North American Transportation Statistics

The North American Transportation Statistics (NATS) database, a unique online source for comprehensive information on transportation activity, is officially launched today. The database is the result of a tripartite initiative representing the transportation and statistical agencies of Canada, United States and Mexico.

The database covers 12 specific areas of interest, including transportation and the economy, passenger and freight transportation, transportation and energy consumption, as well as transportation safety.

The NATS database provides consistent and comparable data across modes of transportation and countries to help evaluate transportation benefits and impacts. It will help in understanding changes in dynamic transportation markets in this era of global economic growth.

For example, the database shows that in North America in 2000, transportation and transportation-related industries accounted for 15% of the gross domestic product in Canada compared with 11% in the United States. About 15.9 million people, or 9% of the employed labour force in North America, worked in transportation and transportation-related industries.

Over 259 million road motor vehicles traveled on more than 8 million kilometres of road in North America in 2000. Canada's motor vehicle fatality rate was 1.6 fatalities per 10,000 road motor vehicles in 2000 compared with a rate of 1.9 in the United States and 7.0 in Mexico.

Written in English, French and Spanish, the NATS database is available online (http://nats.inegi.gob.mx/nats/).

For more information on the NATS database in Canada, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Jan Patenaude (613-951-4889; jan.patenaude@statcan.gc.ca), Transportation Division.