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Surveyed data

The majority of industries covered under the expenditures series are surveyed. All establishments selected for the sample during the three survey periods (see "Survey periods") will receive either the regular survey questionnaire (short or long form), a specialized survey questionnaire (long or short form) or the new project questionnaire. The type of questionnaire an establishment receives depends on the industry, the expected level of expenditure, the survey being conducted and whether or not the establishment is classified as a new project (for example, out of frame or outlier).

The regular short questionnaire is most often used during each of the three survey periods. This questionnaire collects basic information on capital construction, capital machinery and equipment, repair construction and repair machinery and equipment, gross book value, capacity utilization in the manufacturing and mining sectors, reasons for change in expenditures, work in progress and leasing. Note that establishments are asked to report repair expenditures on the actual survey only. An establishment will receive one of the other questionnaire types if it is expected to spend a large amount on capital, has been operating in a specialized industry or has been categorized as a new project.

The regular long questionnaire is used only during the actual survey period and is distributed to establishments that have previously reported large capital expenditures. This questionnaire goes beyond the basic data assembled by the short form to collect information related to asset detail, asset value, reason for disposals, interest payments capitalized, number of robots and leases by type of asset (see survey 2803).

Specialized questionnaires are used for the mining industry and the petroleum and natural gas industry. New project questionnaires are sent to new establishments that are considered to be either not yet on the frame because they are not in production or outliers on the frame.

Apart from surveying establishments, the capital expenditures series also uses reporting arrangements in the data collection process. Some respondents operating within Canada are unable to provide the required provincial breakdown of expenditures during the reporting periods. Consolidated reports are used to collect data from such respondents. These reports are subsequently allocated to the provinces based on related charactistics. It might also be the case that the number of locations administered by an establishment are too numerous for conventional sampling. To facilitate the reporting of capital expenditures by these establishments, data are collected through a reporting entity known as provincial establishments. However, the locations covered under the provincial establishment's report must all be within the same industry.

All respondents are asked to report expenditures for their 12 months fiscal period for which the final day occurs between April 1 of the reference year and March 31 of the following year.

Non-surveyed data

Although the capital expenditures series provides estimates of the expenditures attributable to each NAICS division, they are not all surveyed. In these cases, estimates of capital expenditures are produced based on indicators of production, consumption and costs associated with operation in that industry.

The value of capital expenditures in the fishing industry (Division B), for all survey periods, is based on the statistical modelling of data obtained from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and from Industrial Organization and Finance Division of Statistics Canada. Nevertheless, industry group 032, Services to Fishing and industry group 033, Trapping, are not covered by these other sources and are not estimated for in the capital expenditures series.

Estimated changes in capital expenditures in the construction industry (Division F) for all survey periods are based on the trend observed in construction activity in the whole economy. The underlying assumption is that the value of new construction work put in place, both in residential and non-residential sectors, is providing a reliable indicator of the demand placed on the construction industry, and therefore of the industries' own investment in capital. However, major group 44, Services to Construction, has not been covered by the capital expenditures survey and is not estimated for in the capital expenditures series.

In addition, housing investment is produced by the Current Investment Indicators Section and is based on projected housing starts, building costs and the value of alterations and improvements in each province. Residential infrastructure put in place by developers has been estimated for and the value of that infrastructure which will be turned over to municipalities upon completion has been included in the capital expenditures series under local government investments in capital.

Data collection arrangements

Within Statistics Canada several divisions participate in the collection of data which are incorporated into the final production of capital expenditure estimates by the Investment and Capital Stock Division. The Agriculture Division collects information on actual and preliminary actual capital expenditures from the Farm Financial Survey and Crop Surveys. The Public Institutions Division expedites the collection process by providing information from its Local Government Capital Expenditure Survey, while Industry Accounts Division contributes small establishment data from the Net Cash Expenditures Survey of the oil and gas industry. Housing estimates are produced by the Current Investment Indicators Section (Investment and Capital Stock Division).

Furthermore, the capital expenditures series consolidates data collected by agencies or departments external to Statistics Canada. Data collected by each provincial/territorial statistical focal point related to education (provincial/ territorial schools), health and provincial governments are incorporated into the capital expenditures series. Mining industry data are collected at the provincial level by provincial energy, mines and resources departments in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Manitoba.

Survey periods

Both survey periods are organized and timed to collect three sets of annual data related to intentions, preliminary actual and actual capital and repair expenditures for all sectors of the economy (See text table 1).