal Reserve | Cross-index comparison table | Date: 2023-2025, published October 6, 2025

Use for

Compare Canada across several ranking systems without turning them into one score.

Limit

The table brings together indexes with different years, country lists, and methods. It is a comparison aid, not one overall score.

Source and date

Global Innovation Index 2026

World Intellectual Property Organization | General innovation index | Date: 2026, published September 29, 2026

Use for

Place AI in a broader innovation context.

Limit

This is not an AI-specific ranking and should not be used as Canada's AI ranking by itself.

Source and date

AI Preparedness Index

International Monetary Fund | AI preparedness index | Date: 2023, published 2024

Use for

Compare broad economic readiness for AI, including infrastructure, skills, labour rules, innovation, and oversight.

Limit

Preparedness is not the same as current AI use, commercial strength, or public-sector delivery. The IMF itself calls the index an indicative measure that should not be used for ranking purposes.

Source and date

Global AI Vibrancy Tool 2025

Stanford HAI | AI sector comparison | Date: 2025, published November 24, 2025

Use for

Compare new AI research, money going into AI, and company activity among the 36 countries covered by the tool.

Limit

The country list is smaller than global readiness indexes and focuses on countries with more AI data available.

Source and date

AI Index Report 2026

Stanford HAI | Annual AI index report | Date: 2026

Use for

Use as broad international context for new AI research, money going into AI, government decisions, public opinion, and technical progress.

Limit

It is a multi-topic report, not one Canada rank.

Source and date

OECD AI Policy Observatory: Canada dashboard

OECD.AI | OECD country data page | Date: Updated page, published Updated by OECD.AI

Use for

Track Canada's AI government work and OECD measures.

Limit

This is a country data page, not a single national rank. Each measure needs its own label.

Source and date

The OECD.AI Index

OECD | Technical paper | Date: 2026, published February 2026

Use for

Use after checking the exact measure, country list, and method from the paper.

Limit

Do not quote a single Canada rank unless the exact table and country list are shown.

Source and date

Global Artificial Intelligence Index 2024

Tortoise Media | Global AI capacity index | Date: 2024, published September 19, 2024

Use for

Use as background evidence that Canada appears in the top-ten discussion and is strong on government strategy.

Limit

The public article supports top-ten and government-strategy language. Do not quote an exact overall rank without the ranking table.

Source and date

Anthropic Economic Index

Anthropic | Claude usage research | Date: 2025-2026, published Updated by Anthropic

Use for

Use to discuss Claude usage patterns and task mix.

Limit

It measures Claude usage, not national AI capacity, all-model adoption, or public-sector readiness.

Use the evidence carefully

Keep international rankings separate from business adoption

Canada can rank well on readiness or government strategy while still showing weaker business adoption numbers. The clearest story keeps both facts in view. See also the strategy tracker and global sources.

Read the adoption guide