Updating the Culture Satellite Account
The Culture Satellite Account (CSA) provides a snap shot (e.g. benchmark) of the structure and composition of culture and sport, in terms of output, GDP and jobs, for a particular reference year. Updating the CSA periodically is necessary to construct a new benchmark for culture and sport based on newly available data. Compiling a new CSA can also provide an opportunity to refine and improve methodologies and concepts. All of these changes can result in fluctuations in the CSA benchmark estimates from one year to another.
One of the main sources of changes to the CSA from one year to another are statistical revisions to the underlying source data, namely the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts (CSMA) and survey data. Statistical revisions are carried out regularly in the CSMA, in order to incorporate the most current information from censuses, annual surveys, administrative statistics, public accounts and other sources. Periodically, more comprehensive revisions are conducted. These provide an opportunity to improve estimation methods, incorporate improved data sources, introduce conceptual changes and adopt new international standards into the CSMA.1 Most Statistics Canada surveys also undergo regular revisions in order to capture new or missing information or to incorporate improved methods.2
Another source of changes to the CSA are refinements to its methodology or concepts. Statistics Canada makes every effort to address challenges and make refinements to the CSA and to communicate such changes to users of the data.
Since there are so many factors that can cause changes in a CSA benchmark it should not serve the purpose of analyzing culture and sport from one year to another. Rather annual indicators, such as the Provincial and Territorial Culture Indicators (PTCI) provide data on the changes and trends in culture and sport from over time. The PTCI incorporate CSA benchmarks but exploit other available data to estimate indicators of culture and sport (e.g. output, GDP and jobs) beyond the benchmark year.3
1. For more information on revisions to the CSMA see the Latest Developments in the Canadian Economic Accounts, Statistics Canada 13-605-X.
2. For more information on the revision policy of Statistics Canada surveys consult the Surveys and statistical programs
3. For more information on the Provincial and Territorial Culture Indicators see Income and Expenditure Accounts Technical Series, Statistics Canada 13-604-M.
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