Hidden Canada: twelve things about the country that investors abroad rarely hear, with the source for each
Canada is under-described abroad. Most of what follows comes from the government's own key facts series and the Prime Minister's Office; each line names its source.
The short answer
- Fiscal: the lowest net debt to GDP in the G7 for twenty years (12.5% in 2024).
- Business: second in the G20 for doing business 2026 to 2030; third in the G7 for ease of starting a business; second on the Kearney FDI Confidence Index.
- Capital: highest FDI inflows per capita in the G7 in 2025; ranked first in the world for infrastructure investment attractiveness in May 2026.
- Doors: 16 trade agreements across 51 countries and 1.5 billion consumers; a first Canada Investment Summit in Toronto in September 2026.
The twelve
- Lowest net debt to GDP in the G7 for the last 20 years. (Global Affairs Canada key facts, December 2025)
- Second-best country in the G20 for doing business, 2026 to 2030. (Economist Intelligence Unit via GAC)
- Third in the G7 for ease of starting a business. (GEM via GAC)
- Second on the Kearney FDI Confidence Index of 25 countries. (GAC, December 2025)
- Highest FDI inflows per capita in the G7 in 2025. (Prime Minister's Office)
- Ranked the world's most attractive market for infrastructure investment, May 2026. (Global Infrastructure Investor Association via PMO)
- 16 free trade agreements across 51 countries; access to 1.5 billion consumers and two thirds of global GDP. (PMO, 2026)
- The only G7 country with free trade agreements with every other G7 country. (Government of Canada)
- First country with a national AI strategy, 2017. (GAC key facts)
- LNG Canada Phase 2: the second-largest single private investment in Canadian history, September 2026. (Major Projects Office)
- The Darlington project aims to make Canada the first G7 country with an operating small modular reactor. (Major Projects Office)
- A first-ever Canada Investment Summit, Toronto, 14 to 15 September 2026. (PMO)
Why it matters for a company abroad
Stability is the product. A Gulf, European or Indian company that lands in Canada gets a AAA-rated jurisdiction, a stable banking system, rule of law, a skilled workforce and preferential access into North America, Europe and the Pacific from one entity. The why Canada page puts these facts next to the sequence for landing; the programmes directory lists what the country offers once you are there.
And Toronto
Most of the group's Canadian work runs from the Toronto area. For families and professionals moving with a business, the group's own 216-page guide, Living in Toronto, covers neighbourhoods, schools, banking, taxes and immigration, readable free on this site.
Checklist
- Facts quoted with their source and date
- The sequence read before the facts are used in a board paper
- A qualified adviser confirms what applies
Mistakes we see
- Using a ranking without its date
- Treating a headline figure as a programme entitlement
Sources
WeOpen.ca is an independent initiative, not a government agency. Programmes and rules are named for context; the official pages in force prevail over anything on this page, and eligibility is confirmed by a qualified adviser. Checked 13 November 2026.