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Description: This product provides data for national and sectoral wealth and net worth in the form of quarterly balance sheets for the total economy and its component sectors. Sector aggregations and tangible and financial asset and liability categories are reconcilable to quarterly financial flow account transactions. The diskettes include historical data, and is no longer being released.

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Using national accounts data on the financial flows, balance sheets and Canada's international investments, this paper shows how the crisis in financial markets has affected financial behaviour in Canada.

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Buoyed by rising incomes coupled with stable inflation and low interest rates, Canadians went on a spending spree between 1999 and 2005. However, much of the increased spending was financed through credit, as the personal savings rate slumped and per capita debt jumped. This paper divides families into seven cohorts, based on the year of birth of the major income recipient, and compares family assets and debts in 2005 with the situation in 1999 to provide a rough life-cycle portrait of Canadian families.

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Official data from statistical agencies are not always ideal for cross-country comparisons because of differences in data sources and methodology. Analysts who engage in cross-country comparisons need to carefully choose among alternatives and sometimes adapt data especially for their purposes. This paper develops comparable capital stock estimates to examine the relative capital intensity of Canada and the United States.

To do so, the paper applies common depreciation rates to Canadian and U.S. assets to come up with comparable capital stock estimates by assets and by industry between the two countries. Based on common depreciation rates, it finds that capital intensity is higher in the Canadian business sector than in the U.S. business sector. This is the net result of quite different ratios at the individual asset level. Canada has as higher intensity of engineering infrastructure assets per dollar of gross domestic product produced. Canada has a lower intensity of information and communications technology (ICT) machinery and equipment (M&E). Non-ICT M&E and building assets intensities are more alike in the two countries.

However, these results do not control for the fact that different asset-specific capital intensities between Canada and the United States may be the result of a different industrial structure. When both assets and industry structure are taken into account, the overall picture changes somewhat. Canada's business sector continues to have a higher intensity of engineering infrastructure and about the same intensity of building assets; however, it has a deficit in M&E that goes beyond ICT assets.

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A wide variety of assets can be held in registered retirement savings plans ranging from investments with predictable values, like guaranteed investment certificates, to those whose values vary, like stocks of individual companies. Returns to these investments, and therefore income levels in retirement, can vary dramatically, depending on the economic climate and the mix of investments. This article examines the characteristics of families with RRSPs and the allocation of assets within their RRSPs according to the level of predictability of the return on investment.

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This paper focuses on the role of investments in infrastructure in Canada. The size of infrastructure investments relative to other capital stock sets this country apart from most other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. The paper reviews the approaches taken by other researchers to define infrastructure. It then outlines a taxonomy to define those assets that should be considered as infrastructure and that can be used to assess the importance of different types of capital investments. It briefly considers how to define the portion of infrastructure that should be considered 'public'. The final two parts of the paper apply the proposed classification system to data on Canada's capital stock, and ask the following questions: how much infrastructure does Canada have and in which sectors of the economy is this infrastructure located? Finally, the paper investigates how Canada's infrastructure has evolved over the last four decades, both in the commercial and non-commercial sectors, and compares these trends with the pattern that can be found in the United States.

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This paper offers empirical evidence on the actual rates and forms of economic depreciation for a comprehensive set of assets. Using a Canadian micro database on the purchase and disposal of capital goods from Statistics Canada's Capital Expenditure Survey, the study estimates depreciation rates for 36 asset categories, which represent half of the Canadian business capital stock. Depreciation rates for the remaining assets are calibrated using the average age-price relationship from the estimation and surveyed service lives obtained from the Capital Expenditure Survey. The impact of the estimated depreciation rates on the Canadian capital stock and depreciation allowances is also presented.

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This study uses administrative tax data and the Survey of Financial Security to explore trends in the number and characteristics of high-income Canadians, as well as their wealth and effective income tax rates, from 1982 to 2004. The paper uses a range of thresholds to delineate high income and emphasizes statistics on the top 5%, 1%, 0.1% and 0.01% of tax filers.

The study found that an individual income of $89,000 was needed to be counted among the top 5% if income recipients in 2004. A family income of $154,000 would place one in the top 5% of families. The growth in incomes at the high end has been quite rapid while incomes of the majority of the population remained stable. Compared with the U.S., Canada had significantly fewer high-income recipients in 2004, and their incomes were considerably less. Higher-income individuals tend to be middle aged married males that live in the larger urban centres. While women have made up a larger portion on the top 5% of tax filers since 1982, they have not made gains in the very highest income groups. High income Canadians have roughly the same share of total wealth as they do of total income.

High income Canadians, in line with an increasing share of total income, have been paying an increasing share of total personal income taxes. Their share of total income increased from 21% to 25% between 1992 and 2004 while their share of income taxes paid increased from 30% to 36%. At the same time their effective tax rate dropped from 29% to 27%. Thus despite lower tax rates the increase in incomes was large enough, when combined with the progressive tax system, to result in an increased share of total taxes paid by high income Canadians. There is considerable heterogeneity in effective tax rates at the individual level with some high income individuals facing an effective tax rate of over 45%, while some pay as little as 10%. The proportion of tax filers, across the income distribution, who pay zero taxes decreased between 1992 and 2004.

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This guide will be of assistance when using the public use microdata file (PUMF) of the Survey of Financial Security (SFS) conducted by the Pensions and Wealth Surveys Section of the Income Statistics Division.

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This paper generates depreciation profiles for a diverse set of assets based on patterns of resale prices and retirements. In doing so, it explores the sensitivity of estimates of the growth in capital stock and capital services to alternate estimates of depreciation.

In the first instance, survival analysis techniques are used to estimate changes in valuation of assets over the course of their service life. In the second instance, a two-step procedure is utilized that first estimates the discard function for used assets (assets discarded at zero prices) and then uses the resulting estimates to correct for selection bias that arises when just positive used-asset prices are employed to estimate age-price profiles to produce depreciation rates. For the third method, a discard function and an asset efficiency function are jointly specified and estimated.

These three different methods produce depreciation profiles that follow convex patterns. Accelerated profiles are apparent for many individual assets in the machinery and equipment and structures classes.

We also compare the ex post estimates of length of life that are based on outcomes to ex ante expected lives and find they are much the same. We therefore choose ex ante lives along with information from the ex post rates on the rate of decline in an asset's value to generate a set of depreciation rates for use in the productivity accounts.

We then use our depreciation model to produce estimates of the growth in capital stock and capital services over the 1961 to 1996 period. We find that the resulting estimates of capital stock and capital services are quite similar to those previously produced.

Description: The data on natural wealth reflects reserves of energy, selected minerals and timber (2021 preliminary).

Description: Each year, Statistics Canada produces a report on foreign control {Foreign control in the Canadian economy}, as stipulated in the Corporations Returns Act. This report draws a national profile of foreign control in the Canadian corporate economy, examining financial and ownership information on corporations conducting business in Canada. This information is used to evaluate the extent and effect of non-resident control of the Canadian corporate economy. The report includes charts and tables providing time series on selected financial characteristics (assets, operating revenue and operating profits) by specific country of control and classified by major industry groups. The statistics provided in the Corporations Returns Act report are presented at the 21-industry level, using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS Canada 2017). Previous versions of this report may use different industry classification systems. The industry system used will be referenced within the specific version.

Description: The cross-sectional public-use microdata file for the Survey of Financial Security is a collection of income, assets, debts and wealth data on the economy of Canadian families. The production of this file includes many safeguards to prevent the identification of any one person or family.

The file is produced at the economic family level with information on family demographics; income; financial behaviours and attitudes; principal residence; assets, debts and net worth; family composition and size; and the major income recipient.

Please see the user guide for more information.  

Description:

This publication presents, on a quarterly basis, balance sheet, income statement, statement of changes in financial position and ratio data for the last five quarters. It covers 22 financial and non-financial sectors and their totals at the Canada level. The industry breakdowns are based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS 2012).

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The publication is a joint initiative by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Statistics Canada providing detailed financial information (assets, liabilities, revenues and expenditures data) on farms across Canada. The data are disaggregated by province, farm type and revenue class. This publication also includes data highlights, information on concepts, methods, data quality and the survey questionnaire.

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This publication presents transactions in Canadian and foreign bonds and stocks and in Canadian money market securities with non-residents. Transactions in each security are classified into new issues, retirements and trade in outstanding securities which shows sales and purchases. Monthly gross and net transactions are presented geographically with the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, other countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and other foreign countries by type of security.

This publication also includes historical data, as well as position information, quarterly and annually, on Canadian bonds and money market paper and a table on selected stock prices and capital market yields.

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This publication contains annual data from 1981 to date for the balance sheet of the agricultural sector, at December 31, for Canada and the provinces. Data highlights and concepts and methods are also included.

In May, annual measures for the previous two calendar years are subject to revision. In November, estimates for the previous three years may be revised. Every five years a historical revision is done, based on the results of the Census of Agriculture. Although the data are available in late May and late November, the publication is not completed and released until the following July and January, respectively.

Description: This product provides data for national and sectoral wealth and net worth in the form of quarterly balance sheets for the total economy and its component sectors. Sector aggregations and tangible and financial asset and liability categories are reconcilable to quarterly financial flow account transactions. The diskettes include historical data, and is no longer being released.

Description:

This product contains statistics on registered pension plans at January 1, 2003. The major topic covered are plans and members by areas of employment, jurisdiction of plans registration, type of plan, public and private sector, funding arrangement, employee/employer contribution formula, benefit method and annual contributions made to a registered pension plan.

Statistics on Retirement compensation arrangements are also included and show the number of trusts, the assets, contributions and benefits for 1991 to 2001.

Description:

The publication presents information from companies primarily engaged in the gathering and transportation of crude oil and liquefied petroleum gases to refineries and for export. Details include: operating revenue/expenses, employment and payroll, balance sheet data, pumping stations, pipeline length and truck line systems, receipts and disposition of crude oil, summary of pipeline movements of crude oil and equivalent and liquified petroleum gases.

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This report focuses on employer pension plan assets, together with other private pension assets such as registered retirement savings plans. It also presents estimates of net worth, including the value of employer pension plan benefits.

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For the first time in a Canadian asset and debt survey, the 1999 Survey of Financial Security (SFS) includes an estimate of the value of benefits accrued in employer (i.e.registered) pension plans (RPPs). Although not an asset in the sense that it can be sold and used for another purpose, employer pension plan benefits are nonetheless an important part of the net worth of Canadians, as they provide many with at least a portion of their income in retirement. For many families, it is likely to be one of the largest assets.

The 1999 SFS provides the most comprehensive picture of the net worth of Canadians yet available. Information was collected on the value of all major financial and non-financial assets, and on the money owing on mortgages, vehicles, credit cards, student loans and other debts. The value of these assets, less the debts, is referred to as net worth. Data collection took place from May to July 1999, in all provinces. Although this is the seventh time that an asset and debt survey has been conducted by Statistics Canada, over 15 years have passed since the last survey was done, in 1984. Many changes have taken place since that time, in both the economy and the structure of families. Survey findings are available in the report The assets and debts of Canadians: an overview of the results of the Survey of Financial Security (catalogue no. 13-595-XIE).

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For many years, the cable industry comprised territorial monopolies providing their customers with basic television programming services in a regulated environment. Learn how this situation has evolved in the last few years.

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This article examines evidence of consolidation in the Canadian P&C insurance industry since 1988.

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This report provides an overview of the results of the Survey of Financial Security (SFS). This survey collected information on the assets and debts of families and unattached individuals. Data collection took place from May to July 1999, in all provinces. Although this is the seventh time that an asset and debt survey has been conducted by Statistics Canada, over 15 years have passed since the last survey was done, in 1984. Many changes have taken place since that time, in both the economy and the structure of families.

The 1999 SFS provides the most comprehensive picture of the net wealth of Canadians yet available. Information was collected on the value of all major financial and non-financial assets and on the money owing on mortgages, vehicles, credit cards, student loans and other debts. The value of these assets less the debts is referred to in this report as net worth.

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This is the second release of preliminary data in advance of the annual publication, scheduled for completion in October of this year. It covers facilities-based carriers (wireline, wireless and satellite) as well as resellers.

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During the summer of 1999, Statistics Canada conducted the second Survey of Intellectual Property Commercialization in the Higher Education Sector, which was designed to illuminate the overall process of intellectual property (IP) management. Over 100 universities, degree-granting colleges and affiliated research hospitals took part in this voluntary survey. The results show that over 60% of institutions are actively managing (identifying, protecting, promoting and/or commercializing) their IP. Within the last five years, 47% of institutions have filed a patent application and 32% have licensed their technologies, to generate over $21 million per annum in royalties. Universities also hold $55 million in equity in their 454 spin-off companies formed to date.

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Foreign ownership in the Canadian telecommunications industry has always been an important policy issue, and recent events have further emphasized the significance of this topic.

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The purpose of this short report is to provide basic information on the relative importance of the different players in the industry.

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This report is an advance of selected data from the 1997 Annual Survey of Telecommunications Service Providers. This newly redesigned survey serves to measure the telecommunications industry's financial performance as well as aspects of network infrastructure and connectedness.

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This document briefly describes the Survey of Financial Security and presents the questionnaire used for the interview. The Survey of Financial Security (SFS) was conducted during May and June of 1999. The information was collected by personal interview, using a paper questionnaire. Introductory material was sent to the respondent prior to the first contact by the interviewer.

Approximately 23,000 dwellings were selected for the sample, most using the Labour Force Survey frame. The high-income sample was drawn from geographic areas with a larger concentration of high-income households.

The survey collected the following type of information: (1) general demographic information on all members of the family, (2) more detailed information on the education, employment, income, etc., on those family members 15 years of age and older, and, (3) asset and debt information on the family as a whole.

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The intent of this document is to provide an inventory of the surveys, databases, publications, articles and work in progress in Statistics Canada that relate to Canada's retirement income programs. The inventory provides information on publications, output and relevant data elements produced by the surveys and databases. It does not provide an exhaustive description of these data sources, but instead focuses on the information that can be used for purposes of researching/analysing retirement income programs. Some of the information contained does not specifically relate to these programs but might be used as a secondary source when doing research in this area.

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Although income and expenditure data provide an indication of current consumption and ability to purchase goods and services, they provide little information on the long-term ability of families to sustain themselves. The results of this survey will provide information on the net worth (wealth) of Canadian families, that is, the value of their assets less their debts.

This paper examines the objectives of the survey, how the survey has changed since 1984, the types of questions being asked and information that will be provided, as well as other survey background. An accompanying table outlines the content of the questionnaire. The intent of this paper is to describe the work done to date and the next steps for this important subject.

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The main objectives of a new Canadian survey measuring asset and debt holding of families and individuals will be to update wealth information that is over one decade old; to improve the reliability of the wealth estimates; and, to provide a primary tool for analysing many important policy issues related to the distribution of assets and debts, future consumption possibilities, and savings behaviour that is of interest to governments, business and communities.

This paper is the document that launched the development of the new asset and debt survey, subsequently renamed the Survey of Financial Security. It looks at the conceptual framework for the survey, including the appropriate unit of measurement (family, household or person) and discusses measurement issues such as establishing an accounting framework for assets and debts. The variables proposed for inclusion are also identified. The paper poses several questions to readers and asks for comments and feedback.

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This document summarizes the comments and feedback received on an earlier document: Towards a new Canadian asset and debt survey - A content discussion paper. The new asset and debt survey (now called the Survey of Financial Security) is to update the wealth information on Canadian families and unattached individuals. Since the last data collection was conducted in 1984, it was essential to include a consultative process in the development of the survey in order to obtain feedback on issues of concern and to define the conceptual framework for the survey.

Comments on the content discussion paper are summarized by major theme and sections indicate how the suggestions are being incorporated into the survey or why they could not be incorporated. This paper also mentions the main objectives of the survey and provides an overview of the survey content, revised according to the feedback from the discussion paper.

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This paper presents a proposal for conducting a Canadian asset and debt survey. The first step in preparing this proposal was the release, in February 1997, of a document entitled Towards a new Canadian asset and debt survey whose intent was to elicit feedback on the initial thinking regarding the content of the survey.

This paper reviews the conceptual framework for a new asset and debt survey, data requirements, survey design, collection methodology and testing. It provides also an overview of the anticipated data processing system, describes the analysis and dissemination plan (analytical products and microdata files), and identifies the survey costs and major milestones. Finally, it presents the management/coordination approach used.

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During September and October 1997, the Questionnaire Design Resource Centre (QDRC) completed 10 focus groups and 4 in-depth interviews with respondents and 6 debriefing sessions with interviewers in a test of the proposed questionnaires and data collection methodology for the 1998 Asset and Debt Survey (now called the Survey of Financial Security, to be done in 1999).

The main goals of the testing were: to evaluate the data collection methodology and survey instruments (including the introductory materials [guide] and questionnaires [Part 1: background information about family members, Part 2: questions on assets and debts]); to identify problem areas; to make recommendations to ensure that the final survey instruments are respondent-friendly and interview-friendly, that the questionnaires can be easily understood and accurately completed; and finally, to investigate how respondents recall information.

This report summarizes the highlights of the study, including the recommendations based on the findings of the focus groups, in-depth interviews and debriefing sessions, as well as those from the experience of the QDRC in carrying out similar studies for other household surveys.

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This report presents the results of the May 1993 Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) test as they relate to the wealth items, at the individual level and at the family level.