A glance at robots in the Canadian economy, 1996 to 2017

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Release date: November 2, 2020
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Infographic: A glance at robots in the Canadian economy, 1996 to 2017A
Description: A glance at robots in the Canadian economy, 1996 to 2017

Canadian firms have been investing in robots since the 1990s. By 2017, firms were using over $1.5 billion worth of robots. The auto sector was the largest investor before 2008, but other industries were more active beginning in 2010.


Table 1
Robot stock, industrial robots and robots for automotive assembly lines
Table summary
This table displays the results of Robot stock Robots for automotive assembly lines , Industrial robots and CAN$ millions (appearing as column headers).
Robots for automotive assembly lines Industrial robots
CAN$ millions
2000 182.5 307.7
2008 560.1 651.1
2017 365.4 1065.5

Robot investment has proliferated in other industries both in and outside manufacturing, especially after 2008.


Table 2
Robot stock by industry, manufacturing industries, selected years
Table summary
This table displays the results of Robot stock by industry Automotive, Petroleum and plastics, Minerals and metals, Machinery, Computers and electronics, Other manufacturing and CAN$ millions (appearing as column headers).
Automotive Petroleum and plastics Minerals and metals Machinery Computers and electronics Other manufacturing
CAN$ millions
2000 70.8 11.4 25.5 197.7 13.9 6
2007 307.8 30.1 85 379.5 33 30
2015 235.4 46.6 81.8 426.7 47.3 39.4
2017 225.3 55.2 88 516.4 47.3 43.2

Table 3
Robot stock by industry, industries outside of manufacturing, selected years
Table summary
This table displays the results of Robot stock by industry Other goods, Other services, Healthcare and CAN$ millions (appearing as column headers).
Other goods Other services Healthcare
CAN$ millions
2000 2.7 77 0.9
2007 5.3 115.3 3.1
2015 16.5 108.4 2.6
2017 26.3 117.5 2.5

The impact of robots on employment

From 2001 to 2006, firms that used robots employed fewer managers than firms that did not use robots.

Employment in firms that use robots was on average 15% higher than before they began using robots.

Note: Robot stocks calculated based on 12-year useful life suggested by the International Federation of Robotics.

Sources: Statistics Canada, Import Data, National Accounts Longitudinal Microdata File, and Workplace and Employee Survey.

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Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2020

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Catalogue no. 11-627-M

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