Archived - A Historical Timeline of Canadian Producer Price Statistics

General statistics 1608

• In 1608, Champlain founded the city of Québec and the meticulous notes that he took everywhere he went were used later to compile statistics on the city's inhabitants.

General statistics 1666

• In 1666, Jean Talon, sent to New France by Louis XIV, King of France, conducted the first Census in North America. The census included a measure of the wealth of industry and agriculture, the value of local timber and mineral resources, and the number of domestic animals, seigneuries, government buildings, and churches.

General statistics 1847

• In 1847, the collection of statistics was legislated in the united provinces of Upper and Lower Canada.

General statistics 1851

• The first decennial census of what would later become the Dominion of Canada was conducted.

General statistics 1870

• The period from 1867 to 1896 witnessed the formation of the provinces of Manitoba and British Columbia, and the linking of the West with Central Canada by the Canadian Pacific Railway.
• The Dominion Census Act passed in 1870 as special legislation for the 1871 Census of Canada and the decennial censuses began to include a comprehensive survey of industry that included questions on manufacturing and mining industries.

General statistics 1905

• The Census and Statistics Act of 1905 created a permanent Census and Statistics Office. The Office's work included postal censuses of manufacturers and of dairying.

General statistics 1910

• Economic development in Canada accelerated very sharply between 1896 and 1913. Railway building continued on a large scale and immigrants flocked onto the prairie farm lands. Wheat production increased more than fourfold and there were rapid technological advances in the production of iron and steel in the manufacturing sector.
• The first index numbers on Canadian prices were prepared by R.H. Coats and published by the Department of Labour as Wholesale Prices in Canada, 1890-1909.

General statistics 1911

• Card-punching and electric tabulating machinery was introduced and it revolutionized statistical compilation.

General statistics 1914

• The outbreak of war in August 1914 halted a decline in wholesale prices. Gains during the first year and a half of war were comparatively small. Commodity markets were restrained by the uncertain war fortunes of this period. The sharpest wartime price increases came in 1916 and the first half of 1917 as war production expanded. From then until the fall of 1918, the advance was irregular.

General statistics 1918

• The Statistics Act of 1918 was passed and the Dominion Bureau of Statistics (now Statistics Canada) was created under the mandate "to collect, abstract, compile and publish statistical information relative to the commercial, industrial, social, economic and general activities and condition of the people."

General statistics 1923

• Prices during the period of 1914 - 1920 were unusual in that the increases for fully and chiefly manufactured goods was as great as that for raw and partly manufactured goods. Price control measures during this period were comparatively few and were not established until price advances were well underway.
• The Dominion Bureau of Statistics published its first report of Prices and Price Indexes covering the period 1918 to 1922. The Wholesale Price Index from the Prices and Price Indexes publications would eventually evolve into the Industrial Selling Price Index.

Construction statistics 1926

• Activity began on the first Construction Building Materials Price Index (CBMPI). The CBMPI measured price changes for a selection of the principal materials used in residential and non-residential building construction.

  This index helped cover the spectrum of price changes in the Canadian construction sector.

  The methodology of this index was partially used to develop today's Non-Residential Building Construction Price Index (NRBCPI).

General statistics 1927

• In the early 1900s, it was difficult to obtain many continuous series of prices for well-defined commodity specifications. Employees of the Dominion Bureau of Statistics' Price division compiled price data using newspapers and trade journals.
• In the depression years from 1930 to 1933, foreign trade dwindled rapidly and surpluses of most primary products became so great as to constitute a very serious problem. Prices for these products fell much more rapidly than prices for manufactured goods, with a resultant shrinkage in purchasing power of primary producers and consequent unemployment and production curtailment in manufacturing industries.
• Price recovery following the depression was slow and irregular. At no time before the outbreak of war in 1939 did price index numbers approach pre-depression levels. Business activity slumped badly in the latter part of 1937 and 1938, and price levels also declined sharply. Grain markets were particularly weak and stocks of wheat in Canada reached new all-time highs.

Goods statistics 1935

• Activity began on the first Farm Product Price Index (FPPI).

  Record of the average prices received by farmers for their crops have been collected annually since 1909 through the crop correspondents of the Census and Statistics Office or the Dominion Bureau of Statistics. From these data, an annual index was calculated for each field crop and for field crops as a whole between 1913 and 1934.

  The current FPPI is a monthly series that measures the changes in prices that farmers receive for the agriculture commodities they produce and sell. Commodities are priced at point of first transaction, where the fees deducted before a producer is paid are excluded, but bonuses and premiums that can be attributed to specific commodities are included. The price index has separate crop and livestock indexes, a variety of commodity-group indexes such as cereals, oilseeds, specialty crops, cattle and hogs and an overall index - all available monthly and annually for the provinces and for Canada.

  The FPPI is an important indicator of the economic activity in the agriculture sector. Agriculture economists and analysts interested in the health of the agriculture sector, deflating agricultural commodity prices and policy development, use the series. The information provided by FPPI is useful to producers, producer groups, commodity analysts from the private sector such as grain companies and meat processors, international exporters, the banking sector and government agencies responsible for agriculture policies.

General statistics 1939

• Price history for the first year and one-half of the second world war presented many parallels to 1914 and 1915. Both wars interrupted comparatively severe depressions and in the initial stages of both wars military reverses to Allied arms temporarily halted early advances in commodity markets. In both wars also prices commenced to move sharply upward in the latter part of the second year. At that point, however, the parallel is broken. The rapid increases in 1916 and 1917 were in marked contrast to the moderate advances in 1942 and 1943; this difference had become even more pronounced as between 1918 and 1943.
• Effective organization for the control of prices was established in the early phases of conflict by most of the major belligerents. In Canada individual controls over key commodities became effective in 1939 and a general "ceiling" was placed over prices in 1941. Price control was co-ordinated with steep increases in the taxation of personal income, victory loan campaigns, and the rationing of basic commodities in short supply.
• The war effort placed very heavy demands on the Bureau of Statistics.
• Most commodity price index series had been instituted on assumptions of free inter-play of domestic and foreign market forces as determinants of price behaviour. The virtual over-night disappearance of such conditions changed materially the significance which could be attached to established series. The need for accurate price data for formulating war-time policy placed a strain upon these records never before experienced. Detailed statistics on the supply, consumption and stocks of fuel, metals and minerals were needed.
• Major wartime additions to the Bureau's programs included an expanded Census of Industry Statistics, and the development of a Standard Industrial Classification as a framework for the collection and compilation of all its industry-based statistics.

General statistics 1946

• Between 1946 and 1975, the Bureau emphasized improvements and enhancements in the quality of statistics. Up-to-date classification systems for industries, commodities and other areas were created and implemented; professional techniques were increasingly applied to survey design and sampling, to analysis, and to methodology. Technology evolved from the adding machine to the mainframe computer. For the first time, economic indicators were seasonally adjusted.

Construction statistics 1950

• Activity began on the first Construction Union Wage Rate Index (CUWRI).

  The CUWRI measures monthly changes over time in the collective agreement hourly rates, where they exist, for 16 trades engaged in building construction in 22 metropolitan areas.

  These series can be employed in several ways, including keeping users abreast of pay scale changes within the unionized construction work force, identifying differences between trades and between regions, incorporating them into the escalation clauses of construction contracts and time series analysis.

Goods statistics 1955

• Activity began on the first Machinery and Equipment Price Index (MEPI).

  MEPI provides quarterly estimates of price changes for machinery and equipment purchased by industries in Canada. This information is organized from both the industry and commodity perspectives.

  As an economic indicator, the MEPI provides information on the changing costs of capital investment by industries in Canada. In addition, the MEPI tracks these price movements on a domestic and on an imported basis.

Goods statistics 1956

• After the Second World War, the need to create a set of national accounts to track the economy led to the creation of the first Industrial Selling Price Index (ISPI).

  The ISPI provided a measure of price change for the outputs of manufacturing industries.

  Over the next twenty years, additional industries were added to the ISPI.

Construction statistics 1956

• Activity began on the first Highway Construction Price Indexes (HCPI).

  The HCPI measured annual price changes for work put in place for a fixed program of highway construction.

  This index helped cover the spectrum of price changes in the Canadian construction sector.

  The HCPI was discontinued after 1993.

Goods statistics 1961

• Activity began on the first Farm Input Price Index (FIPI).

  Data are available for 13 geographic areas: Each of the provinces, Eastern Canada (Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario), Western Canada (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia), and Canada that includes all ten provinces.

  The FIPI is an indicator of the change in input costs faced by Canadian farmers. As such, the FIPI can be used to monitor price changes, which are considered in the operations of marketing boards and in price stabilization programs. Governments use index data to develop national and regional economic policies related to the agriculture sector.

Construction statistics 1967

• The first Electric Utility Construction Price Index (EUCPI) was launched.

  The EUCPI measures annual price change for electric utility construction projects.

  The EUCPI provides users with information that can be employed in contract escalation, cost-benefit analysis, benchmarking studies and time series analysis.

  While the index is currently suspended, development is underway to produce it again using new models that better reflect today's distribution and transmission line systems.

Construction statistics 1969

• The first New Housing Price Index (NHPI) was launched.

  The NHPI is a monthly series that measures changes over time in the contractors' selling prices of new residential houses, where detailed specifications pertaining to each house remain the same between two consecutive months. The survey covers the following dwelling types: single homes, semi-detached homes and townhouses. The survey also collects contractors' estimates of the current value (evaluated at market price) of the land. These estimates are independently indexed to provide the published series for land. The current value of the structure is also independently indexed and is presented as the house series.

  The NHPI is used by economists, academics and the general public to monitor trends in this important component of the construction sector. Within Statistics Canada, components of these series are used in the calculation of some elements of the Consumer Price Index. In addition, the series are used by the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts for deflating the value of the national housing stock. Due to the level of geographic detail provided and the sensitivity to changes in supply and demand, the NHPI series are of particular interest to the real estate industry for comparison with the resale market. The NHPI is also used by building contractors, market analysts interested in housing policy, suppliers and manufacturers of building products, insurance companies, federal government agencies such as the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and provincial and municipal housing agencies responsible for housing policy.

General statistics 1971

• Parliament passed an updated Statistics Act, which revised Statistics Canada's mandate to: "to collect, compile, analyze, abstract and publish statistical information relating to the commercial, industrial, financial, social, economic and general activities and condition of the people."

Construction statistics 1971

• Activity began on the first Chemical and Mineral Process Plant Price Indexes (CMPPI).

  The CMPPI measured price changes for the construction of a model processing plant representative of those used in industries with a heavy processing element; chemical, petroleum, pulp and paper, cement and lime, mining, smelting and refining.

  This index helped cover the spectrum of price changes in the Canadian construction sector.

  The ending period for the CMPPI was the fourth quarter of 1989.

• Activity began on the first Chemical and Petrochemical Process Plant Price Index (CPPPPI).

  The CPPPPI measured price changes for the construction of a processing plant representative of those used by chemical and petrochemical companies.

  This index helped cover the spectrum of price changes in the Canadian construction sector.

  The ending period for the CPPPPI was the fourth quarter of 1989.

Services statistics 1971

• Activity began on the first Selected Financial Indexes (SFI).

  The SFI measured monthly changes over time in the conventional mortgage lending rates, chartered bank lending rates, bond yield averages and exchange rates for selected foreign currencies.

  This index helped cover the spectrum of service price changes in the Canadian economy.

  The ending period for the SFI was in 2000.

Construction statistics 1972

• Activity began on the first Non-Residential Building Construction Price Index (NRBCPI).

  The NRBCPI is a quarterly series measuring the changes in what clients would pay contractors to build a representative office building, shopping centre, school, light industrial building or warehouse. The index relates to both general and trade contractors' work and excludes the cost of land, land assembly, design, development and real estate fees.

  The NRBCPI series are useful in many ways. They aid in the interpretation of current economic conditions and are of particular interest to government agencies undertaking economic analyses and users concerned about the impact of price changes on capital expenditures. As well, the series are employed by the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts in arriving at estimates of real gross domestic product or output for the non-residential building construction sector through deflation. Other uses include, updating construction project costs through escalation, assessing company performance, restating the value of invested capital, forecasting financial requirements for proposed projects and calculating real rates of return on investment.

• Activity began on the first Fabricated Structural Steel Price Indexes (FSSPI).

  The FSSPI measured price changes of structural steel (in-place and in construction work) and steel bulk storage tanks which are field erected.

  This index helped cover the spectrum of price changes in the Canadian construction sector.

  The ending period of the FSSPI was in 1995.

• Activity began on the first Precast Concrete Price Indexes (PCPI).

  The PCPI measured semi-annual price changes in the supply, fabrication and field erection of precast concrete on construction projects in Canada.

  This index helped cover the spectrum of price changes in the Canadian construction sector.

  The ending period for these indexes was in 1994.

Construction statistics 1976

• Activity began on the first Telecommunications Plant Price Index (CTPPI).

  The CTPPI measured price changes through time for capital expenditures made by leading members of the Canadian telecommunications industry. It estimated year-over-year change in current reproduction costs for various types of telecommunications assets.

  This index helped cover the spectrum of price changes in the Canadian construction sector.

  The ending period for this index was in 1998.

Goods statistics 1981

• Activity began on the first Electric Power Selling Price Indexes for Non-residential Customers (EPSPI).

  The EPSPI is a monthly series measuring the price movements of sales of electricity by distributors to commercial and industrial users.

  The index is a useful measure of the change in the cost of electric power to the non-residential customer.

• Activity began on the first Raw Materials Price Index (RMPI).

  The RMPI measures price changes for raw materials purchased by industries in Canada for further processing. As a purchasers' price index, prices include all charges purchasers incur to bring a commodity to the establishment gate. They include transportation charges, net taxes paid, custom duties, as well as subsidies, if applicable.

  The RMPI is produced and published together with the IPPI as it meets many of the same interest and needs. The index provides the movement in prices for a group of major input products into goods produced in Canada. It helps cover the spectrum of price changes in the Canadian economy, and is valuable directly and in relation to the price movements of products derived in part from these materials. In addition, the RMPI series supports the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts, where it is used in the calculation of real Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Together, these indicators serve as an important indicator of the health of the economy.

  As well, like the IPPI series, the RMPI series is of value in analytical studies of price formation and behaviour. It is frequently used in the process of contract escalation, and often serves as a representative input into other price index series.

Goods statistics 1986

• The Industrial Product Price Index (IPPI) replaced the Industrial Selling Price Index (ISPI).

  Since the introduction of the ISPI in 1956, a number of other uses for these price indexes have emerged. Among the major ones has been the widespread selection of individual price series for use in contract escalation.

  In 1986, the IPPI replaced the ISPI and now covered commodities, as well as the output of the manufacturing industries. The IPPI extends and expands the ground previously covered by the ISPI.

  The IPPI series is considered a high-quality, high-value indicator for several reasons, the most important being its relevance, namely what the IPPI measures. The IPPI measures the movement in prices for manufactured goods produced in Canada, destined for domestic or export consumption, which translates to a ready measure of economic performance of the Canadian manufacturing sector. The IPPI series also supports the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts, where it is used in the calculation of real Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It serves as an important indicator of the health of the economy.

  The IPPI series is of value in analytical studies of price formation and behaviour and it is frequently used in the process of contract escalation and often serves as a representative input into other price index series. At times, its contribution is significant if not indirect, as in the case of trade issues or disputes.

Construction statistics 1988

• The first Apartment Building Construction Price Index (ABCPI) was published.

  The ABCPI is a quarterly series measuring the changes in what clients would pay contractors to build a representative apartment building. The index relates to both general and trade contractors' work and excludes the cost of land, land assembly, design, development and real estate fees.

  The ABCPI is of particular use to government agencies undertaking economic analyses and other users that are concerned about the impact of price changes on capital expenditures. Statistics Canada, for example, uses the ABCPI in preparing estimates of the contribution of the construction industry to national expenditure, real output and capital stock. Other uses include the revaluation of expenditure, output and new order figures for construction work, updating previously costed projects, making adjustments to project cost for escalation, forecasting financial requirements for proposed projects and real rates of return on investment.

Services statistics 1989

• Activity began on the first Consulting Engineering Services Price Indexes (CESPI).

  The CESPI was an annual survey of consulting engineers in Canada, collecting financial and wage information that was used to produce price indexes measuring changes in prices for consulting engineer services.

  The CESPI series was a useful indicator of economic activity in the consulting engineering services industry, and was helpful as a supplementary tool for performance evaluation, cost monitoring, contract assessment and benchmark comparisons. In addition, the indexes were used by the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts to arrive at estimates of real value output for the industry through deflation.

  The last data release of the CESPI was in 2013 after which the index was replaced in 2015 with the Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services Price Index (AESPI) that is still published today.

Goods statistics 1992

• Activities began on the first Computer and peripherals price indexes (CPPI).

  The growth in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector has created a need for more sector-specific economic indicators. Unlike traditional commodities (e.g. wood, cars, steel), technological change in computers has been rapid and continuous, resulting in ever-increasing improvements and advances in output for a corresponding price level.

  The CPPI are monthly series measuring changes over time in the price of computers, computer peripherals and smartphones sold to governments, businesses and households. The methodology for producing these series employs the hedonic method, the result being an index series that tracks pure price change.

  The ICT price index series are used by economists, industry analysts and the general public to track and comprehend events and trends as they occur in this important area of the ICT sector. Within STC, the series pertaining to consumers are used in the calculation of the Consumer Price Index. In addition, several series are used by the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts in deflating the value of gross investment by government and businesses.

Services statistics 1993

• Activities began on the first Informatics Professional Services Price Index (IPSPI).

  The IPSPI collects financial, wage and contractor fee information that is used to produce price indexes measuring changes in prices for informatics professional services such as data processing, hosting and related services, software development, packaged software and publishing, hardware and software consultancy, computer facilities management and system maintenance.

  The IPSPI series is a useful indicator of economic activity in the informatics services industry, and can also prove helpful as a supplementary tool for performance evaluation, cost monitoring, contract assessment and benchmark comparisons. In addition, the indexes are used by the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts to arrive at estimates of real value output for the industry through deflation.

Services statistics 1996

• Activity began on the first Telecommunications Services Price Index (TSPI).

  The TSPI was a quarterly price index measuring the change over time in prices for wired long distance telephone services provided by telecommunications carriers to Canadian-based business clients. These long distance services covered calls within and between Canadian provinces and territories as well as international calls.

  The TSPI series was a useful indicator of economic activity in the telecommunications services industry. In addition, the indexes were used by the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts to arrive at estimates of real value output for the industry through deflation.

  This index was available at the Canada level only. The last data release was in 1998. Development is underway to cover more service lines.

Goods statistics 2000

• Activities began on the first Commercial Software Price Index (CSPI).

  The CSPI is a monthly series measuring the change in the purchase price of software typically bought by businesses and governments.

  The index series is used by economists, industry analysts and the general public to track and comprehend events and trends in this important contributor to the Information, Communication Technology (ICT) sector.

Services statistics 2000

• Activities began on the first Accounting Services Price Index (ASPI).

  The ASPI collects information on the price of several accounting services such as auditing, taxation, and bookkeeping. From this data, price indexes are constructed measuring changes in these prices over time.

  The ASPI series is a useful indicator of economic activity in the accounting services industry, and can also prove helpful as a supplementary tool for performance evaluation, cost monitoring, contract assessment and benchmark comparisons. In addition, the indexes are used by the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts to arrive at estimates of real value-added for the industry and to measure changes in productivity.

Services statistics 2001

• Activities began on the first Traveller Accommodation Services Price Index (TASPI).

  The TASPI is a monthly series measuring the price change for short-term accommodation services. These services comprise the provision of rooms for an overnight or short stay without any meals or other services (i.e. parking, Internet, etc.). The index reflects changes in room rates excluding all taxes, and covers hotel and motel lodging services.

  The TASPI is a useful indicator of the economic activity in the short-term traveller accommodation services industry and the tourism sector in general. The series can also be used as a measure of one important component of the business travel cost. In addition, the TASPI is used by the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts for the estimation of the real value of the gross output of the short-term traveller accommodation service industry through deflation.

Construction statistics 2002

• The first Infrastructure Construction Price Index (ICPI) was published.

  The ICPI is an annual series created on a cost-recovery basis for the City of Ottawa. It measures the change in what the client would pay contractors to build representative municipal infrastructure construction projects that are funded by development charges.

  The index provides users with information that can be employed in contract escalation, cost-benefit analysis, benchmarking studies and time series analysis.

Services statistics 2003

• Activities began on the first Couriers and Messengers Services Price Index (CMSPI).

  The CMSPI is a monthly price index measuring the change over time in prices for courier and messenger services provided by long and short distance delivery companies to Canadian-based business clients. The courier services portion includes deliveries within and between Canadian cities and provinces/territories, as well as some international deliveries. The local messenger portion tracks price change for within-city deliveries only.

  The CMSPI series is a useful indicator of economic activity for the couriers and messengers services industry.

Goods statistics 2007

• Activities began on the first Export Import Price Report (EIPR).

  The Export Import Price Report collects prices for representative export and import commodities directly from Canadian exporters and importers through a survey program.

  The prices collected feed into export and import price indexes produced by Statistics Canada and supplement or, in some cases, replace the prices currently used to construct these indexes.

Services statistics 2009

• The first Wholesale Services Price Index (WSPI) was released.

  The purpose of this survey is to collect and compile data to measure the monthly change in the movement of the price of wholesale services. These prices are combined and chained to form a price index. The estimates are produced on a quarterly basis.

  These price data are combined to estimate a price index for the wholesale services sector that can be joined with other business service indexes to provide better estimates of real output and productivity, monitor inflation and feed an important research agenda at Statistics Canada.

Services statistics 2010

• The first Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing Services Price Index (CIMERLSPI) was released.

  This survey collects information needed to produce indexes that measure the monthly changes in the prices for the Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing industry. The estimates are produced on a quarterly basis.

  The CIMERLSPI series is a useful indicator of the industry's economic activity, and can also prove helpful as a tool for performance evaluation, cost monitoring, contract assessment, and benchmark comparisons. In addition, the indexes are used as price deflators by the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts in order to arrive at estimates of real output for the industry.

• The first For-hire Motor Carrier Freight Services Price Index (FHMCFSPI) was released.

  The For-hire Motor Carrier Freight industry is a vital part of the Canadian economy and the services that the industry provides are crucial for an effective and efficient flow of goods. The For-hire Motor Carrier Freight Services Price Report collects prices of service/shipment transactions which are essential to the creation of a price index for this sector. The index measures the movement of prices for the services that are provided by the trucking industry.

  The For-hire Motor Carrier Freight Services Price Index can be used by businesses to measure their performance against industry standards, to plan marketing strategies or to prepare business plans for investors. Governments use index data to develop national and regional economic policies and to develop programs to promote domestic and international competitiveness. The data are also used by trade associations, business analysts and investors to study the economic performance and characteristics of the industry.

  The index data also provides a better deflator for the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts for this sector of the economy.

• The first Commercial Rents Services Price Index (CRSPI) was released.

  The CRSPI measures monthly price changes over time for leased commercial space in Canada; the estimates are produced on a quarterly basis.

  Prices collected are the average rents measured in price per square foot for a sample of commercial buildings.

  The price index for the industry can be used in conjunction with other service price indexes to monitor inflation and is also used by the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts to deflate this sector of the economy.

• The first Retail Services Price Index (RSPI) was released.

  The RSPI is constructed from price data collected by the Retail Trade Price Report.

  These price data are combined to estimate a price index for retail services that can be joined with other business services indexes to provide better estimates of real output and productivity, monitor inflation and feed an important research agenda at Statistics Canada.

Services statistics 2013

• The first New Lending Services Price Index (NLSPI) was released.

  The NLSPI measures monthly price changes over time for new lending services in Canada; the estimates are produced on a quarterly basis. Prices are derived as the difference between annual percentage rates for new loan products and weighted averages of yields on financial market instruments. The variables used to derive the prices are weighted annual percentage rates for new lending services, funds advanced by product, and market rates.

  The primary purpose of this measure is to provide supplemental information to help inform the deflation of output in the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts for Banking and Other Depository Credit Intermediation. The index represents new lending only, and as such has limited coverage in relation to the overall activity of the industry which includes services provided on existing loans as well as other activities.

Services statistics 2014

• The first Passenger Air Services Price Index (PASPI) was released.

  The PASPI is an annual series measuring the price change for base air fares (i.e. fares excluding taxes and surcharges), providing indications of the overall trend of domestic and international fares over time. Data collected for Canadian Level I carriers are used to produce annual price indexes.

  The PASPI can be used by businesses to measure their performance against industry standards, to plan marketing strategies or to prepare business plans for investors. Governments use index data to develop national and regional economic policies and to develop programs to promote domestic and international competitiveness. The data are also used by trade associations, business analysts and investors to study the economic activity, performance and characteristics of the industry.

Services statistics 2015

• The first Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services Price Index (AESPI) was released.

  The purpose of the AESPI is to measure changes in prices over time for the services of these industries. Prices for representative contracts of the services of architects, landscape architects, engineers, geophysical and non-geophysical surveyors are measured on a quarterly basis.

  The AESPI is a longitudinal survey that collects information on the prices of architectural, engineering and surveying and mapping services, on a quarterly basis. Architectural services are divided into two categories - Architecture and Landscape architecture. Surveying and mapping services are delineated in geophysical and non-geophysical categories.

  The AESPI is a useful indicator of economic activity in the architectural, engineering and related services industry. These indexes can also prove helpful as a supplementary tool for performance evaluation, cost monitoring, contract assessment and benchmark comparisons. In addition, the indexes are used by the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts to arrive at estimates of constant-dollar value-added. Constant-dollar value-added is needed to measure productivity changes in the industry.

Services statistics 2016

• The first Consulting Services Price Index (COSPI) was released.

  The COSPI measures quarterly price changes for various consulting services such as management, environmental, and scientific and technical consulting services.

  This price index is a useful indicator of economic activity in the consulting services industry, and can also prove helpful as a supplementary tool for performance evaluation, cost monitoring, contract assessment and benchmark comparisons. In addition, the index is used by the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts to arrive at estimates of real value-added for the industry and to measure changes in productivity in this industry.

• The first Investment Banking Services Price Index (IBSPI) was released.

  The IBSPI measures annual price changes over time for investment banking services in Canada. Prices are derived as a weighted average of percentage commissions for new issues of equity and debt on Canadian financial markets.

  The primary purpose of this measure is to deflate the associated commodity output in the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts.

General statistics 2017

• We are always working on bringing Canadians high-quality statistical information that matters.
• Stay tuned for new producer price indexes coming in the near future!