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In 1941 the Dominion Bureau of Statistics initiated the first actual capital expenditure series with the collection of, among other information, capital expenditure data on selected industries. The first forecast of investment was released to the public in the fall of 1946 as Capital, Repair and Maintenance Expenditures of Business Enterprises in Canada: Forecast 1946.

In 1947, the scope of the capital expenditure series was expanded to include capital items charged to operating expenses. The addition of this type of capital expenditure increased the accuracy of the reported data by providing an estimate of all those items which add to the capital stock of the country, but were not capitalized by the reporting industries.

Since 1946, the coverage of capital expenditure survey has grown to encompass more sectors of the economy. Capital expenditures for the mining and manufacturing sub-industries were presented in the Service Bulletin: Investment Statistics (catalogue no. 61-007-X) starting in 1975, followed by the first appearance of energy related data in 1976. The release of energy related data in volume 2, number 2 of the Service Bulletin: Investment Statistics included current year data as well as estimates dating back to 1955.

In 1978 the first issue of Capital and Repair Expenditures: Manufacturing Sub-Industries, Canada (catalogue no. 61-214-X) was released with estimates for 1976 and 1977.

The introduction of The Daily  (catalogue no. 11-001-X), in 1980, signified the replacement of the Service Bulletin as the primary vehicle for disseminating mining industry and energy related industries capital expenditure data. Expenditures for the mining sector appeared in this format from 1980 to 1982.

Energy related data was incorporated into Capital and Repair Expenditures: Manufacturing Sub-Industries, Canada (catalogue no. 61-214-X) in 1981. Further developments in the production of manufacturing sub-industry data were achieved in 1982 with the publication of the historical series from 1960 to 1967, for 20 major groups and sub-industries, in Investment Statistics: Manufacturing Sub-Industries, Canada (catalogue no. 61-518-X).

The definition of capital expenditures, related to exploration and development in the mining sector, was expanded in 1982 to include field expenditures on all physical work and surveys and other related costs such as applied administration costs, general overhead and lease rental costs. Investment Statistics: Exploration, Development, Capital and Repair Expenditures by Mining and Exploration Companies (catalogue no. 61-216-X) was released for the first time in 1983.

In 1986, the 1985 Actual Survey was expanded to include asset detail on new assets, used assets, renovations/retrofit for both construction and machinery and equipment. This new survey format also included other data items such as the reason for disposal/sale/write-downs of fixed assets, age of assets, lives of assets, reasons for expenditure and gross book value of asset. In addition, non-military machinery and equipment expenditures were now included under Department of National Defence expenditures.

Catalogue no. 61-216-X was expanded in 1987 to include detailed data from the petroleum and natural gas industry (dating back to 1985) and energy related industries, which were previously included in catalogue no. 61-214-X.

In line with the National Accounts capital expenditure requirements and the movement toward streamlined operations, Statistics Canada stopped collecting and publishing data on non-producing exploration companies in 1990. These data are now surveyed by Natural Resources Canada.

In 1993, the survey adopted the 1980 Standard Industrial Classification and merged catalogues nos 61-214-X and 61-216-X into Private and Public Investment in Canada (catalogue nos 61-205-X and 61-205-X).

The most recent changes start with the 1995 Revised Forecast where a probability sample was almost entirely selected from the the Central Frame Data Base of the Business Register Division.

In 1999, significant changes were implemented to the survey and historical data were recalculated on the same basis back to 1991 to ensure continuity. Note that the data were collected and compiled on the new North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) basis to provide for greater international comparability of economic data; this will differ markedly from the previously used Standard Industrial Classification (1980 SIC). As well data were produced on a January-December calendarized basis and conform to the System of National Accounts concept for capital.

Data prior to 1956 are only available in hard copy form, while subsequent historical data are available on CANSIM or from the Investment and Capital Stock Division of Statistics Canada.

Since 2002, all figures in this release reflect the recent changes to the machinery and equipment series for the inclusion of all software expenditures as capital. This change to the concept used for capital is required by the system of national accounts.

Since 2003, Private and Public Investment in Canada incorporates two significant improvements to the data. Estimates are now included to account for capital items charges to operating expense (CICOE) and as well administrative data has been tapped to provide estimates of capital expenditures undertaken by firms falling below the current survey thresholds.