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Canada's natural resource wealth, 2015

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Released: 2016-12-16

Canada's natural resource wealth

$287.4 billion

2015

-72.6% 

(annual change)

The value of Canada's natural resource assets stood at $287 billion in 2015, down 73% from 2014, largely due to lower energy prices. This decrease followed a 28% increase in 2014.

Timber resources accounted for 55% of the value of all natural resource assets in 2015, followed by minerals (26%) and energy resources (19%).

The value of energy resource assets, which consist of reserves of coal, crude bitumen, crude oil and natural gas, decreased by 93% in 2015 to $56 billion, following a 49% increase in 2014. The large decline in 2015 came primarily from lower crude bitumen prices. As a result, this also increased the shares of mineral and timber resources of total natural resource wealth.

The value of mineral assets fell 38% to $74 billion in 2015 following a 24% decline in 2014. In general, lower commodity prices, combined with stable labour and energy costs compared with the previous year, contributed to the decline. The decrease in iron ore values made the largest contribution to the decline, although decreases in potash, copper-zinc and nickel-copper values were also major contributors.

The value of timber assets declined by 1% in 2015, following a 9% increase in 2014.

Chart 1  Chart 1: Natural resource assets, 2005 to 2015
Natural resource assets, 2005 to 2015

  Note to readers

Natural resource wealth estimates have been incorporated into the annual estimates of national wealth at the aggregate level for several years, however, Statistics Canada formally integrated natural resource wealth into the quarterly national balance sheet accounts (NBSA) in December 2015.

The annual estimates provide resource detail and complement the resource wealth estimates in the quarterly NBSA found in CANSIM table 378-0121.

Additional information on the treatment of natural resource wealth in the NBSA is available in the article "Natural resource wealth statistics in the National Balance Sheet Accounts."

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca) or Media Relations (613-951-4636; STATCAN.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.STATCAN@canada.ca).

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