North American Transportation Statistics, 2015
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Released: 2016-11-16
A new version of the North American Transportation Statistics (NATS) database is now available. NATS is a tripartite initiative of Canada, Mexico and the United States to provide consistent and comparable transportation data.
Updated with available 2015 data, the database contains 39 tables organized by 12 themes including transportation and the economy, passenger and freight movements, environmental impacts and energy consumption as well as safety.
A selected number of trends from 2006 to 2015 are presented using an index with the base year (2006) equated to 100, to take into account the relative size differences among the three countries.
More Canadians visiting Mexico
From 2006 to 2015, the number of Canadians visiting Mexico more than doubled. Although the number of Mexican visitors to Canada dropped sharply after 2008, this number is now increasing.
From 2009 to 2015, the number of Canadians travelling to the United States grew by 13%. With the relative decline of the Canadian dollar, travel to the United States is now falling while the number of American visitors to Canada is growing.
Chart 1
Passenger travel between Canada, the United States and Mexico
More road motor vehicles
From 2006 to 2014, there was an increase in the number of personal road vehicles registered in Canada and Mexico.
Since 2006, Canada has registered 20% more personal road vehicles. While per capita rates remain relatively low, personal road vehicles in Mexico increased by 62% from 2006 to 2014.
In comparison, the number of registered personal road vehicles in the United States has only started to increase since 2013.
Chart 2
North America's registered road motor vehicles
Safety improves
There has been a reduction in the number of road fatalities across North America. Road fatalities in Canada and the United States have declined steadily since 2006.
Chart 3
North America's transport-related road fatalities¹
Environmental concerns
With more motor vehicles registered, the United States generated more carbon dioxide emissions on the road (1,471.2 million tonnes in 2014) than Mexico (149.0 million tonnes in 2013) or Canada (137.6 million tonnes in 2014).
Chart 4
North America's carbon dioxide emissions by the road sector
However, the level of carbon dioxide emitted by the road sector in the United States has actually decreased since 2006, whereas emissions in Canada and Mexico have increased.
Canada broadens trade markets
The United States remains Canada's largest trading partner, with merchandise trade (imports plus exports) reaching more than US$537 billion in 2015. Canada's trade with the United States has now fully recovered from the 2009 economic downturn.
Chart 5
Canada's merchandise trade with North America and other countries
From 2006 to 2015, Canada's trade expanded with Mexico as well as with all other countries (excluding Mexico and the United States). However, merchandise trade with all other countries has slowed since 2012 and stood at US$261.6 billion in 2015.
Products
The North American Transportation Statistics database is now available online in English, French and Spanish.
Contact information
For more information, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca).
To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Michel Savard (613-951-3175; michel.savard@canada.ca), Environment, Energy and Transportation Statistics Division.
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