At the end of 2022, owners of core public infrastructure estimated that $294.4 billion was required for the rehabilitation or replacement of existing core public infrastructure in Canada to upgrade or maintain assets in good condition.
In 2022, while $31.3 billion was invested to renew existing assets (11% of required renewal budgets), there was a decrease in the share of assets in good or very good condition from 59% in 2020 to 55% in 2022.
At $160.8 billion, transportation infrastructure—including roads, bridges, tunnels, active transportation networks and public transit assets—accounted for over half (55%) of the required renewal budgets in 2022. That share was higher in rural municipalities (61%) than in urban municipalities (48%).
Rural municipalities require more investments per capita to maintain their assets in good working condition. While less than one-fifth (18%) of Canada's population lived in rural areas in 2021, these areas accounted for almost one-third (32%) of municipalities' required renewal budgets in 2022.
Additional results available
Today's release also includes new data for 2022 on the accessibility of culture, recreation and sports facilities; active transportation networks; and public transit rolling stock, as well as the number of publicly owned culture, recreation and sports amenities.
In addition, estimates of the length of asbestos-cement pipes that carry drinking water are available upon request.
Microdata now available
Public Use Microdata Files for 2020 and 2022 are now available.
Note to readers
Statistics Canada, in partnership with Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, is publishing the required renewal budgets of core public infrastructure for the first time. The survey results cover nine asset types: active transportation; public transit; roads; bridges and tunnels; potable water; stormwater; wastewater; solid waste; and culture, recreation and sports facilities.
Canada's Core Public Infrastructure Survey covers topics such as the stock, condition and performance of core public infrastructure, as well as asset management practices of owners.
Throughout this release, the term "public" refers to assets that are owned or leased by provincial, territorial, regional and municipal governments.
An urban municipality, for the purposes of Canada's Core Public Infrastructure Survey, is a municipality with at least 75% of its population living within a population centre. All other municipalities are considered rural.
Required renewal budgets represent the capital investments required for the rehabilitation, reconstruction or replacement of assets to attain a physical condition rating of "good" on December 31, 2022. A "good" physical condition is defined as an acceptable physical condition with only minor work required and with minimal short-term failure risk.
Actual renewal budgets represent the actual funds spent in 2022 for the rehabilitation, reconstruction or replacement of the assets.
Reference
Data tables: Access the latest tables.
- Note: some data tables may best be viewed on desktop.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 5173.
Previous release: Canada's Core Public Infrastructure Survey: Asset management, 2016.
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; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).