ETFGI reports the ETFs industry in Canada hits record US$720 Billion as net inflows surge to new highs in 2026
Press Release
LONDON — June 15, 2026 — ETFGI, reported today that the ETFs industry in Canada hits record US$720 Billion as net inflows surge to new highs in 2026. During May the ETFs industry in Canada gathered net inflows of US$12.33 billion, bringing year-to-date net inflows to a record US$77.86 billion, according to ETFGI's May 2026 Canada ETFs industry landscape insights report, the monthly report which is part of an annual paid-for research subscription service. ETFGI, is a 14 year old leading independent research and consultancy firm renowned for its expertise in subscription research, consulting services, 6 annual ETFGI Global ETFs Insights Summits, and ETF TV on global ETF industry trends.(All dollar values in USD unless otherwise noted.)
Highlights
Assets invested in the Canadian ETF industry reached a record $719.69 billion at the end of May 2026, reflecting continued strong growth.
Assets have increased 23.1% year-to-date, rising from $584.47 billion at the end of 2025.
The industry gathered $12.33 billion of net inflows in May.
Year-to-date net inflows of $77.86 billion are the highest on record, significantly exceeding the previous highs of $40.49 billion in 2025 and $22.22 billion in 2024.
The Canadian ETF industry has now recorded 47 consecutive months of net inflows, highlighting sustained investor demand.
“The S&P 500 rose 5.26% in May and is up 11.27% year‑to‑date in 2026. Developed markets excluding the U.S. gained 5.20% during May and are up 15.33% year‑to‑date, with Korea (+28.71%) and Luxembourg (+20.50%) delivering the strongest returns among developed markets for the month. Emerging markets increased by 3.77% in May and are up 11.44% year‑to‑date, led by Taiwan (+16.95%) and Peru (+11.75%), which recorded the highest gains among emerging markets in May.” According to Deborah Fuhr, Managing Partner and founder of ETFGI.
Growth in assets in the ETFs industry in Canada as of the end of May
Source: ETFGI data sourced from ETF/ETP sponsors, exchanges, regulatory filings, Thomson Reuters/Lipper, Bloomberg, publicly available sources and data generated in-house. Note: “ETFs” are typically open-end index funds that provide daily portfolio transparency, are listed and traded on exchanges like stocks on a secondary basis as well as utilising a unique creation and redemption process for primary transactions. “ETPs” refers to other products that have similarities to ETFs in the way they trade and settle but they do not use a mutual fund structure. The use of other structures including grantor trusts, partnerships, notes and depositary receipts by ETPs can create different tax and regulatory implications for investors when compared to ETFs which are funds.
The ETFs industry in Canada had 1,609 ETFs, with 2,015 listings, assets of $719.69 Bn, from 53 providers on 2 exchanges at the end of May.
ETF providers
RBC iShares is the largest ETF provider in terms of assets with $198.50 Bn, reflecting 27.6% market share; BMO Asset Management is second with $136.03 Bn and 18.9% market share, followed by Vanguard with $119.86 Bn and 16.7% market share. The top three providers, out of 53, account for 63.1% of Canadian ETF AUM, while the remaining 50 providers each have less than 7% market share.
Net Inflows
- During May, ETFs gathered $12.33 billion of net inflows.
- Year-to-date net inflows of $77.86 billion are the highest on record, significantly exceeding the previous highs of $40.49 billion in 2025 and $22.22 billion in 2024.
Equity ETFs led asset gathering with $5.04 billion of inflows, bringing year-to-date totals to $37.21 billion, significantly higher than the $13.93 billion recorded at the same point in 2025.
Fixed income ETFs recorded $1.46 billion of inflows in May, with YTD inflows reaching $9.36 billion, exceeding the $5.67 billion gathered by the end of May 2025.
Active ETFs continued to attract strong demand, gathering $5.54 billion in May, bringing year-to-date inflows to $28.58 billion, well above the $19.56 billion reported over the same period in 2025.
Crypto ETFs reported net outflows of $14 million in May, but remain positive year-to-date with inflows of $194 million, slightly ahead of the $189 million recorded at this stage in 2025.
Currency ETFs gathered $17 million of inflows in May, bringing year-to-date inflows to $75 million, higher than the $54 million reported year-to-date in 2025.
Substantial inflows can be attributed to the top 20 ETF's by net new assets, which collectively gathered $6.07 Bn in April, the iShares Core S&P/TSX Capped Composite Index ETF (XIC CN) gathered $833.77 Mn alone.
Top 20 ETFs by net new assets May 2026: Canada
Source: ETFGI data sourced from ETF/ETP sponsors, exchanges, regulatory filings, Thomson Reuters/Lipper, Bloomberg, publicly available sources and data generated in-house. Note: This report is based on the most recent data available at the time of publication. Asset and flow data may change slightly as additional data becomes available.
Investors have tended to invest in Equity ETFs during May.
Contact deborah.fuhr@etfgi.com if you are interested in subscribing to ETFGI’s research services, have any questions on this press release or on ETFGI’s consulting services, 6 annual ETFGI Global ETFs Insights Summits, or ETF TV.
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