Fast Facts Friday: January 12, 2024

Catch up on the latest facts and read more via the links below in case you missed them this week!

1. In November 2023, Canada's merchandise imports increased 1.9%, while exports were down 0.6%. - The Daily — Canadian international merchandise trade, November 2023
2. The total monthly value of building permits in Canada decreased 3.9% from October to $10.9 billion in November 2023. - The Daily — Building permits, November 2023
3. In 2022, 53.7% of the national environmental and clean technology products sector’s gross domestic product came from the production of environmental goods and services—specifically from the clean electricity sector (38.9%). - The Daily — Environmental and Clean Technology Products Economic Account, 2022
4. Of the $26 billion in total environmental taxes, $20 billion (76.8%) was attributable to energy taxes in 2020. - The Daily — Environmental taxes in Canada, 2020
5. Lumber production increased 7.1% from September to 4 441.2 thousand cubic metres in October. Production was up 6.1% from October 2022. - The Daily — Sawmills, October 2023
6. Real gross domestic product (GDP) for the combined culture and sport sectors in Canada fell 1.3% in the third quarter. This was the first decrease in real GDP for the sectors since the second quarter of 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. - The Daily — National culture indicators, third quarter 2023
7. While you are far less likely to see or smell tobacco smoke in public nowadays compared with the 20th century, approximately 3.8 million people reported smoking tobacco in 2022, with 8.2% of Canadians aged 15 and older reporting they smoked every day. - StatsCAN Plus — The smoke of the 20th century may be clearing, but vaping clouds are on the rise
8. Statistics Canada published approximately 1,430 times more data points in census data tables and related products than the number of people counted in the 2021 Census (36,991,981 people)—a record number of data points! - StatsCAN Plus — 2026 Census of Population dissemination consultation: An opportunity to provide feedback
9. In 2022, there were over 1.1 billion dollars in sales of potted plants in Canada. - StatsCAN Plus — House plants: The gift that keeps on giving
10. In the fourth quarter of 2023, 3 in 4 (75.0%) food services and drinking places expected rising inflation to be an obstacle in the next three months, and about 7 in 10 (68.2%) expected the rising cost of inputs to be one. - StatsCAN Plus — What’s on their plate? Food and drink places dish on business challenges