Business Conditions in Rural and Small Town Canada: Interactive Dashboard

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Note to readers

This interactive dashboard draws upon quarterly results from the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions, providing users the opportunity to explore business conditions in rural and small town economies by province or territory, including business expectations, obstacles, supply chain challenges, finances, and future outlook. Use the tabs below to explore trends and conditions shaping businesses in these areas.

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End of visual interactive dashboard

Data

The data used to create this interactive web application is from the following listed CSV files:

Expectations

The file size is approximately 6.5MB and can take up to 1 minute to download.

Obstacles

The file size is approximately 2.4MB and can take up to 1 minute to download.

Supply chain: Obstacles

The file size is approximately 2MB and can take up to 1 minute to download.

Supply chain: Changes

The file size is approximately 975KB and can take up to 1 minute to download.

Supply chain: Outlook

The file size is approximately 327KB and can take up to 1 minute to download.

Finances

The file size is approximately 950KB and can take up to 1 minute to download.

Future outlook

The file size is approximately 420KB and can take up to 1 minute to download.

Key highlights – December 9, 2025
  • Cost-related challenges (63.8%) are a top concern for Canadian rural and small town businesses in the fourth quarter of 2025. Inflation (42.2%) remains the most reported short term obstacle for these businesses, followed by the cost of insurance (33.2%), recruiting skilled employees (30.8%) and interest rates and debt costs (29.7%).
  • In the fourth quarter of 2025, 16.3% of rural and small town businesses expect supply chain-related challenges. Of these businesses, two-thirds (66.6%) report that supply chain challenges have worsened over the last three months, while over half (53.6%) expect conditions to worsen over the next three months.
  • The majority (70.4%) of rural and small town businesses do not plan to take on more debt over the short term. Of these rural and small town businesses, nearly one-quarter (24.6%) cannot take on more debt due to the lack of confidence or uncertainty in future sales (39.9%), cash flow (39.8%) and unfavourable interest rates (31.9%).
  • Despite these obstacles, 69.3% of rural and small town businesses are very or somewhat optimistic about their future outlook over the next 12 months.

Previous key highlights

Key highlights – September 15, 2025
  • Cost-related challenges (63.5%) are a top concern for Canadian rural and small town businesses in the third quarter of 2025. Inflation remains the most reported short term obstacle for these businesses (47.1%), followed by the cost of insurance (31.9%) and cost of inputs (31.7%). Among rural and small town businesses reporting input costs as an obstacle, the cost of raw materials (59.8%) and labour (53.6%) were identified as expected sources of financial strain over the next three months.
  • In the third quarter of 2025, 16.0% of rural and small town businesses expect supply chain-related challenges. Of these businesses, just over half (51.5%) report that supply chain challenges have worsened over the last three months, while more than two-fifths (44.2%) anticipate conditions to worsen over the next three months.
  • Despite these obstacles, 69.2% of rural and small town businesses are very or somewhat optimistic about their future outlook over the next 12 months.

Key highlights – June 10, 2025
  • Cost-related challenges continue to be a key concern for Canadian rural and small town businesses in the second quarter of 2025. Inflation remains the most reported short term obstacle for these businesses (46.5%), followed by the cost of inputs (35.4%) and cost of insurance (31.7%). Among rural and small town businesses reporting input costs as an obstacle, the cost of raw materials (69.6%) and labour (49.3%) were identified as expected sources of financial strain over the next three months.
  • Nearly one-quarter (24.2%) of rural and small town businesses expect supply chain-related challenges in the second quarter of 2025. Of these businesses, about two-fifths (37.4%) report that supply chain challenges have worsened over the last three months, while more than three-fifths (63.7%) anticipate conditions to worsen over the next three months.
  • Despite these obstacles, 77.8% of rural and small town businesses are very or somewhat optimistic about their future outlook over the next 12 months.

Additional information

Data presented in this interactive dashboard are based on the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions (CSBC), providing visual insights into the expectations, obstacles, supply chain challenges, debt, and future outlook of rural and small town businesses at the provincial and territorial levels.

These data are classified according to Statistics Canada's Standard Geographical Classification (SGC). Data from the 2022 iteration of the CSBC survey aligns with the 2016 SGC. From the first quarter of 2023 onwards, geographies align with the 2021 SGC.

Data have been standardized in the Statistical Data and Metadata eXchange (SDMX) format and their metadata have been organized to allow for efficient data linkage. Data will be regularly updated and expanded where possible.

Contact Rural Client Services for additional information or enquiries.

Considerations

Users should note potential limitations, including in the interpretation of period-to-period changes in business conditions given the evolving nature of the CSBC. Comparing data across reference periods may influence interpretation.

Conducted on a quarterly basis, the CSBC asks businesses about their expectations over the next 3 or 12 months, in relation to when the survey was conducted. The 3-month or 12-month periods may vary, depending on when businesses submitted their responses. Variations may also be explained by the differences in the survey sample from quarter to quarter.

The CSBC question regarding the capacity of businesses to assume additional debt was restructured, effective from the fourth quarter of 2022. Respondents were asked whether the business or organization planned to apply for a new line of credit, a new term loan, a new non-residential mortgage, or refinancing of an existing non-residential mortgage over the next three months. If they reported "no," they were asked whether the business or organization had the ability to take on more debt. If they did not have the ability to take on more debt, they were asked for the reasons that they were unable to do so. This is a notable consideration in the interpretation of the data when comparing across reference periods.

Values for the future outlook of the business or organization are unavailable for the second quarter of 2022. This question was not included in the CSBC conducted for this quarter.

Figures may not add to 100% due to rounding.

Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any data which would divulge information obtained under the Statistics Act that relates to any identifiable person, business or organization without the prior knowledge or the consent in writing of that person, business or organization. Various confidentiality rules are applied to all data that are released or published to prevent the publication or disclosure of any information deemed confidential. If necessary, data are suppressed to prevent direct or residual disclosure of identifiable data. If data for a specific community are not available, please contact the Rural Data Lab's Rural Client Services for assistance.

Definitions

Key definitions are provided to help users navigate the interactive dashboard.

Census agglomeration (CA)
Formed by one or more adjacent municipalities centered on a population centre (known as the core). A CA must have a core population of at least 10,000, based on adjusted data from the Census of Population Program.
Census metropolitan area (CMA)
Formed by one or more adjacent municipalities centered on a population centre (known as the core). A CMA must have a total population of at least 100,000 of which 50,000 or more must live in the core, based on adjusted data from the Census of Population Program.
Census subdivision (CSD)
A general term for municipalities (as determined by provincial and territorial legislation) or areas treated as municipal equivalents for statistical purposes (e.g., Indian reserves, Indian settlements and unorganized territories). Municipal status is defined by laws in effect in each province and territory in Canada.
Functional urban area (CMA/CA)
Census subdivisions within census metropolitan areas (CMAs) or census agglomerations (CAs), according to Statistics Canada’s  Standard Geographical Classification. For more information see: Variant of Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) 2021 for Statistical area classification.
Rural and small town (non-CMA/CA)
Census subdivisions outside census metropolitan areas (CMAs) or census agglomerations (CAs), according to Statistics Canada’s Standard Geographical Classification. For more information see: Variant of Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) 2021 for Statistical area classification.

Other resources

Canadian Survey on Business Conditions (CSBC)

CSBC articles and reports

Learn more

To find more rural and small town Canada products, visit:

Rural Canada Statistics Portal

Rural Statistics in Canada (45-20-0004)

Rural and Small Town Canada Analysis Bulletin (21-006-X)

Questions? Contact Rural Client Services

How to use

How to use this interactive visual

This interactive dashboard presents select data from the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions (CSBC), focusing on rural and small town businesses. It provides insights into their perceptions of the operating environment and their expectations moving forward. The dashboard is organized into five tabs, to explore data on (1) expectations, (2) obstacles, (3) supply chains, (4) finances, and (5) future outlook.

First tab: Expectations

  • Displays a pie chart representing the responses of businesses regarding their expectations, categorized as “decrease”, “increase”, “not applicable”, and “stay about the same”.
  • Data can be filtered using the drop-down menus by geography (Canada, province or territory), reference period and expectation type.

Second tab: Obstacles

  • Displays a bar chart depicting businesses’ responses to the obstacles they have encountered over time.
  • Data can be filtered using the drop-down menus by geography and obstacle type.

Third tab: Supply chains

  • The page is divided into three sections, each containing a bar chart displaying data for: (1) business expectations on how long supply chain obstacles will last (2) business change in supply change challenges over the last three months, (3) business expectation of change in supply chain challenges over the next three months.
  • Users can employ a drop-down menu to filter data by geography (Canada, province or territory). Section 1 provides further filtering options by area and supply chain obstacles type. Section 2 and 3 offer filters based on changes in the supply chain challenges and expectations of supply chain challenges, respectively.

Fourth tab: Finances

  • Data is presented through two bar charts to present the (1) proportion of businesses with the ability to take on more debt and (2) reasons reported by businesses that are unable to take on more debt for avoiding more debt.
  • Users can filter data by geography and reference period using drop-down menus.

Fifth tab: Future outlook

  • Displays a stacked bar chart representing the responses of businesses regarding their future outlook over the next 12 months, categorized as “very optimistic”, “somewhat optimistic”, “somewhat pessimistic”, “very pessimistic”, and “unknown”.
  • Data can be filtered using the drop-down menus by geography (Canada, province or territory) and area (rural and small town or functional urban area), while the reference period can be selected using a tile filter with a “select all” option.

Keyboard shortcuts and screen reader tips

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While in the visual, pressing Shift + ? will open the keyboard shortcuts.

When focus is on a visual, the data table can be displayed by pressing Alt + Shift + F11.

When in a chart and navigating betweem data points, display a tooltip by pressing CTRL + H.

More information

Note of appreciation

Canada owes the success of its statistical system to a long-standing partnership between Statistics Canada, the citizens of Canada, its businesses, governments and other institutions. Accurate and timely statistical information could not be produced without their continued co-operation and goodwill.

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Copyright

Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Industry,

Use of this publication is governed by the Statistics Canada Open Licence Agreement.

Catalogue no. 71-607-X

Ottawa

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