Canada's Core Public Infrastructure Survey: Replacement values, 2022
Released: 2024-10-21
At the end of 2022, transportation and water infrastructure in Canada had a total replacement value of $2.6 trillion. Local and regional government organizations were responsible for almost three-quarters (72%) of this infrastructure.
Canada's local and regional government organizations are responsible for a majority of road transportation infrastructure
Based on current replacement values estimated on December 31, 2022, local and regional government organizations were responsible for the majority of Canada's road transportation infrastructure. These organizations owned 64% of the replacement value of roads, 76% of the value of public transit assets and 82% of the value of active transportation infrastructure. Bridges and tunnels were an exception, as 69% of them were owned by provincial and territorial governments.
Public transit assets are greener
In 2022, municipalities with a population of 200,000 people or more owned 58% of public transit assets by current replacement value, while provincial and territorial government organizations owned 24%. The remaining 18% was owned by other local and regional government organizations.
From 2020 to 2022, there was a 31% increase in the number of electric buses used in public transit. There were also increases in the number of biodiesel buses (+64%), natural gas buses (+30%) and hybrid buses (+15%). In comparison, there was a 16% drop in the number of diesel buses.
Construction of road transportation infrastructure and water infrastructure increases alongside high population growth rate
From July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, Canada's population increased at the highest growth rate since 1957. In this context, a larger amount of drinking water, wastewater and stormwater pipes were installed each year from 2020 to 2022 than in any other period on record. During those three years, 29,100 km of pipes were installed, which is an average of 9,700 km per year. These distances of pipes were added at a faster pace than the 57,576 km installed from 2010 to 2019 (5,758 km per year) and the 72,015 km installed from 2000 to 2009 (7,202 km per year). More than two-fifths (41%) of all drinking water, wastewater and stormwater pipes were installed from 1970 to 1999 at an average of 6,698 km of pipes completed annually.
The pace of construction of roads also increased from 2020 to 2022. There were 12,396 two-lane equivalent kilometres completed on average per year, surpassing the annual average length of roads built during any other period by more than one-quarter.
While most (57%) roads by length were owned by rural municipalities in 2022, urban municipalities owned the majority (62%) of active transportation infrastructure. Of the 28,122 km of bikeways in Canada at the end of 2022, almost one-quarter (23%) were completed from 2020 to 2022 and 38% were completed from 2010 to 2019. Nevertheless, according to the Canadian Bikeway Comfort and Safety metrics released in 2022, one-third of neighbourhoods in Canada had no cycling infrastructure.
Large portion of public transit assets and active transportation infrastructure in unknown condition
Road transportation infrastructure, including roads, bridges, tunnels, walking and cycling infrastructure, as well as public transit systems, accounted for $1.63 trillion of current replacement value estimated at the end of 2022. The cost to replace all road transportation infrastructure rated as being in poor or very poor condition was estimated to be $250.2 billion, or 15% of the total replacement value. However, 17% of the public transit assets and 42% of active transportation assets were in unknown physical condition, accounting for an estimated $45.7 billion of current replacement value, or $141.7 billion when including roads, bridges and tunnels.
The current replacement value of water infrastructure was estimated at $963.0 billion on December 31, 2022. The share of assets rated as being in poor or very poor physical condition accounted for just over one-tenth (11%) of that amount, or $106.5 billion.
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Note to readers
Throughout this release, the term "publicly owned" refers to an asset being owned or leased by the federal, provincial, territorial, regional and municipal orders of government.
Data are based on responses from approximately 3,026 organizations. The following organizations are included in the survey:
- federal departments and Crown corporations;
- provincial and territorial departments, ministries and Crown corporations;
- regional governments, intermunicipal organizations and local government business enterprises;
- urban and rural municipalities.
An urban municipality, for the purposes of Canada's Core Public Infrastructure Survey, is one that has at least 75% of its population living within a population centre. All other municipalities are considered rural.
Estimated replacement values represent the approximate cost, at the end of the reference year, that would be required to replace the assets, including demolition costs, but excluding land costs and overhead. These values differ from book value (accumulated cost) and measures of gross stock, as they consider current prices (inflation) as well as other factors that impact price at the time of the estimate, including modern construction techniques and materials.
Respondents were provided the following condition rating scale when asked to rate the overall physical condition of their assets:
- Very poor: Immediate need to replace most or all of the asset. Health and safety hazards exist which present a possible risk to public safety or asset cannot be serviced/operated without risk to personnel. Major work or replacement required urgently.
- Poor: Failure likely and substantial work required in the short term. Asset barely serviceable. No immediate risk to health or safety.
- Fair: Significant deterioration is evident; minor components or isolated sections of the asset need replacement or repair now, but asset is still serviceable and functions safely at adequate level of service.
- Good: Acceptable physical condition; minimal short-term failure risk but potential for deterioration in the long term. Only minor work required.
- Very good: Sound physical condition. No short-term failure risk and no work required.
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).
For more information about why the survey was conducted and how it will inform infrastructure policy and program development and investment decisions, please contact Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (toll-free: 1-877-250-7154 or 613-948-1148 or by email at info@infc.gc.ca) or Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada Media Relations (toll-free: 1-877-250-7154 or 613-960-9251 or by email at media-medias@infc.gc.ca).
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