The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing worldwide with the highest incidence rates in westernized countries such as those of northern Europe, the United Kingdom, and North America. These countries share many possible environmental risk factors and similar genetic backgrounds, all of which may contribute to the risk of developing IBD. The prevalence of IBD is especially high in Canada. In 2018, 267,983 Canadians (0.73%) were estimated to be living with IBD, with a forecast growth to 402,853 by 2030.