Provincial and territorial economic accounts

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Real gross domestic product (GDP) fell in every province and territory in 2009, except Manitoba and Yukon. Real GDP declined 2.5% nationally, the first annual contraction since 1991.

The year was marked by lower demand and lower prices for many Canadian products, particularly natural resources. Exports fell 14%, with most export commodity groups declining. Business investment in fixed capital contracted in every province and territory, as falling foreign and domestic demand curtailed investment plans in 2009. In contrast, government investment in fixed capital increased in every province and territory except Saskatchewan.

Business investment in the three major categories of fixed capital (residential structures, non-residential structures, and machinery and equipment) registered significant declines. Corporate profits fell over 30%, as commodity prices fell sharply and overall demand slumped.

Output in all major goods-producing industries was down in 2009. Growth in services industries generally slowed.

Manitoba's real GDP in 2009 was little changed from 2008. Consumer and government expenditures increased while business investment in both inventories and fixed capital decreased. Exports and imports were both down, with the decline in imports outpacing that in exports.

In 2009, five provinces recorded declines in GDP that were less pronounced than that of the national economy. These regions were less reliant on energy or export markets for their growth, and had enough personal or government expenditures to partially offset a general weakness in the export market.

Growth in personal and government expenditures in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island helped ease the overall GDP contraction in these provinces.

New Brunswick was the only province to show an increase in exports, posting a 1.3% gain over 2008. This cushioned the decline in business investment in fixed capital.

British Columbia and Quebec both fared better than the national average, as government investment in fixed capital and moderate advances in personal expenditures on goods and services mitigated the decrease in real GDP in these two provinces.

The percentage decline of real GDP in Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Ontario was steeper than that of the national economy. Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Newfoundland and Labrador were affected by the overall drop in natural resource demand and lower energy prices. The significant contraction in Ontario's manufacturing sector reflected lower exports.

Real GDP in Nunavut declined substantially in 2009, as business investment in fixed capital fell by over 50%. It was a similar story in the Northwest Territories, where a 32% decline in business investment in fixed capital and a 15% drop in exports drove overall real GDP down by 11%. Exports increased in the Yukon, and investment in machinery and equipment posted a double-digit percentage gain.

Provincial and territorial economic accounts, 2009 

This release of provincial and territorial economic accounts is an update of the gross domestic product (GDP) by industry data released on April 28, 2010, and the GDP by income and expenditure data released in November 2009. This release incorporates the input-output benchmarks of 2006 (revised) and 2007, the revisions to the national Income and Expenditure Accounts released in May 2010, and the revisions to the national GDP by industry data released in September 2010. In addition, updated provincial survey data and improved methodologies have contributed to revised measures of both the provincial GDP by income and expenditure and the provincial GDP by industry for the years 2006 to 2009.

Products, services and contact information

Detailed analysis and tables

All the information and data on the System of National Economic Accounts are available through the National economic accounts web module, accessible from the home page of our website.

More detailed analysis on today's releases from the national accounts, including additional charts and tables, can be found in the 2009 issue of Provincial and Territorial Economic Accounts Review, Vol. 6, no. 1 (13-016-X, free), now available from the Key resource module of our website under Publications.

Provincial and territorial economic accounts, 2009 

Available on CANSIM: tables 384-0001, 384-0002, 384-0004 to 384-0013 and 384-0036.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 1902.

Revised provincial and territorial economic accounts data for 2006, 2007 and 2008 are included with new 2009 data in this release.

The provincial and territorial economic accounts include data of the income and the expenditure based GDP, real GDP, contributions to percent change in real GDP, implicit price indexes, sources and disposition of personal income and government detail tables. The government detail tables include revised revenue and expenditure data for 2006 and 2007 based on public accounts and new data for 2008.

The accounts can also be obtained as the Provincial and Territorial Economic Accounts: Data Tables, Vol. 3, no. 1 (13-018-X, free). From the Publications module of our website, choose All subjects, then Economic accounts.

Summaries by sub-sector of government (federal, provincial, local, Canada Pension Plan and Quebec Pension Plan) are provided in publication tables 6 to 10. Revenue side details are presented in tables 11 to 13. Table 11 disaggregates direct taxes, social insurance contributions and transfers paid by persons to government. Table 12 presents the components of taxes on production and products, while Table 13 lists the sources of government investment income. On the expenditure side, the major transfers to persons are presented in Table 14 while subsidies and capital transfers, to both the personal and business sectors, can be found in Table 15. Finally, Table 16 lists the most important current transfers between levels of governments.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact the information officer (613-951-3640; iead-info-dcrd@statcan.gc.ca), Income and Expenditure Accounts Division.

Provincial-territorial gross domestic product by industry

Available on CANSIM: tables 379-0025 and 379-0026.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey numbers, including related surveys, 1303 and 1401.

To purchase data on provincial-territorial gross domestic product by industry at basic prices, contact the client services officer (toll-free 1-800-887-4623; iad-info-dci@statcan.gc.ca), Industry Accounts Division.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Bruce Cooke (613-951-9061; cookeb@statcan.gc.ca), Industry Accounts Division.