diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/canvas/__tests__/fixtures/workpads.ts b/x-pack/plugins/canvas/__tests__/fixtures/workpads.ts
index 4b1f31cb1468..0d2939ed0e8a 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/canvas/__tests__/fixtures/workpads.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/canvas/__tests__/fixtures/workpads.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
  */
-import { CanvasWorkpad, CanvasElement, CanvasPage } from '../../types';
+import { CanvasWorkpad, CanvasElement, CanvasPage, CanvasVariable } from '../../types';
 
 const BaseWorkpad: CanvasWorkpad = {
   '@created': '2019-02-08T18:35:23.029Z',
@@ -50,6 +50,12 @@ const BaseElement: CanvasElement = {
   filter: '',
 };
 
+const BaseVariable: CanvasVariable = {
+  name: 'my-var',
+  value: 'Hello World',
+  type: 'string',
+};
+
 export const workpads: CanvasWorkpad[] = [
   {
     ...BaseWorkpad,
@@ -71,6 +77,11 @@ export const workpads: CanvasWorkpad[] = [
         ],
       },
     ],
+    variables: [
+      {
+        ...BaseVariable,
+      },
+    ],
   },
   {
     ...BaseWorkpad,
@@ -82,6 +93,11 @@ export const workpads: CanvasWorkpad[] = [
         ],
       },
     ],
+    variables: [
+      {
+        ...BaseVariable,
+      },
+    ],
   },
   {
     ...BaseWorkpad,
@@ -103,6 +119,11 @@ export const workpads: CanvasWorkpad[] = [
       { ...BasePage, elements: [{ ...BaseElement, expression: 'image | render' }] },
       { ...BasePage, elements: [{ ...BaseElement, expression: 'image | render' }] },
     ],
+    variables: [
+      {
+        ...BaseVariable,
+      },
+    ],
   },
   {
     ...BaseWorkpad,
@@ -136,6 +157,11 @@ export const workpads: CanvasWorkpad[] = [
         ],
       },
     ],
+    variables: [
+      {
+        ...BaseVariable,
+      },
+    ],
   },
   {
     ...BaseWorkpad,
@@ -166,6 +192,17 @@ export const workpads: CanvasWorkpad[] = [
         ],
       },
     ],
+    variables: [
+      {
+        ...BaseVariable,
+      },
+      {
+        ...BaseVariable,
+      },
+      {
+        ...BaseVariable,
+      },
+    ],
   },
   {
     ...BaseWorkpad,
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/canvas/server/collectors/workpad_collector.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/canvas/server/collectors/workpad_collector.test.ts
index 9f71edcc05bf..32665cc42dc4 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/canvas/server/collectors/workpad_collector.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/canvas/server/collectors/workpad_collector.test.ts
@@ -49,6 +49,14 @@ describe('usage collector handle es response data', () => {
           'shape',
         ],
       },
+      variables: {
+        total: 7,
+        per_workpad: {
+          avg: 1.1666666666666667,
+          min: 0,
+          max: 3,
+        },
+      },
     });
   });
 
@@ -63,6 +71,7 @@ describe('usage collector handle es response data', () => {
       pages: { total: 1, per_workpad: { avg: 1, min: 1, max: 1 } },
       elements: { total: 1, per_page: { avg: 1, min: 1, max: 1 } },
       functions: { total: 1, in_use: ['toast'], per_element: { avg: 1, min: 1, max: 1 } },
+      variables: { total: 1, per_workpad: { avg: 1, min: 1, max: 1 } },
     });
   });
 
@@ -76,6 +85,39 @@ describe('usage collector handle es response data', () => {
       pages: { total: 0, per_workpad: { avg: 0, min: 0, max: 0 } },
       elements: undefined,
       functions: undefined,
+      variables: { total: 1, per_workpad: { avg: 1, min: 1, max: 1 } }, // Variables still possible even with no pages
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should handle cases where the version workpad might not have variables', () => {
+    const workpad = cloneDeep(workpads[0]);
+    // @ts-ignore
+    workpad.variables = undefined;
+
+    const mockWorkpadsOld = [workpad];
+    const usage = summarizeWorkpads(mockWorkpadsOld);
+    expect(usage).toEqual({
+      workpads: { total: 1 },
+      pages: { total: 1, per_workpad: { avg: 1, min: 1, max: 1 } },
+      elements: { total: 1, per_page: { avg: 1, min: 1, max: 1 } },
+      functions: {
+        total: 7,
+        in_use: [
+          'demodata',
+          'ply',
+          'rowCount',
+          'as',
+          'staticColumn',
+          'math',
+          'mapColumn',
+          'sort',
+          'pointseries',
+          'plot',
+          'seriesStyle',
+        ],
+        per_element: { avg: 7, min: 7, max: 7 },
+      },
+      variables: { total: 0, per_workpad: { avg: 0, min: 0, max: 0 } }, // Variables still possible even with no pages
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/canvas/server/collectors/workpad_collector.ts b/x-pack/plugins/canvas/server/collectors/workpad_collector.ts
index 4b00d061c17c..9fa39c580962 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/canvas/server/collectors/workpad_collector.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/canvas/server/collectors/workpad_collector.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,14 @@ interface WorkpadTelemetry {
       max: number;
     };
   };
+  variables?: {
+    total: number;
+    per_workpad: {
+      avg: number;
+      min: number;
+      max: number;
+    };
+  };
 }
 
 /**
@@ -81,7 +89,10 @@ export function summarizeWorkpads(workpadDocs: CanvasWorkpad[]): WorkpadTelemetr
       });
     }, []);
 
-    return { pages, elementCounts, functionCounts };
+    const variableCount =
+      workpad.variables && workpad.variables.length ? workpad.variables.length : 0;
+
+    return { pages, elementCounts, functionCounts, variableCount };
   });
 
   // combine together info from across the workpads
@@ -91,9 +102,10 @@ export function summarizeWorkpads(workpadDocs: CanvasWorkpad[]): WorkpadTelemetr
     pageCounts: number[];
     elementCounts: number[];
     functionCounts: number[];
+    variableCounts: number[];
   }>(
     (accum, pageInfo) => {
-      const { pages, elementCounts, functionCounts } = pageInfo;
+      const { pages, elementCounts, functionCounts, variableCount } = pageInfo;
 
       return {
         pageMin: pages.count < accum.pageMin ? pages.count : accum.pageMin,
@@ -101,6 +113,7 @@ export function summarizeWorkpads(workpadDocs: CanvasWorkpad[]): WorkpadTelemetr
         pageCounts: accum.pageCounts.concat(pages.count),
         elementCounts: accum.elementCounts.concat(elementCounts),
         functionCounts: accum.functionCounts.concat(functionCounts),
+        variableCounts: accum.variableCounts.concat([variableCount]),
       };
     },
     {
@@ -109,13 +122,23 @@ export function summarizeWorkpads(workpadDocs: CanvasWorkpad[]): WorkpadTelemetr
       pageCounts: [],
       elementCounts: [],
       functionCounts: [],
+      variableCounts: [],
     }
   );
-  const { pageCounts, pageMin, pageMax, elementCounts, functionCounts } = combinedWorkpadsInfo;
+  const {
+    pageCounts,
+    pageMin,
+    pageMax,
+    elementCounts,
+    functionCounts,
+    variableCounts,
+  } = combinedWorkpadsInfo;
 
   const pageTotal = arraySum(pageCounts);
   const elementsTotal = arraySum(elementCounts);
   const functionsTotal = arraySum(functionCounts);
+  const variableTotal = arraySum(variableCounts);
+
   const pagesInfo =
     workpadsInfo.length > 0
       ? {
@@ -151,11 +174,21 @@ export function summarizeWorkpads(workpadDocs: CanvasWorkpad[]): WorkpadTelemetr
         }
       : undefined;
 
+  const variableInfo = {
+    total: variableTotal,
+    per_workpad: {
+      avg: variableTotal / variableCounts.length,
+      min: arrayMin(variableCounts) || 0,
+      max: arrayMax(variableCounts) || 0,
+    },
+  };
+
   return {
     workpads: { total: workpadsInfo.length },
     pages: pagesInfo,
     elements: elementsInfo,
     functions: functionsInfo,
+    variables: variableInfo,
   };
 }