Statistics Canada - Government of Canada


Standard symbols

Economic – Social indicators

a. Important rates, 1976, 1981, 1989, 1997, 2000 to 2005
  1976 1981 1989 1997 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Prime lending rate
10.0
19.3
13.3
5.0
7.3
5.8
4.2
4.7
4.0
4.4
5.8
Conventional 5-year Mortgage rate
11.8
18.4
12.1
7.1
8.4
7.4
7.0
6.4
6.2
6.0
6.7
Exchange rate, in U.S. dollar
0.986
1.199
1.184
1.385
1.485
1.549
1.570
1.401
1.301
1.211
1.134
Personal savings rate1
13.7
17.4
13.0
4.9
4.7
5.2
3.5
2.8
2.6
1.2
 
1. Ratio of personal savings to personal disposable income (persons and unincoporated businesses).
Sources: Statistics Canada, CANSIM, tables 176-0043, 176-0064 and 380-0004.
b. Real Gross Domestic Product expenditure-based; chained 1997 dollars at market prices, 1976, 1981, 1989, 1997, 2000 to 2005
  1976 1981 1989 1997 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Billion dollars
508
600
764
883
1,021
1,039
1,069
1,089
1,125
1,158
Annual percentage change
5.2
3.5
2.6
4.2
5.2
1.8
2.9
1.8
3.3
2.9
Per capita, in thousand dollars
21.7
24.2
28.0
29.5
33.3
33.5
34.1
34.4
35.2
35.8
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM, table 380-0002.
c. Consumers, 1976, 1981, 1989, 1997, 2001 to 2005
  1976 1981 1989 1997 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Consumer spending1, annual percentage change
5.3
1.0
3.4
4.6
2.3
3.6
3.0
3.3
3.9
 
Consumer spending1 per capita, in thousand dollars
13.2
13.9
16.1
17.1
18.7
19.1
19.5
20.0
20.5
 
Consumer Price Index, all items, 1992=100
37.1
58.9
89.0
107.6
116.4
119.0
122.3
124.6
127.3
129.9
Annual percentage change in all items Consumer Price Index
7.5
12.4
5.0
1.6
2.6
2.2
2.8
1.9
2.2
2.0
Total consumer bankruptcies
10.0
23.0
29.2
85.3
79.5
78.2
84.3
84.4
84.6
79.2
New housing starts, in thousands
.. 
178.2
215.2
148.2
163.1
205.3
219.5
232.7
224.3
228.4
New Housing Price Index, 1997=100
.. 
71.9
106.8
100.0
107.0
111.3
116.7
123.2
129.4
142.0
New motor vehicle sales, in units, 1997=100
90.7
83.6
104.2
100.0
112.2
121.7
114.2
110.6
114.5
..
Household borrowing2, in billion dollars
17.4
15.3
39.8
32.4
41.6
49.3
51.0
61.3
63.4
..
Annual percentage change in wages, salaries and supplementary labour income in Gross Domestic Products
15.7
15.3
7.8
5.7
4.5
4.1
4.7
5.0
5.6
..
1. Personal expenditure on consumer goods and services in chained 1997 dollars.
2. Persons and unincorporated business.
Sources: Statistics Canada, CANSIM, tables 027-0007, 079-0001, 177-0001, 326-0002, 327-0005, 378-0002, 380-0002 and 380-0016.
d. Corporate finances, 1976, 1981, 1989, 1997, 2000 to 2005
  1976 1981 1989 1997 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Corporate1 surplus, net lending, in billion dollars
-3.9
-22.9
-14.7
-5.9
11.1
31.3
46.0
55.8
64.0
68.0
Operating profit, in billion dollars
..
..
101.1
118.1
165.1
143.1
145.8
162.0
194.3
215.9
Ratio of profit margin2
..
..
7.7
6.6
7.5
6.2
6.2
6.7
7.6
8.0
Ratio of return on equity3
..
..
11.5
10.9
10.9
7.4
5.7
9.6
11.4
11.4
1. Corporations and government business enterprises.
2. Ratio of operating profit to operating revenue.
3. Ratio of profit before extraordinary gains to total equity.
Sources: Statistics Canada, CANSIM, tables 187-0002 and 380-0005.
e. Government accounts, 1976, 1981, 1989, 1997, 2000 to 2005
  1976 1981 1989 1997 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Revenue, in billion dollars
74.8
142.9
271.3
388.1
468.7
467.4
470.5
492.8
520.8
556.2
Expenditures, in billion dollars
77.0
147.4
292.7
386.8
433.9
455.5
465.8
489.1
504.7
526.0
Surplus, in billion dollars
-2.1
-4.5
-21.4
1.3
34.8
11.9
4.6
3.7
16.1
30.4
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM, table 380-0007.
f. Net international investment position, 1976, 1981, 1989, 1997, 2001 to 2004
  1976 1981 1989 1997 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Billion dollars
-61.3
-135.7
-232.1
-290.2
-203.4
-208.7
-211.6
-174.6
-168.5
Liabilities as a percentage of Real Gross Domestic Product
12.1
22.6
30.4
32.9
19.6
19.5
19.4
15.5
16.6
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM, table 376-0037.
g. Balance of international payments, 1976, 1981, 1989, 1997, 2000 to 2005
  1976 1981 1989 1997 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Current account, in billion dollars
-7.5
-15.0
-25.8
-11.4
29.3
25.1
19.8
14.1
27.6
31.8
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM, table 376-0005.
h. National net worth1, unadjusted, 1997, 2000 to 2005
  1997 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Billion dollars
2,720
3,286
3,523
3,690
3,875
4,151
4,371
Per capita, in thousand dollars
90.9
107.0
113.4
117.5
121.7
130.3
136.7
1. The sum of non-financial assets minus net foreign debt.
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM, table 378-0008.