The answer
The anatomy of Canadian living standards
Population revisions lower the Q2 real-GDP-per-person gain to 0.6%, from the previously published 1.6%. Output per worker is now the largest positive term; the revised population grew rather than fell.
A growing economy does not always mean more output per person. This page separates the roles of output per worker, employment, participation and population structure. It shows how the measured change adds up; it does not establish what caused it.
What adds to the change — and what subtracts
2025 Q2 → 2026 Q2 · percentage points
Economic output, adjusted for price changes, for each employed person.
The anatomy calls this the employment-rate term. It divides employment by the labour force, not by the working-age population.
The labour force as a share of the Labour Force Survey population aged fifteen and over.
The survey population aged fifteen and over divided by the total resident population. This mixes age structure and survey coverage.
The answer: +0.59 percentage points
These are parts of the measured change, not estimates of its causes. Every term and the total use log changes, not ordinary percentage growth rates. Each displayed value is rounded separately.
What share of the change in real GDP per person comes from output per worker, the employment rate, participation, and population structure?
Next: The next quarterly GDP, population, productivity or hours release that changes this window or supplies the next aligned quarter. No new exact release date is asserted here.
The answer
Real GDP per person rose 0.6 per cent over the four quarters to 2026 Q2, to $60,504 in chained 2017 dollars. The revised level is 0.9 per cent below the record's 2022 Q3 peak.
Statistics Canada's September 23 demographic release changes the denominator for this same GDP quarter. Real GDP still grew 1.1 per cent over the four quarters, but the aligned population estimate now grew 0.5 per cent rather than falling 0.5 per cent. The earlier reading of a smaller population lifting GDP per person is therefore superseded by the revised source estimates.
In the exact log-change identity, output per worker contributes +0.80 percentage points, the employment rate +0.02, participation −0.46, and population structure +0.22, summing to +0.59 points. Output per worker is the largest positive term. These contributions are log changes, so their sum differs slightly from the ordinary 0.6 per cent growth rate.
The output-per-worker split is unchanged: business-sector output per hour contributes +1.19 points, measured hours per employed person −0.29, and the national-accounts/business-sector scope reconciliation −0.10. The components use different coverage; the reconciliation is derived and is not an hours effect.
This is a revision to the Q2 reading, not a new GDP quarter. Q2 GDP and the monthly labour inputs are paired with April 1 population under the Brief's established quarter-start convention. The newly available July 1 population estimate does not create a Q3 GDP reading. The earlier dated readings remain available as the record of what was known at the time.
The household account adds a different view of the same economy. In 2026 Q2 the national saving rate was 3.7%, up from 3.3% in Q1; nominal saving rose by $7.044 billion at seasonally adjusted annual rates as the increase in disposable income exceeded the increase in consumption and the pension adjustment declined. The separately released debt-service ratio fell to 14.52% from a revised 14.68%. These aggregates do not identify who gained, and their denominators differ. The annual consumption panel also counts government and nonprofit services received in kind, which are not household cash income.
| Real GDP per person (total change) | -0.61 pp |
|---|---|
| Output per worker | -0.57 pp |
| Employment rate | +0.28 pp |
| Participation | -0.77 pp |
| Population structure | +0.45 pp |
| — of which output per hour (measured index) | -0.46 pp |
| Identity residual (always exactly zero) | +0.00 pp |
| — of which hours worked per employed person (measured) | -0.31 pp |
| — of which national-accounts scope reconciliation (derived) | +0.19 pp |
Exact log-change identity: the change in ln(real GDP per person) equals the sum of the four term changes; the output-per-worker term is further split into the measured productivity index, measured hours worked per employed person, and a narrower derived reconciliation. Contributions are reported in percentage points; the parts sum to the total exactly, and that arithmetic is re-checked every time the record is rebuilt.
What this means for the decision
The revised reading is a smaller gain in real output per person, with output per worker the largest positive accounting term. It no longer supports the earlier claim that a shrinking population lifted the ratio. The measured productivity-and-hours split remains available; none of these accounting terms identifies a cause.
What would settle it
The next quarterly GDP, population, productivity or hours release that changes this window or supplies the next aligned quarter. No new exact release date is asserted here.
Explore the visual record
Aggregate GDP and GDP per person answer different questions. Anyone deciding against 'growth' — a budget, an investment, a workforce plan — needs to know which arithmetic is doing the work: more output per worker, more people working, or simply more people. The identity locates the arithmetic exactly; it does not attribute causes.
Evidence reviewed through 2026-10-04 · 10 cited sources · 0 member Resolutions · 8 chapters
Refreshed when quarterly GDP, population, productivity or hours evidence changes the aligned reading. Monthly labour releases update the intervening terms; each dated successor states which evidence changed.
Earlier readings
These answers are preserved as originally written. Their dates and statements about missing or upcoming evidence belong to that earlier reading.
Reading through 2026-09-23 — Population revisions lower the Q2 real-GDP-per-person gain to 0.6%, from the previously published 1.6%. Output per worker is now the largest positive term; the revised population grew rather than fell.
Real GDP per person rose 0.6 per cent over the four quarters to 2026 Q2, to $60,504 in chained 2017 dollars. The revised level is 0.9 per cent below the record's 2022 Q3 peak.
Statistics Canada's September 23 demographic release changes the denominator for this same GDP quarter. Real GDP still grew 1.1 per cent over the four quarters, but the aligned population estimate now grew 0.5 per cent rather than falling 0.5 per cent. The earlier reading of a smaller population lifting GDP per person is therefore superseded by the revised source estimates.
In the exact log-change identity, output per worker contributes +0.80 percentage points, the employment rate +0.02, participation −0.46, and population structure +0.22, summing to +0.59 points. Output per worker is the largest positive term. These contributions are log changes, so their sum differs slightly from the ordinary 0.6 per cent growth rate.
The output-per-worker split is unchanged: business-sector output per hour contributes +1.19 points, measured hours per employed person −0.29, and the national-accounts/business-sector scope reconciliation −0.10. The components use different coverage; the reconciliation is derived and is not an hours effect.
This is a revision to the Q2 reading, not a new GDP quarter. Q2 GDP and the monthly labour inputs are paired with April 1 population under the Brief's established quarter-start convention. The newly available July 1 population estimate does not create a Q3 GDP reading. The earlier dated readings remain available as the record of what was known at the time.
Reading through 2026-09-14 — The Q2 per-person GDP reading remains +1.6%. Newly available productivity and hours evidence fills the output-per-worker split: output per hour adds, hours per employed person subtract, and a scope reconciliation remains.
Real GDP per person rose 1.6 per cent over the four quarters to 2026 Q2, to $60,944 in chained 2017 dollars. That is the largest four-quarter gain since the four quarters ending 2022 Q3, and it leaves the per-person level 0.1 per cent below the record set in that same quarter. Of the 262 quarters this record holds a per-person figure for, going back to 1961, only two stand at or above today's level: 2022 Q3 and 2026 Q2.
Both production and population matter in the arithmetic. Real GDP grew 1.1 per cent over those four quarters while the population fell 0.5 per cent, so a smaller denominator supplied part of the rise. In the identity's own terms, population structure contributed +1.21 percentage points of the +1.57-point total, output per worker +0.80, the employment rate +0.02, and participation -0.46.
Output per worker adding is a change from the two windows before this one, in which it subtracted. It last added over the four quarters to 2025 Q3. The productivity and hours evidence now covers this window. In the same log-change accounting, business-sector output per hour contributes +1.19 percentage points, measured hours per employed person −0.29, and the remaining national-accounts/business-sector scope reconciliation −0.10. Together they reconcile to the +0.80-point output-per-worker term. The measures have different coverage: business-sector productivity and hours do not by themselves explain whole-economy output per worker.
This is the Brief's third reading. The quarterly headline and four-part decomposition remain the same as the second reading; the newly available productivity and hours evidence fills the previously missing sub-split. Its first reading, on evidence through 2026 Q1, said per-person output had barely moved and that the whole small gain was compositional. Two things changed that: a new quarter, and Statistics Canada's restatement of 2026 Q1 on 28 August 2026, which raised that quarter's real GDP by 0.12 per cent and by itself moved the previously published four-quarter reading from +0.19 to +0.31 percentage points.
Reading through 2026-09-02 — Real GDP per person rose 1.6% over the four quarters to 2026 Q2 and is now 0.1% below its 2022 Q3 record. A falling population did more of the work than output per worker, which also added.
Real GDP per person rose 1.6 per cent over the four quarters to 2026 Q2, to $60,944 in chained 2017 dollars. That is the largest four-quarter gain since the four quarters ending 2022 Q3, and it leaves the per-person level 0.1 per cent below the record set in that same quarter. Of the 262 quarters this record holds a per-person figure for, going back to 1961, only two stand at or above today's level: 2022 Q3 and 2026 Q2.
The gain is not mainly a production story. Real GDP grew 1.1 per cent over those four quarters while the population fell 0.5 per cent, so a smaller denominator supplied part of the rise. In the identity's own terms, population structure contributed +1.21 percentage points of the +1.57-point total, output per worker +0.80, the employment rate +0.02, and participation -0.46.
Output per worker adding is a change from the two windows before this one, in which it subtracted. It last added over the four quarters to 2025 Q3. What cannot yet be said is where that gain came from: Statistics Canada has not yet published business-sector labour productivity or hours worked for 2026 Q2, so the split of output per worker into output per hour and hours per worker is unavailable for this window and is reported as unavailable rather than estimated.
This is the Brief's second reading. Its first reading, on evidence through 2026 Q1, said per-person output had barely moved and that the whole small gain was compositional. Two things changed that: a new quarter, and Statistics Canada's restatement of 2026 Q1 on 28 August 2026, which raised that quarter's real GDP by 0.12 per cent and by itself moved the previously published four-quarter reading from +0.19 to +0.31 percentage points.
This Brief answers the Big Question Can Canada raise living standards, not just its population? · How this Brief was made — sources, method and limits →
Chapter 1§
The latest window
The latest four-quarter window of the identity: per-person growth is positive, output per worker is the largest positive contributor, and population structure also adds. The source revision changes the prior denominator reading while the labour inputs remain unchanged; the population-structure term also reflects differences between the two source populations and their revision schedules. Every figure is computed from the Brief's named scenario and held official series.
Chapter 2§
The four-term anatomy
The identity's four terms — output per worker, employment rate, participation, population structure — with each term's contribution in percentage points. A term's contribution says where the change shows up in measurement, not what caused it.
Chapter 3§
The long run
How the latest window compares with the record's full history: real GDP per person from the earliest comparable observation, split into an era-by-era ladder of population growth and per-person growth. States whether the composition of growth — how much comes from more people versus more output per person — has changed across the record, without asserting why.
This line covers 1961 Q1 to 2026 Q2 on one basis (real GDP over population, both held that far back). It is not the same as the four-term decomposition below: full decomposition, with the measured-hours subsplit, is available only from 1991 Q4 onward. The illustrative windows beneath this chart state exactly which measures cover each earlier period.
View the data table for real GDP per person, quarterly (262 points)
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 1961 Q1 | $20,115 |
| 1961 Q2 | $20,534 |
| 1961 Q3 | $20,919 |
| 1961 Q4 | $21,098 |
| 1962 Q1 | $21,566 |
| 1962 Q2 | $21,647 |
| 1962 Q3 | $21,812 |
| 1962 Q4 | $22,129 |
| 1963 Q1 | $22,175 |
| 1963 Q2 | $22,406 |
| 1963 Q3 | $22,457 |
| 1963 Q4 | $23,042 |
| 1964 Q1 | $23,519 |
| 1964 Q2 | $23,509 |
| 1964 Q3 | $23,633 |
| 1964 Q4 | $23,635 |
| 1965 Q1 | $24,286 |
| 1965 Q2 | $24,412 |
| 1965 Q3 | $24,627 |
| 1965 Q4 | $25,104 |
| 1966 Q1 | $25,490 |
| 1966 Q2 | $25,933 |
| 1966 Q3 | $25,779 |
| 1966 Q4 | $25,972 |
| 1967 Q1 | $25,808 |
| 1967 Q2 | $26,245 |
| 1967 Q3 | $26,191 |
| 1967 Q4 | $26,181 |
| 1968 Q1 | $26,311 |
| 1968 Q2 | $26,936 |
| 1968 Q3 | $27,199 |
| 1968 Q4 | $27,463 |
| 1969 Q1 | $27,741 |
| 1969 Q2 | $27,772 |
| 1969 Q3 | $27,976 |
| 1969 Q4 | $28,260 |
| 1970 Q1 | $28,340 |
| 1970 Q2 | $28,259 |
| 1970 Q3 | $28,445 |
| 1970 Q4 | $28,387 |
| 1971 Q1 | $28,155 |
| 1971 Q2 | $28,899 |
| 1971 Q3 | $29,104 |
| 1971 Q4 | $29,319 |
| 1972 Q1 | $29,150 |
| 1972 Q2 | $29,900 |
| 1972 Q3 | $29,895 |
| 1972 Q4 | $30,501 |
| 1973 Q1 | $31,202 |
| 1973 Q2 | $31,418 |
| 1973 Q3 | $31,443 |
| 1973 Q4 | $31,911 |
| 1974 Q1 | $32,063 |
| 1974 Q2 | $32,287 |
| 1974 Q3 | $32,173 |
| 1974 Q4 | $31,866 |
| 1975 Q1 | $31,594 |
| 1975 Q2 | $31,902 |
| 1975 Q3 | $32,382 |
| 1975 Q4 | $32,619 |
| 1976 Q1 | $33,097 |
| 1976 Q2 | $33,716 |
| 1976 Q3 | $33,756 |
| 1976 Q4 | $33,690 |
| 1977 Q1 | $34,123 |
| 1977 Q2 | $34,203 |
| 1977 Q3 | $34,303 |
| 1977 Q4 | $34,736 |
| 1978 Q1 | $34,966 |
| 1978 Q2 | $35,124 |
| 1978 Q3 | $35,363 |
| 1978 Q4 | $35,606 |
| 1979 Q1 | $35,821 |
| 1979 Q2 | $36,212 |
| 1979 Q3 | $36,367 |
| 1979 Q4 | $36,494 |
| 1980 Q1 | $36,647 |
| 1980 Q2 | $36,522 |
| 1980 Q3 | $36,346 |
| 1980 Q4 | $36,718 |
| 1981 Q1 | $37,415 |
| 1981 Q2 | $37,720 |
| 1981 Q3 | $37,250 |
| 1981 Q4 | $36,930 |
| 1982 Q1 | $36,421 |
| 1982 Q2 | $35,911 |
| 1982 Q3 | $35,486 |
| 1982 Q4 | $35,052 |
| 1983 Q1 | $35,555 |
| 1983 Q2 | $36,174 |
| 1983 Q3 | $36,485 |
| 1983 Q4 | $36,841 |
| 1984 Q1 | $37,408 |
| 1984 Q2 | $38,048 |
| 1984 Q3 | $38,111 |
| 1984 Q4 | $38,600 |
| 1985 Q1 | $39,126 |
| 1985 Q2 | $39,171 |
| 1985 Q3 | $39,565 |
| 1985 Q4 | $40,055 |
| 1986 Q1 | $39,961 |
| 1986 Q2 | $40,103 |
| 1986 Q3 | $40,029 |
| 1986 Q4 | $39,607 |
| 1987 Q1 | $40,416 |
| 1987 Q2 | $40,794 |
| 1987 Q3 | $41,260 |
| 1987 Q4 | $41,643 |
| 1988 Q1 | $42,154 |
| 1988 Q2 | $42,406 |
| 1988 Q3 | $42,234 |
| 1988 Q4 | $42,301 |
| 1989 Q1 | $42,632 |
| 1989 Q2 | $42,616 |
| 1989 Q3 | $42,567 |
| 1989 Q4 | $42,288 |
| 1990 Q1 | $42,600 |
| 1990 Q2 | $42,269 |
| 1990 Q3 | $41,778 |
| 1990 Q4 | $41,233 |
| 1991 Q1 | $40,571 |
| 1991 Q2 | $40,658 |
| 1991 Q3 | $40,554 |
| 1991 Q4 | $40,495 |
| 1992 Q1 | $40,446 |
| 1992 Q2 | $40,366 |
| 1992 Q3 | $40,439 |
| 1992 Q4 | $40,523 |
| 1993 Q1 | $40,695 |
| 1993 Q2 | $40,969 |
| 1993 Q3 | $41,240 |
| 1993 Q4 | $41,270 |
| 1994 Q1 | $41,807 |
| 1994 Q2 | $42,312 |
| 1994 Q3 | $42,717 |
| 1994 Q4 | $42,885 |
| 1995 Q1 | $43,212 |
| 1995 Q2 | $43,127 |
| 1995 Q3 | $43,050 |
| 1995 Q4 | $43,086 |
| 1996 Q1 | $43,074 |
| 1996 Q2 | $43,282 |
| 1996 Q3 | $43,504 |
| 1996 Q4 | $43,704 |
| 1997 Q1 | $44,225 |
| 1997 Q2 | $44,623 |
| 1997 Q3 | $45,019 |
| 1997 Q4 | $45,320 |
| 1998 Q1 | $45,908 |
| 1998 Q2 | $45,854 |
| 1998 Q3 | $46,156 |
| 1998 Q4 | $46,663 |
| 1999 Q1 | $47,461 |
| 1999 Q2 | $47,766 |
| 1999 Q3 | $48,377 |
| 1999 Q4 | $48,909 |
| 2000 Q1 | $49,619 |
| 2000 Q2 | $50,092 |
| 2000 Q3 | $50,454 |
| 2000 Q4 | $50,392 |
| 2001 Q1 | $50,609 |
| 2001 Q2 | $50,626 |
| 2001 Q3 | $50,412 |
| 2001 Q4 | $50,538 |
| 2002 Q1 | $51,211 |
| 2002 Q2 | $51,376 |
| 2002 Q3 | $51,644 |
| 2002 Q4 | $51,776 |
| 2003 Q1 | $52,017 |
| 2003 Q2 | $51,826 |
| 2003 Q3 | $51,867 |
| 2003 Q4 | $52,069 |
| 2004 Q1 | $52,383 |
| 2004 Q2 | $52,889 |
| 2004 Q3 | $53,356 |
| 2004 Q4 | $53,575 |
| 2005 Q1 | $53,701 |
| 2005 Q2 | $53,978 |
| 2005 Q3 | $54,459 |
| 2005 Q4 | $54,812 |
| 2006 Q1 | $55,186 |
| 2006 Q2 | $55,086 |
| 2006 Q3 | $55,070 |
| 2006 Q4 | $55,103 |
| 2007 Q1 | $55,392 |
| 2007 Q2 | $55,811 |
| 2007 Q3 | $55,845 |
| 2007 Q4 | $55,727 |
| 2008 Q1 | $55,687 |
| 2008 Q2 | $55,760 |
| 2008 Q3 | $56,015 |
| 2008 Q4 | $55,157 |
| 2009 Q1 | $53,824 |
| 2009 Q2 | $53,109 |
| 2009 Q3 | $53,160 |
| 2009 Q4 | $53,573 |
| 2010 Q1 | $54,141 |
| 2010 Q2 | $54,293 |
| 2010 Q3 | $54,488 |
| 2010 Q4 | $54,895 |
| 2011 Q1 | $55,258 |
| 2011 Q2 | $55,255 |
| 2011 Q3 | $55,833 |
| 2011 Q4 | $56,084 |
| 2012 Q1 | $56,024 |
| 2012 Q2 | $56,083 |
| 2012 Q3 | $55,963 |
| 2012 Q4 | $55,883 |
| 2013 Q1 | $56,307 |
| 2013 Q2 | $56,510 |
| 2013 Q3 | $56,773 |
| 2013 Q4 | $57,158 |
| 2014 Q1 | $57,193 |
| 2014 Q2 | $57,595 |
| 2014 Q3 | $57,960 |
| 2014 Q4 | $58,162 |
| 2015 Q1 | $57,813 |
| 2015 Q2 | $57,597 |
| 2015 Q3 | $57,645 |
| 2015 Q4 | $57,491 |
| 2016 Q1 | $57,754 |
| 2016 Q2 | $57,309 |
| 2016 Q3 | $57,678 |
| 2016 Q4 | $57,767 |
| 2017 Q1 | $58,404 |
| 2017 Q2 | $58,883 |
| 2017 Q3 | $58,663 |
| 2017 Q4 | $58,676 |
| 2018 Q1 | $59,230 |
| 2018 Q2 | $59,527 |
| 2018 Q3 | $59,555 |
| 2018 Q4 | $59,396 |
| 2019 Q1 | $59,415 |
| 2019 Q2 | $59,905 |
| 2019 Q3 | $59,783 |
| 2019 Q4 | $59,621 |
| 2020 Q1 | $58,304 |
| 2020 Q2 | $51,783 |
| 2020 Q3 | $56,455 |
| 2020 Q4 | $57,517 |
| 2021 Q1 | $58,450 |
| 2021 Q2 | $58,255 |
| 2021 Q3 | $59,274 |
| 2021 Q4 | $59,986 |
| 2022 Q1 | $60,455 |
| 2022 Q2 | $60,956 |
| 2022 Q3 | $61,027 |
| 2022 Q4 | $60,548 |
| 2023 Q1 | $60,877 |
| 2023 Q2 | $60,656 |
| 2023 Q3 | $60,173 |
| 2023 Q4 | $59,585 |
| 2024 Q1 | $59,678 |
| 2024 Q2 | $59,808 |
| 2024 Q3 | $59,932 |
| 2024 Q4 | $60,045 |
| 2025 Q1 | $60,383 |
| 2025 Q2 | $60,151 |
| 2025 Q3 | $60,270 |
| 2025 Q4 | $59,955 |
| 2026 Q1 | $60,014 |
| 2026 Q2 | $60,504 |
Before 1991 — illustrative context, not a fifth era. Full four-term decomposition, with the measured-hours subsplit, is available from 1991 (the fully aligned floor across all seven core series). Earlier periods provide long-run context using the longest comparable measures available: real GDP and population reach back to the start of the real GDP series; the four-term identity (without the hours subsplit) is additionally available for any window entirely within the labour force survey's own floor.
1961–1970 (1961 Q1–1970 Q4)Per person +3.53 pp/yr
- Period
- 1961–1970 (1961 Q1–1970 Q4)
- Real GDP
- +5.25 pp/yr
- Population
- +1.72 pp/yr
- Per person
- +3.53 pp/yr
- Coverage
- Real GDP and population only
1970–1980 (1970 Q4–1980 Q4)Per person +2.57 pp/yr
- Period
- 1970–1980 (1970 Q4–1980 Q4)
- Real GDP
- +3.97 pp/yr
- Population
- +1.40 pp/yr
- Per person
- +2.57 pp/yr
- Coverage
- Real GDP and population only
1980–1991 (1980 Q4–1991 Q4)Per person +0.89 pp/yr
- Period
- 1980–1991 (1980 Q4–1991 Q4)
- Real GDP
- +2.11 pp/yr
- Population
- +1.22 pp/yr
- Per person
- +0.89 pp/yr
- Coverage
- Also the four-term identity (no hours subsplit): output per worker +0.76 pp/yr, employment rate -0.30, participation +0.28, population structure +0.15
| Period (illustrative, before 1991) | Real GDP | Population | Real GDP per person | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961–1970 (1961 Q1–1970 Q4) | +5.25 pp/yr | +1.72 pp/yr | +3.53 pp/yr | Real GDP and population only |
| 1970–1980 (1970 Q4–1980 Q4) | +3.97 pp/yr | +1.40 pp/yr | +2.57 pp/yr | Real GDP and population only |
| 1980–1991 (1980 Q4–1991 Q4) | +2.11 pp/yr | +1.22 pp/yr | +0.89 pp/yr | Also the four-term identity (no hours subsplit): output per worker +0.76 pp/yr, employment rate -0.30, participation +0.28, population structure +0.15 |
Chapter 4§
The four eras
We repeat the same four-part calculation for four chosen periods, with the dates shown below. The final period runs to the latest available quarter. Showing the total and each contribution as annual rates lets us compare periods of different lengths.
The extra checks focus on total growth in GDP per person. One compares annual growth before and after the global financial crisis, over the periods shown below.
Another check moves each boundary between the four periods earlier and later, one at a time. This shows how much the GDP-per-person comparison depends on the chosen quarter. Results that fall within the pandemic shock are marked separately because the shock affects that comparison.
1991–2000 (1991 Q4–2000 Q4)Per person +2.43 pp/yr
- Era
- 1991–2000 (1991 Q4–2000 Q4)
- Per person
- +2.43 pp/yr
- Output per worker
- +1.84 pp/yr
- Employment rate
- +0.39 pp/yr
- Participation
- -0.05 pp/yr
- Population structure
- +0.25 pp/yr
2000–2010 (2000 Q4–2010 Q4)Per person +0.86 pp/yr
- Era
- 2000–2010 (2000 Q4–2010 Q4)
- Per person
- +0.86 pp/yr
- Output per worker
- +0.50 pp/yr
- Employment rate
- -0.11 pp/yr
- Participation
- +0.15 pp/yr
- Population structure
- +0.32 pp/yr
2010–2019 (2010 Q4–2019 Q4)Per person +0.92 pp/yr
- Era
- 2010–2019 (2010 Q4–2019 Q4)
- Per person
- +0.92 pp/yr
- Output per worker
- +0.78 pp/yr
- Employment rate
- +0.30 pp/yr
- Participation
- -0.20 pp/yr
- Population structure
- +0.04 pp/yr
2019–present (2019 Q4–2026 Q2)Per person +0.23 pp/yr
- Era
- 2019–present (2019 Q4–2026 Q2)
- Per person
- +0.23 pp/yr
- Output per worker
- +0.27 pp/yr
- Employment rate
- -0.22 pp/yr
- Participation
- -0.19 pp/yr
- Population structure
- +0.36 pp/yr
| Era | Per person (annualized) | Output per worker | Employment rate | Participation | Population structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991–2000 (1991 Q4–2000 Q4) | +2.43 pp/yr | +1.84 pp/yr | +0.39 pp/yr | -0.05 pp/yr | +0.25 pp/yr |
| 2000–2010 (2000 Q4–2010 Q4) | +0.86 pp/yr | +0.50 pp/yr | -0.11 pp/yr | +0.15 pp/yr | +0.32 pp/yr |
| 2010–2019 (2010 Q4–2019 Q4) | +0.92 pp/yr | +0.78 pp/yr | +0.30 pp/yr | -0.20 pp/yr | +0.04 pp/yr |
| 2019–present (2019 Q4–2026 Q2) | +0.23 pp/yr | +0.27 pp/yr | -0.22 pp/yr | -0.19 pp/yr | +0.36 pp/yr |
Every column is the identity’s own annualized log change for that era, in percentage points per year; the four right-hand columns sum to the per-person column by construction.
Global financial crisis comparison: 2000 Q4–2008 Q3, +1.36 pp/yr; 2008 Q3–2019 Q4, +0.56 pp/yr.
Wording corrected September 7, 2026: the earlier label incorrectly said this comparison ended in 2010. The recorded periods and values are unchanged.
Boundary sensitivity: each era boundary shifted two quarters earlier and later, one at a time
| Boundary | Shift | Era before | Era after | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 Q4 | -2 quarters | +2.50 pp/yr | +0.87 pp/yr | — |
| 2000 Q4 | +2 quarters | +2.35 pp/yr | +0.85 pp/yr | — |
| 2010 Q4 | -2 quarters | +0.79 pp/yr | +0.98 pp/yr | — |
| 2010 Q4 | +2 quarters | +0.88 pp/yr | +0.90 pp/yr | — |
| 2019 Q4 | -2 quarters | +1.03 pp/yr | +0.14 pp/yr | — |
| 2019 Q4 | +2 quarters | -0.61 pp/yr | +2.59 pp/yr | Lands inside the record's documented COVID-19 shock window -- not a fair boundary test, reported rather than smoothed over. |
Chapter 5§
The post-2019 break
The current era set against its predecessors: population growth running faster than in any earlier era while per-person growth runs slower than in any earlier era. Locates the record's per-person peak and states how the latest level compares with it, including how long the level has gone without a new peak. Decomposes the change from that peak to the latest quarter into the same four terms used throughout, so the peak-to-latest movement is read on the identical basis as every era above it.
| Record per-person peak | 2022 Q3 ($61,027 chained) |
|---|---|
| Latest quarter shown | 2026 Q2 ($60,504 chained, -0.86% against the peak) |
| Latest level first reached | 2022 Q2 |
| Quarters since a new peak | 14 quarters and counting |
| Term | Cumulative change since the peak |
|---|---|
| Per person, peak to latest (cumulative) | -0.86 pp |
| Output per worker | -0.09 pp |
| Employment rate | -2.21 pp |
| Participation | -0.46 pp |
| Population structure | +1.90 pp |
Cumulative log-change contributions from the peak quarter to the latest quarter, in percentage points; the four terms sum to the total by construction.
From the economy to the household · Q4 2025
An average can hide who is falling behind
Canada’s estimated average net saving was positive. 3 of the five income groups had negative averages.
In October–December 2025, estimated net saving averaged $1,913 per household, compared with $2,068 in the same quarter of 2024. The group averages below show why that national figure cannot describe everyone.
Current dollars per household, for one quarter; not seasonally adjusted. These are Statistics Canada estimates of group means, not medians or a count of households in difficulty. Comparing Q4 with Q4 reduces seasonal differences. Dollar changes have not been adjusted for inflation.
Net saving by income group
Each fifth contains 20% of households, ranked by disposable income adjusted for household size. A negative group average does not mean every household in that group spent more than it earned. Households can move between groups over time; this is not a fixed panel.
An estimation limit: quarterly spending distributions use annual spending patterns and assume the same proportional change within each spending category across household groups. Actual groups may have adjusted spending differently, which also affects estimated saving.
What goes into the national average?
Disposable income
$27,356− Consumption
$26,336+ Pension adjustment
$893= Net saving
$1,913Terms are rounded to the nearest dollar and may not sum exactly.
Net saving is an accounting measure, not cash left in a bank account. It adds the change in pension entitlements to disposable income minus consumption. Consumption also includes estimated services such as the housing services owners receive from their own homes. A negative number does not establish whether households borrowed, sold assets or drew on other resources.
Compare the exact income and saving figures
| Income group | Income, Q4 2025 ($) | Consumption ($) | Pension adjustment ($) | Net saving ($) | Net saving, Q4 2024 ($) | Change ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All households | $27,356 | $26,336 | $893 | $1,913 | $2,068 | −$155 |
| Lowest income fifth | $8,185 | $18,627 | −$374 | −$10,816 | −$10,095 | −$721 |
| Second income fifth | $16,858 | $21,461 | −$919 | −$5,523 | −$4,883 | −$640 |
| Third income fifth | $23,807 | $25,236 | −$73 | −$1,502 | −$1,463 | −$39 |
| Fourth income fifth | $32,211 | $27,612 | $2,380 | $6,978 | $6,410 | +$568 |
| Highest income fifth | $55,720 | $38,744 | $3,452 | $20,428 | $20,373 | +$55 |
Net saving = disposable income − consumption + change in pension entitlements. Source amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar, so the four displayed terms may differ by up to $2. We do not add or take a simple average of group means to construct Canada’s figure.
Accounting for the change · Q4 2024 → Q4 2025
What changed the saving balance?
Income, consumption and the pension adjustment can move in different directions. Compare their signed contributions to the change in estimated average net saving.
Current dollars per household; not seasonally adjusted or adjusted for inflation. This is an accounting explanation, not evidence of what caused a change. These are changing group means, not the experience of the same households over time.
All households
Change in estimated average net saving
Q4 2024: $2,068 → Q4 2025: $1,913 per household.
Lowest income fifth
Change in estimated average net saving
Q4 2024: −$10,095 → Q4 2025: −$10,816 per household.
Second income fifth
Change in estimated average net saving
Q4 2024: −$4,883 → Q4 2025: −$5,523 per household.
Third income fifth
Change in estimated average net saving
Q4 2024: −$1,463 → Q4 2025: −$1,502 per household.
Fourth income fifth
Change in estimated average net saving
Q4 2024: $6,410 → Q4 2025: $6,978 per household.
Highest income fifth
Change in estimated average net saving
Q4 2024: $20,373 → Q4 2025: $20,428 per household.
Bars share one scale across this selector: $1,367 on either side of zero. Solid bars add to the balance; hatched bars subtract. A rise in consumption enters with a minus sign. The separately reported rounding difference makes the components sum to the reported change; it is not an economic effect.
Change in net saving = change in disposable income − change in consumption + change in the pension adjustment + rounding difference. Each source term is rounded to the nearest dollar; the difference between the two accounting balances can therefore contain up to $4 of rounding. We retain it, including zero.
Download all income-group contributions and source balances (CSV)
Every income group: the exact change and both source balances
| Group | Income change ($) | − Consumption change ($) | Pension change ($) | Rounding ($) | Saving change ($) | Saving, Q4 2024 ($) | Saving, Q4 2025 ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All households | +$786 | −$978 | +$37 | $0 | −$155 | $2,068 | $1,913 |
| Lowest income fifth | +$52 | −$810 | +$38 | −$1 | −$721 | −$10,095 | −$10,816 |
| Second income fifth | +$304 | −$844 | −$99 | −$1 | −$640 | −$4,883 | −$5,523 |
| Third income fifth | +$1,103 | −$971 | −$171 | $0 | −$39 | −$1,463 | −$1,502 |
| Fourth income fifth | +$1,367 | −$940 | +$142 | −$1 | +$568 | $6,410 | $6,978 |
| Highest income fifth | +$1,104 | −$1,325 | +$276 | $0 | +$55 | $20,373 | $20,428 |
| Group | Period | Income ($) | Consumption ($) | Pension adjustment ($) | Net saving ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All households | Q4 2024 | $26,570 | $25,358 | $856 | $2,068 |
| All households | Q4 2025 | $27,356 | $26,336 | $893 | $1,913 |
| Lowest income fifth | Q4 2024 | $8,133 | $17,817 | −$412 | −$10,095 |
| Lowest income fifth | Q4 2025 | $8,185 | $18,627 | −$374 | −$10,816 |
| Second income fifth | Q4 2024 | $16,554 | $20,617 | −$820 | −$4,883 |
| Second income fifth | Q4 2025 | $16,858 | $21,461 | −$919 | −$5,523 |
| Third income fifth | Q4 2024 | $22,704 | $24,265 | $98 | −$1,463 |
| Third income fifth | Q4 2025 | $23,807 | $25,236 | −$73 | −$1,502 |
| Fourth income fifth | Q4 2024 | $30,844 | $26,672 | $2,238 | $6,410 |
| Fourth income fifth | Q4 2025 | $32,211 | $27,612 | $2,380 | $6,978 |
| Highest income fifth | Q4 2024 | $54,616 | $37,419 | $3,176 | $20,373 |
| Highest income fifth | Q4 2025 | $55,720 | $38,744 | $3,452 | $20,428 |
All rows remain available here without JavaScript. Canada is the issuer’s national estimate; group and regional means are not summed or averaged to construct it. Negative saving includes the pension adjustment and imputed consumption; it is not cash left in a bank account or proof of borrowing.
Both quarters come from the same source edition. This comparison measures changes between reference periods, not revisions to an earlier published estimate. Quarterly consumption uses annual spending patterns and shared proportional changes within categories; actual group and regional spending changes may differ.
Statistics Canada: Household income, consumption and saving distributions · 36-10-0662-01. Released 2026-04-13; captured 2026-09-08. Source ZIP SHA-256: 56c443cb277ef0411f490a9b2b91cd6b29484739f27f0a7e8aee1a8c6be2484f. Exact vectors and coordinates are retained with the source observations.
The wealth fifths below are not the income fifths above. The two sets of averages cannot be joined to describe the same households.
Wealth — a different grouping: the highest wealth fifth held 65.7% of net worth
At the end of 2025, the wealthiest fifth held 65.7% of net worth, compared with 65.2% a year earlier. Net worth means assets minus liabilities at a point in time. It is a stock of wealth, separate from income and saving during a quarter.
These are wealth groups, not the income groups above. We cannot join the two sets of averages to describe the same households. Negative net worth means liabilities exceed assets in that group on average; the negative share is retained in the table.
| Wealth group | Assets ($) | Liabilities ($) | Net worth, Q4 2025 ($) | Net worth, Q4 2024 ($) | Share of net worth (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All households | $1,268,248 | $189,606 | $1,078,642 | $1,024,750 | 100.0 |
| Lowest wealth fifth | $99,066 | $103,674 | −$4,608 | −$3,887 | −0.1 |
| Second wealth fifth | $311,454 | $143,547 | $167,907 | $163,842 | 3.1 |
| Third wealth fifth | $730,156 | $203,971 | $526,185 | $510,071 | 9.8 |
| Fourth wealth fifth | $1,377,774 | $217,628 | $1,160,145 | $1,111,522 | 21.5 |
| Highest wealth fifth | $3,822,787 | $279,209 | $3,543,579 | $3,342,201 | 65.7 |
Statistics Canada aligns survey wealth distributions with national balance-sheet totals and models periods without a wealth survey. Its method includes adjustments for populations the survey does not cover, including the territories. Asset values and distribution estimates can both be revised.
Statistics Canada: Household wealth distributions · 36-10-0660-01. Released 2026-04-13; captured 2026-09-08. Source ZIP SHA-256: af1182dc0b145b5571cf73bc4ee0324b4c1473e6eed65763a2adee0c9bbfa32d. Exact vectors and coordinates are retained with the source observations.
Debt payments: 14.52% of income before interest, Q2 2026
National required principal and interest payments were 14.52% of household disposable income before interest payments in April–June 2026. That compares with 14.68% in Q1 2026, a change of −0.16 percentage points. Interest alone accounted for 8.51%.
The September 11 source edition revises Q1 to 14.68%, from the 14.75% in the earlier June edition. The quarter-to-quarter change below uses the revised Q1 value; the earlier reading remains in the dated record.
A separate national comparison: these debt-service estimates are seasonally adjusted; the dollar flows are expressed at annual rates. They are newer than the household distributions above and cannot tell us the payment burden of any income or wealth group. The denominator adds interest back to disposable income; it is not the income amount in the saving panel.
| Measure | Q1 2026 | Q2 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Disposable income ($ millions, annual rate) | 1,821,552 | 1,860,216 |
| Interest payments ($ millions, annual rate) | 170,596 | 173,064 |
| Income before interest ($ millions, annual rate) | 1,992,148 | 2,033,280 |
| Required principal ($ millions, annual rate) | 121,872 | 122,232 |
| Total debt payments ($ millions, annual rate) | 292,468 | 295,296 |
| Total debt service (%) | 14.68 | 14.52 |
| Interest-only debt service (%) | 8.56 | 8.51 |
Total debt service (%) = 100 × (required principal + interest) ÷ disposable income before interest. We check that the rounded official ratio reconciles to its own published flows. The dollar flows are rounded to millions, so totals may not sum exactly. This is different from debt-to-income, which compares a debt balance with income.
Statistics Canada: Debt service indicators · 11-10-0065-01. Released 2026-09-11; captured 2026-10-04. Source ZIP SHA-256: 564773fc7389621ac2243519a81ad38179d765843c68c9794f186dd09cbf3cac. Exact vectors and coordinates are retained with the source observations.
Sources, estimation limits and what changes next
Statistics Canada: Household income, consumption and saving distributions · 36-10-0662-01. Released 2026-04-13; captured 2026-09-08. Source ZIP SHA-256: 56c443cb277ef0411f490a9b2b91cd6b29484739f27f0a7e8aee1a8c6be2484f. Exact vectors and coordinates are retained with the source observations.
These institutional estimates combine macroeconomic totals with surveys, administrative inputs and modelling. Statistics Canada imputes missing elements and benchmarks the distributions to national accounts. The household-size adjustment used for income grouping counts the first adult as 1, other people aged 14 or older as 0.5, and younger children as 0.3. Amounts here remain means per household. Groups can change over time; this is not a fixed panel of households.
Read the household equivalence scale, income and consumption methods, quarterly consumption assumptions, group definitions, saving definition and wealth estimation report.
What changed in this page: this first household context compares Q4 2025 with Q4 2024 using one revised source edition. It adds a distributional view alongside the existing GDP-per-person explanation; it does not change that decomposition. A comparison year is not an earlier published vintage, and it does not measure the size of a revision.
The April 13, 2026 release revised income, consumption and saving from Q1 2025 and wealth back to 2010. It also announced a return to annual publication: reference year 2026 is scheduled for April 13, 2027. Quarterly observations do not imply quarterly releases.
Maintenance: check the issuer’s next release or correction, preserve the replacement tables and methods, compare revisions and recalculate before changing this reading. Debt-service observations are quarterly and follow their separate source release schedule. These manual source checks do not promise automatic publication.
Adapted from Statistics Canada, 2026. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
The same quarter, across Canada · Q4 2025
How net saving changed across Canada
Estimated average net saving fell in 9 provinces and territories, and rose in 4.
The national average changed by −$155 per household from Q4 2024 to Q4 2025. Showing all ten provinces and three territories makes the different directions visible.
Current dollars per household for one quarter; not seasonally adjusted. These are average accounting balances, including pension adjustments. Prices, household size and population composition differ across regions, so a larger dollar figure does not establish a higher standard of living.
Quarterly consumption is allocated using annual spending patterns; actual regional spending changes may differ from the model’s shared assumptions. That uncertainty also affects saving.
Coverage: all 13 provinces and territories, with none excluded from this panel. The territorial estimates use additional source information because the main income-model database covers the ten provinces. Comparable accounting concepts do not mean identical underlying survey coverage.
Solid vertical line: zero. Dashed reference: Canada’s Q4 2025 average, $1,913. Each row uses the same dollar scale; regions are in geographic order.
Read the regional income, consumption and pension components
| Region | Income ($) | Consumption ($) | Pension adjustment ($) | Saving, Q4 2025 ($) | Saving, Q4 2024 ($) | Change ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $27,356 | $26,336 | $893 | $1,913 | $2,068 | −$155 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $24,428 | $23,923 | $81 | $585 | $756 | −$171 |
| Prince Edward Island | $25,159 | $23,030 | $694 | $2,823 | $2,778 | +$45 |
| Nova Scotia | $23,184 | $24,047 | $975 | $112 | $202 | −$90 |
| New Brunswick | $23,363 | $23,423 | $826 | $767 | $878 | −$111 |
| Quebec | $22,966 | $22,336 | $1,826 | $2,456 | $2,220 | +$236 |
| Ontario | $28,445 | $27,750 | $785 | $1,480 | $1,991 | −$511 |
| Manitoba | $26,176 | $25,650 | $769 | $1,296 | $1,433 | −$137 |
| Saskatchewan | $28,929 | $26,110 | $440 | $3,259 | $3,091 | +$168 |
| Alberta | $31,939 | $28,499 | −$191 | $3,249 | $3,337 | −$88 |
| British Columbia | $29,867 | $29,160 | $655 | $1,363 | $1,410 | −$47 |
| Yukon | $34,434 | $26,084 | $437 | $8,788 | $8,802 | −$14 |
| Northwest Territories | $41,013 | $33,577 | $1,021 | $8,457 | $8,391 | +$66 |
| Nunavut | $34,576 | $26,876 | $3,326 | $11,025 | $11,330 | −$305 |
Disposable income − consumption + change in pension entitlements = net saving, subject to source rounding. The regional means cannot be summed or averaged equally to reproduce Canada. This panel describes differences; it does not identify their causes or individual households’ financial choices.
Accounting for the change · Q4 2024 → Q4 2025
What changed the saving balance?
Income, consumption and the pension adjustment can move in different directions. Compare their signed contributions to the change in estimated average net saving.
Current dollars per household; not seasonally adjusted or adjusted for inflation. This is an accounting explanation, not evidence of what caused a change. These are changing group means, not the experience of the same households over time.
Canada
Change in estimated average net saving
Q4 2024: $2,068 → Q4 2025: $1,913 per household.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Change in estimated average net saving
Q4 2024: $756 → Q4 2025: $585 per household.
Prince Edward Island
Change in estimated average net saving
Q4 2024: $2,778 → Q4 2025: $2,823 per household.
Nova Scotia
Change in estimated average net saving
Q4 2024: $202 → Q4 2025: $112 per household.
New Brunswick
Change in estimated average net saving
Q4 2024: $878 → Q4 2025: $767 per household.
Quebec
Change in estimated average net saving
Q4 2024: $2,220 → Q4 2025: $2,456 per household.
Ontario
Change in estimated average net saving
Q4 2024: $1,991 → Q4 2025: $1,480 per household.
Manitoba
Change in estimated average net saving
Q4 2024: $1,433 → Q4 2025: $1,296 per household.
Saskatchewan
Change in estimated average net saving
Q4 2024: $3,091 → Q4 2025: $3,259 per household.
Alberta
Change in estimated average net saving
Q4 2024: $3,337 → Q4 2025: $3,249 per household.
British Columbia
Change in estimated average net saving
Q4 2024: $1,410 → Q4 2025: $1,363 per household.
Yukon
Change in estimated average net saving
Q4 2024: $8,802 → Q4 2025: $8,788 per household.
Northwest Territories
Change in estimated average net saving
Q4 2024: $8,391 → Q4 2025: $8,457 per household.
Nunavut
Change in estimated average net saving
Q4 2024: $11,330 → Q4 2025: $11,025 per household.
Bars share one scale across this selector: $1,269 on either side of zero. Solid bars add to the balance; hatched bars subtract. A rise in consumption enters with a minus sign. The separately reported rounding difference makes the components sum to the reported change; it is not an economic effect.
Change in net saving = change in disposable income − change in consumption + change in the pension adjustment + rounding difference. Each source term is rounded to the nearest dollar; the difference between the two accounting balances can therefore contain up to $4 of rounding. We retain it, including zero.
Download all regional contributions and source balances (CSV)
Every province and territory: the exact change and both source balances
| Group | Income change ($) | − Consumption change ($) | Pension change ($) | Rounding ($) | Saving change ($) | Saving, Q4 2024 ($) | Saving, Q4 2025 ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | +$786 | −$978 | +$37 | $0 | −$155 | $2,068 | $1,913 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | +$617 | −$801 | +$14 | −$1 | −$171 | $756 | $585 |
| Prince Edward Island | +$614 | −$592 | +$24 | −$1 | +$45 | $2,778 | $2,823 |
| Nova Scotia | +$668 | −$794 | +$36 | $0 | −$90 | $202 | $112 |
| New Brunswick | +$630 | −$776 | +$34 | +$1 | −$111 | $878 | $767 |
| Quebec | +$1,043 | −$879 | +$72 | $0 | +$236 | $2,220 | $2,456 |
| Ontario | +$463 | −$1,008 | +$33 | +$1 | −$511 | $1,991 | $1,480 |
| Manitoba | +$792 | −$963 | +$33 | +$1 | −$137 | $1,433 | $1,296 |
| Saskatchewan | +$1,085 | −$940 | +$24 | −$1 | +$168 | $3,091 | $3,259 |
| Alberta | +$733 | −$829 | +$8 | $0 | −$88 | $3,337 | $3,249 |
| British Columbia | +$1,192 | −$1,269 | +$29 | +$1 | −$47 | $1,410 | $1,363 |
| Yukon | +$1,086 | −$1,133 | +$33 | $0 | −$14 | $8,802 | $8,788 |
| Northwest Territories | +$1,115 | −$1,107 | +$58 | $0 | +$66 | $8,391 | $8,457 |
| Nunavut | +$769 | −$1,204 | +$130 | $0 | −$305 | $11,330 | $11,025 |
| Group | Period | Income ($) | Consumption ($) | Pension adjustment ($) | Net saving ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Q4 2024 | $26,570 | $25,358 | $856 | $2,068 |
| Canada | Q4 2025 | $27,356 | $26,336 | $893 | $1,913 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Q4 2024 | $23,811 | $23,122 | $67 | $756 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Q4 2025 | $24,428 | $23,923 | $81 | $585 |
| Prince Edward Island | Q4 2024 | $24,545 | $22,438 | $670 | $2,778 |
| Prince Edward Island | Q4 2025 | $25,159 | $23,030 | $694 | $2,823 |
| Nova Scotia | Q4 2024 | $22,516 | $23,253 | $939 | $202 |
| Nova Scotia | Q4 2025 | $23,184 | $24,047 | $975 | $112 |
| New Brunswick | Q4 2024 | $22,733 | $22,647 | $792 | $878 |
| New Brunswick | Q4 2025 | $23,363 | $23,423 | $826 | $767 |
| Quebec | Q4 2024 | $21,923 | $21,457 | $1,754 | $2,220 |
| Quebec | Q4 2025 | $22,966 | $22,336 | $1,826 | $2,456 |
| Ontario | Q4 2024 | $27,982 | $26,742 | $752 | $1,991 |
| Ontario | Q4 2025 | $28,445 | $27,750 | $785 | $1,480 |
| Manitoba | Q4 2024 | $25,384 | $24,687 | $736 | $1,433 |
| Manitoba | Q4 2025 | $26,176 | $25,650 | $769 | $1,296 |
| Saskatchewan | Q4 2024 | $27,844 | $25,170 | $416 | $3,091 |
| Saskatchewan | Q4 2025 | $28,929 | $26,110 | $440 | $3,259 |
| Alberta | Q4 2024 | $31,206 | $27,670 | −$199 | $3,337 |
| Alberta | Q4 2025 | $31,939 | $28,499 | −$191 | $3,249 |
| British Columbia | Q4 2024 | $28,675 | $27,891 | $626 | $1,410 |
| British Columbia | Q4 2025 | $29,867 | $29,160 | $655 | $1,363 |
| Yukon | Q4 2024 | $33,348 | $24,951 | $404 | $8,802 |
| Yukon | Q4 2025 | $34,434 | $26,084 | $437 | $8,788 |
| Northwest Territories | Q4 2024 | $39,898 | $32,470 | $963 | $8,391 |
| Northwest Territories | Q4 2025 | $41,013 | $33,577 | $1,021 | $8,457 |
| Nunavut | Q4 2024 | $33,807 | $25,672 | $3,196 | $11,330 |
| Nunavut | Q4 2025 | $34,576 | $26,876 | $3,326 | $11,025 |
All rows remain available here without JavaScript. Canada is the issuer’s national estimate; group and regional means are not summed or averaged to construct it. Negative saving includes the pension adjustment and imputed consumption; it is not cash left in a bank account or proof of borrowing.
Both quarters come from the same source edition. This comparison measures changes between reference periods, not revisions to an earlier published estimate. Quarterly consumption uses annual spending patterns and shared proportional changes within categories; actual group and regional spending changes may differ.
Statistics Canada: Regional household income, consumption and saving · 36-10-0663-01. Released 2026-04-13; captured 2026-09-08. Source ZIP SHA-256: 703b522fe24ce3c639f682b179265b4c3d0742f3f8b40090d3d6d62e3751ddab. Exact vectors and coordinates are retained with the source observations.
Regional sources, limits and comparison history
Statistics Canada: Regional household income, consumption and saving · 36-10-0663-01. Released 2026-04-13; captured 2026-09-08. Source ZIP SHA-256: 703b522fe24ce3c639f682b179265b4c3d0742f3f8b40090d3d6d62e3751ddab. Exact vectors and coordinates are retained with the source observations.
The income-input documentation explains the territorial supplements. The spending-input documentation describes differences in survey coverage, including exclusions from the underlying household-spending survey. These are national-accounts estimates, not a direct survey of every resident.
Both quarters come from the April 2026 edition. This is the first regional panel in this Brief; the older GDP and housing readings remain intact. A regional change in current dollars is not a measure of local inflation, service quality or the experience of a fixed household.
Maintenance follows the same annual household-distribution release and correction checks as the income panel. Before an update, retain the old reading, verify all 13 regional records and check that definitions and the national reconciliation still agree. No Bank of Canada survey is needed to describe this published accounting split.
Adapted from Statistics Canada, 2026. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
How household income changed
Average disposable income rose by $786 per household between the fourth quarters of 2024 and 2025. The national change combines several movements. The five income groups show why a single average does not tell the whole story.
Each amount below contributes to the change in disposable income. A fall in a payment contributes positively; a rise contributes negatively. These are accounting contributions, not identified causes. Expand a group to inspect all six terms.
All households+$786
Lowest income fifth+$52
Second income fifth+$304
Third income fifth+$1,103
Fourth income fifth+$1,367
Highest income fifth+$1,104
Disposable income = compensation + net mixed income + property income received − property income paid + current transfers received − current transfers paid + rounding residual. No subcomponent is added again to its parent. Compensation is broader than wages; current transfers paid are broader than taxes.
See every source amount and reconciliation check
| Group and account | 2024 Q4 | 2025 Q4 | Signed contribution to income change |
|---|---|---|---|
| All households · Compensation of employees | $23,287 | $23,861 | +$574 |
| All households · Net mixed income | $4,362 | $4,710 | +$348 |
| All households · Property income received | $5,211 | $5,224 | +$13 |
| All households · Property income paid | $2,099 | $2,007 | +$92 |
| All households · Current transfers received | $7,042 | $7,127 | +$85 |
| All households · Current transfers paid | $11,232 | $11,558 | −$326 |
| All households · Rounding residual | −$1 | −$1 | $0 |
| All households · Disposable income | $26,570 | $27,356 | +$786 |
| Lowest income fifth · Compensation of employees | $2,806 | $2,813 | +$7 |
| Lowest income fifth · Net mixed income | $1,684 | $1,784 | +$100 |
| Lowest income fifth · Property income received | $1,078 | $918 | −$160 |
| Lowest income fifth · Property income paid | $1,407 | $1,308 | +$99 |
| Lowest income fifth · Current transfers received | $7,181 | $7,356 | +$175 |
| Lowest income fifth · Current transfers paid | $3,210 | $3,378 | −$168 |
| Lowest income fifth · Rounding residual | $1 | $0 | −$1 |
| Lowest income fifth · Disposable income | $8,133 | $8,185 | +$52 |
| Second income fifth · Compensation of employees | $9,128 | $9,183 | +$55 |
| Second income fifth · Net mixed income | $3,183 | $3,406 | +$223 |
| Second income fifth · Property income received | $1,723 | $1,726 | +$3 |
| Second income fifth · Property income paid | $1,549 | $1,475 | +$74 |
| Second income fifth · Current transfers received | $8,339 | $8,405 | +$66 |
| Second income fifth · Current transfers paid | $4,271 | $4,387 | −$116 |
| Second income fifth · Rounding residual | $1 | $0 | −$1 |
| Second income fifth · Disposable income | $16,554 | $16,858 | +$304 |
| Third income fifth · Compensation of employees | $18,430 | $18,715 | +$285 |
| Third income fifth · Net mixed income | $4,078 | $4,454 | +$376 |
| Third income fifth · Property income received | $2,850 | $2,812 | −$38 |
| Third income fifth · Property income paid | $2,026 | $1,927 | +$99 |
| Third income fifth · Current transfers received | $7,946 | $8,259 | +$313 |
| Third income fifth · Current transfers paid | $8,573 | $8,506 | +$67 |
| Third income fifth · Rounding residual | −$1 | $0 | +$1 |
| Third income fifth · Disposable income | $22,704 | $23,807 | +$1,103 |
| Fourth income fifth · Compensation of employees | $31,128 | $32,377 | +$1,249 |
| Fourth income fifth · Net mixed income | $5,405 | $5,893 | +$488 |
| Fourth income fifth · Property income received | $4,400 | $4,411 | +$11 |
| Fourth income fifth · Property income paid | $2,526 | $2,445 | +$81 |
| Fourth income fifth · Current transfers received | $6,080 | $6,226 | +$146 |
| Fourth income fifth · Current transfers paid | $13,643 | $14,253 | −$610 |
| Fourth income fifth · Rounding residual | $0 | $2 | +$2 |
| Fourth income fifth · Disposable income | $30,844 | $32,211 | +$1,367 |
| Highest income fifth · Compensation of employees | $54,942 | $56,217 | +$1,275 |
| Highest income fifth · Net mixed income | $7,459 | $8,014 | +$555 |
| Highest income fifth · Property income received | $16,005 | $16,251 | +$246 |
| Highest income fifth · Property income paid | $2,989 | $2,882 | +$107 |
| Highest income fifth · Current transfers received | $5,662 | $5,387 | −$275 |
| Highest income fifth · Current transfers paid | $26,463 | $27,267 | −$804 |
| Highest income fifth · Rounding residual | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Highest income fifth · Disposable income | $54,616 | $55,720 | +$1,104 |
Income fifths are ranked using household disposable income adjusted for household size and composition (the OECD-modified equivalence scale). The displayed amounts are averages per household, not per consumption unit. Households can move between groups. These are not medians, fixed cohorts, wealth fifths or inflation-adjusted purchasing power. Cells are rounded to the nearest dollar; the residual remains visible and is not an economic factor.
Statistics Canada, table 36-10-0662-01; released 2026-04-13, captured 2026-09-08, assessed 2026-10-05. Reference quarters: 2024 Q4 and 2025 Q4. The newer national saving and debt-service panels retain their separate periods and source editions. Source ZIP SHA-256: 56c443cb277ef0411f490a9b2b91cd6b29484739f27f0a7e8aee1a8c6be2484f.
Saving differs across household circumstances
The national average combines households with very different incomes, spending and pension accruals. These comparisons keep the quarter fixed: Q4 2024 to Q4 2025, in current dollars per household.
On narrow screens, scroll charts and tables sideways to read all values.
The saving change by housing tenure
Read the table: The saving change by housing tenure — Q4 2024 to Q4 2025, dollars per household
| Household group | Saving 2024 | Saving 2025 | Change | Income contribution | Spending contribution | Pension contribution | Rounding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner with mortgage | 5,793 | 5,395 | −398 | +608 | −1,133 | +128 | −1 |
| Owner without mortgage | −581 | −754 | −173 | +1,036 | −1,077 | −133 | +1 |
| Renter | 111 | 269 | +158 | +758 | −692 | +92 | 0 |
The saving change by age of the major income earner
Read the table: The saving change by age of the major income earner — Q4 2024 to Q4 2025, dollars per household
| Household group | Saving 2024 | Saving 2025 | Change | Income contribution | Spending contribution | Pension contribution | Rounding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 35 years | 4,530 | 5,011 | +481 | +1,446 | −1,259 | +294 | 0 |
| 35 to 44 years | 5,572 | 6,107 | +535 | +1,287 | −914 | +162 | 0 |
| 45 to 54 years | 4,534 | 4,176 | −358 | +967 | −1,390 | +65 | 0 |
| 55 to 64 years | 551 | −72 | −623 | +1,093 | −1,662 | −55 | +1 |
| 65 years and over | −2,082 | −2,610 | −528 | −70 | −396 | −62 | 0 |
Across all households, quarterly net saving moved from $2,068 to $1,913, a change of −155 dollars per household.
What these saving comparisons mean
Net saving equals disposable income minus final consumption expenditure plus the change in pension entitlements, subject to source rounding. The bridge reports the signed change in each term; higher spending contributes negatively. Pension-entitlement changes are an accounting accrual, not cash available to spend. Negative saving does not identify whether households borrowed, sold assets or drew down deposits.
These are group averages, not a typical household or a fixed cohort. Age means the age of the major income earner. Renters include households with partially or fully subsidized rent. Tenure and age are separate classifications; their averages must not be added together. Changing household composition, prices and membership can affect the comparison. The source figures are unadjusted quarterly amounts, not annualized values.
Public services add to measured household resources
Social transfers in kind add the value of individual services supplied by government and non-profit institutions to disposable income. They include health, education and other services. Adjusted disposable income therefore describes a broader resource measure; the addition is not a cash payment.
On narrow screens, scroll charts and tables sideways to read all values.
In Q4 2025, services in kind accounted for 48.5% of adjusted disposable income in the lowest income fifth and 11.2% in the highest. These are shares of the broader income measure, not shares of cash income.
Read the table: Income and services in kind — current dollars per household in Q4
| Income fifth | Income 2024 | Services 2024 | Adjusted 2024 | Income 2025 | Services 2025 | Adjusted 2025 | Services / adjusted 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest income fifth | 8,133 | 7,516 | 15,650 | 8,185 | 7,698 | 15,883 | 48.5% |
| Second income fifth | 16,554 | 8,348 | 24,902 | 16,858 | 8,347 | 25,205 | 33.1% |
| Third income fifth | 22,704 | 8,364 | 31,068 | 23,807 | 8,288 | 32,095 | 25.8% |
| Fourth income fifth | 30,844 | 7,901 | 38,745 | 32,211 | 7,757 | 39,967 | 19.4% |
| Highest income fifth | 54,616 | 7,188 | 61,803 | 55,720 | 7,041 | 62,761 | 11.2% |
Read the table: Change in adjusted disposable income — Q4 2024 to Q4 2025, dollars per household
| Income fifth | Income change | Services change | Rounding | Adjusted-income change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest income fifth | +52 | +182 | −1 | +233 |
| Second income fifth | +304 | −1 | 0 | +303 |
| Third income fifth | +1,103 | −76 | 0 | +1,027 |
| Fourth income fifth | +1,367 | −144 | −1 | +1,222 |
| Highest income fifth | +1,104 | −147 | +1 | +958 |
Definitions and comparison limits
Adjusted disposable income equals disposable income plus social transfers in kind, with any rounding difference shown in the bridge. The income-side services total is counted once; the same services also appear on the consumption side of the accounts and are not an additional benefit to add again.
Income fifths are formed using household disposable income adjusted for household size and composition with the OECD-modified scale. Displayed values remain dollars per household, not per consumption unit. The groups can contain different households in each period. These estimates measure the value allocated to households, not service quality, access, outcomes or equal purchasing power.
Source: Statistics Canada, table 36-10-0662-01. Released 13 April 2026; held capture 8 September 2026. Q4 2024 and Q4 2025. Current dollars per household, not adjusted for inflation or seasonal patterns.
Where household saving comes from
Canada’s household saving rate was 3.7% in 2026 Q2, compared with 3.3% in 2026 Q1. Net saving rose by $7.0bn at an annual rate. The bridge below separates the change in disposable income, spending and pension entitlements. It describes an accounting change; it does not identify its causes.
| Account | 2026 Q1 | 2026 Q2 |
|---|---|---|
| Compensation of employees | $1,653.9bn | $1,679.1bn |
| Net mixed income | $315.0bn | $320.5bn |
| Net property income | $197.8bn | $197.8bn |
| Current transfers received | $487.2bn | $512.6bn |
| Current transfers paid | $832.3bn | $849.8bn |
| Disposable income | $1,821.6bn | $1,860.2bn |
| Household final consumption expenditure | $1,813.4bn | $1,844.1bn |
| Pension entitlement adjustment | $52.8bn | $51.8bn |
| Net saving | $60.9bn | $67.9bn |
| Account | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Disposable income | +$38.7bn |
| Household final consumption expenditure | −$30.7bn |
| Pension entitlement adjustment | −$0.9bn |
| Change in net saving | +$7.0bn |
| Rounding residual | $0.0bn |
Net saving = disposable income − consumption + the pension entitlement adjustment. Annual rates are a scaled pace, not dollars received or spent during the quarter. These are national totals, not the experience of a typical household; they are not adjusted for population or inflation. Employment Insurance and income-tax subcomponents are available in Data but are not added again to their parent transfers.
Statistics Canada, table 36-10-0112-01; released August 28, 2026; captured October 4. The September debt-service release has its own source vintage.
Consumption beyond the household bill
In 2025, households’ actual final consumption was $2,289.1bn. It includes $528.4bn of individual goods and services supplied by governments and non-profit institutions—23.1% of the total. Household expenditure alone therefore leaves out part of what households consume.
| Component | Value |
|---|---|
| Household spending | $1,760.6bn |
| Government-supplied individual consumption | $479.8bn |
| Non-profit-supplied individual consumption | $48.6bn |
| Published actual final consumption | $2,289.1bn |
The published components sum to +1.2 million dollars more than the published total. The discrepancy appears in both the issuer’s API and CSV and is retained here; the total has not been silently replaced. These are nominal aggregates, not a measure of service quality or access. Government services here exclude collective services. Canada has a 2025 observation; the provincial and territorial series in Data currently end in 2024.
Statistics Canada, table 36-10-0609-01; released April 13, 2026; captured October 4.
The household bill leaves out different shares across Canada
In 2024, government and non-profit services accounted for 23.6% of Canada’s actual household consumption. Across the provinces, their share ran from 21.9% in Alberta to 29.5% in Manitoba. The territories had higher shares. Household spending alone misses a different part of consumption in each place.
This comparison uses 2024, the latest year shared by every province and territory in this source edition. The newer Canada-only 2025 figure above is not mixed into the regional comparison.
Inspect the regional accounts and change from 2023
| Geography | Household spending | Government services | Non-profit services | Actual consumption | Services share | Share change from 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 1,680.970 | 473.254 | 47.316 | 2,201.540 | 23.65% | +0.76 pp |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 22.348 | 6.638 | 0.447 | 29.433 | 24.07% | +0.61 pp |
| Prince Edward Island | 6.580 | 1.843 | 0.174 | 8.597 | 23.46% | +0.47 pp |
| Nova Scotia | 44.062 | 11.979 | 1.183 | 57.224 | 23.00% | -0.25 pp |
| New Brunswick | 33.196 | 9.351 | 0.680 | 43.227 | 23.21% | -0.04 pp |
| Quebec | 342.442 | 107.334 | 10.601 | 460.377 | 25.62% | +0.71 pp |
| Ontario | 658.508 | 173.729 | 19.228 | 851.465 | 22.66% | +0.82 pp |
| Manitoba | 55.523 | 21.195 | 1.992 | 78.710 | 29.46% | +0.39 pp |
| Saskatchewan | 49.471 | 17.282 | 1.270 | 68.023 | 27.27% | +1.14 pp |
| Alberta | 206.541 | 53.308 | 4.523 | 264.372 | 21.87% | +0.44 pp |
| British Columbia | 256.763 | 66.851 | 6.903 | 330.517 | 22.31% | +1.27 pp |
| Yukon | 2.019 | 0.823 | 0.087 | 2.929 | 31.07% | +1.58 pp |
| Northwest Territories | 2.156 | 1.524 | 0.099 | 3.779 | 42.95% | -0.58 pp |
| Nunavut | 1.167 | 1.397 | 0.129 | 2.693 | 56.67% | -0.45 pp |
Share = (government individual consumption + non-profit individual consumption) ÷ published actual consumption × 100. Changes are percentage points. The largest absolute component residual among these rows is $0.0 million at the issuer’s precision.
The national total also includes $194 million classified as “Outside Canada”. Including that category reconciles the geographic totals. The issuer records zero allocated government and non-profit services there because its sources cannot allocate these services to that region; that is not evidence that no services are received.
These are nominal accounts, not cash transfers, typical household budgets, service quality or timely access. Different shares can reflect costs and the size of household spending as well as services supplied. They cannot rank living standards. Collective government services are excluded; the issuer cautions that these accounts can temporarily differ from the separately released provincial economic accounts.
Statistics Canada, table 36-10-0609-01 and notes 2–5; released April 13, 2026; source captured October 4, 2026. The underlying provincial and territorial histories are available in Data.
Chapter 6§
Inside output per worker
This chapter separates the change in output per worker into three parts. Output per hour uses the measured labour-productivity index, which covers the business sector and uses National Accounts hours definitions. The measured hours term tracks changes in the business-sector hours-worked index relative to employment measured by the Labour Force Survey. Hours are measured separately, rather than folded into a residual.
The remaining part is calculated. It reconciles the gap between whole-economy real GDP and the business-sector measures. It is not an hours effect. The three parts use different coverage and definitions, which must be kept visible.
The productivity and hours records now reach the latest GDP quarter. The previously missing split is available for the current window and the latest era. A separate scope reconciliation remains visible; it is not relabelled as hours. The companion Brief, Capital Behind Each Worker, covers investment.
Chapter 7§
Population structure in context
The working-age share is read across the same eras as the identity. The previously admitted old-age comparison is historical after the annual source update changed its selected comparison; its receipt retains that history. The newly selected comparison remains deferred and supplies no current interpretation here.
Chapter 8§
What the identity can and cannot say
The calculation cannot tell us whether changes in output per worker reflect investment, composition, measurement, or demand. It shows where the change appears in the four-part calculation, not what caused it. What remains derived in the sub-split is now a narrower national-accounts scope reconciliation, not an hours effect. Era boundaries are conventions, not natural breakpoints, and are shown with a sensitivity check rather than presented as the only possible reading. Chained-dollar levels are not additive across periods; every era comparison here uses the identity's own log changes, never a difference of dollar levels across widely separated periods; a Canada–United States comparison is deferred until the two countries' measures can be matched and the source licences allow commercial use.
Wording corrected September 7, 2026: an older sentence incorrectly ruled out a contribution from output per worker. The current finding and calculation are unchanged.
A guide to the numbers · Fixed example: January–March 2026
How revisions change an economic reading
An economic estimate can change after the quarter has ended. The useful question is whether the new estimate changes what we can say about the economy.
A small revision can cross zero
Statistics Canada’s August 28, 2026 release raised its estimate of real GDP for January–March 2026 by 0.12%. That small revision changed the sign of growth compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
Two estimates of the same quarter
Real GDP compared with January–March 2025 · Close-up around zero
Earlier estimate
August 28 estimate
The earlier estimate put output just below its level a year before; the revised estimate put it just above. Both readings were close to zero. Crossing that line does not, by itself, establish a strong expansion.
Follow the calculation
Real GDP measures the volume of output with price changes accounted for. These levels are in millions of chained 2017 dollars, seasonally adjusted at annual rates: recurring seasonal patterns are adjusted for, and the quarterly level is expressed at a yearly pace. It is not the dollar total produced during those three months.
| Quarter measured | Earlier edition | August release |
|---|---|---|
| January–March 2025 | 2,502,038 | 2,502,038 |
| January–March 2026 | 2,500,680 | 2,503,604 |
The comparison quarter stayed the same. Divide each estimate for 2026 by the 2025 level, subtract one, then multiply by 100.
Earlier: (2,500,680 ÷ 2,502,038 − 1) × 100 = −0.05%
Revised: (2,503,604 ÷ 2,502,038 − 1) × 100 = +0.06%
The revision to the level is a different calculation: (2,503,604 ÷ 2,500,680 − 1) × 100 = +0.12%. It compares the two estimates with each other.
A changed figure can leave a conclusion intact
The same release also revised GDP at current prices, before adjustment for price changes. That changed the denominator in Countability’s historical defence-spending comparison for fiscal 2025–26. Holding its NATO-reported spending estimate fixed, the recomputed share still rounded to 1.92% before and after.
This was a comparison with the former 2% guideline, not a new assessment of NATO’s current commitments or an audited spending result. Read the current defence-spending assessment.
Why does changing GDP affect a spending share?
A share divides spending by GDP. With the same spending amount above the line, a larger GDP figure below it produces a smaller share. The two shares can still look the same when rounded.
The retained comparison holds NATO’s reported $62,713 million estimate fixed. It averages four quarterly GDP levels at annual rates to match April 2025–March 2026. Adding four annual-rate levels would overstate that denominator.
| Quarter | Earlier edition | August release |
|---|---|---|
| April–June 2025 | 3,211,260 | 3,211,260 |
| July–September 2025 | 3,260,736 | 3,260,736 |
| October–December 2025 | 3,284,580 | 3,284,580 |
| January–March 2026 | 3,321,588 | 3,328,492 |
| Four-quarter average | 3,269,541 | 3,271,267 |
Averages are shown to the nearest million dollars. The shares below use the unrounded averages.
Earlier: 62,713 ÷ 3,269,541 × 100 = 1.92%
Revised: 62,713 ÷ 3,271,267 × 100 = 1.92%
This reuses a stated estimate and a matched GDP comparison. It does not replace NATO’s own published ratio or make the estimate an audited total.
Name the kind of change
- New period: a new quarter is added. April–June 2026 was new in this release.
- Routine revision: the issuer updates an estimate for a period already reported. January–March was the earlier quarter revised here.
- Correction: an identified error is repaired. Say whether the error was the issuer’s or Countability’s.
- Method change: a definition, classification or estimation method changes. Check whether the earlier and later numbers remain comparable.
The published reading treats this GDP restatement as routine, based on the issuer’s revision practice and the absence of a correction footnote in the retained table metadata. That does not identify the particular cause, or rule out every possible method question. Statistics Canada explains why GDP estimates are revised.
Try it: read a revised headline
Allow five minutes. A headline says, “GDP revision shows the economy was growing, so the earlier reading was an error.” Use the two estimates above to explain what changed and which part of that headline needs more evidence.
Then explain why a spending share can decrease with no change in spending, and what you would need before saying GDP estimates usually revise upward.
Compare your answer
The revised estimate changes the sign of the year-over-year comparison for the same quarter. Both estimates are close to zero. A later estimate does not itself establish that the earlier publication contained an error; that requires evidence about what was wrong.
A larger denominator lowers a ratio when its numerator is held fixed. To establish a usual direction of GDP revisions, compare many matched release editions under compatible definitions. One restatement cannot answer that question.
Return to the current Living Standards reading ↑ · Link to this lesson
Sources, retained editions and responsibility
Fixed example: January–March 2026, as revised in the August 28, 2026 release. Statistics Canada table 36-10-0104-01, Canada, gross domestic product at market prices; chained 2017 dollars for the growth example and current prices for the spending denominator; seasonally adjusted at annual rates in both cases.
The earlier normalized source records were retained on August 10, 2026; the later ones on September 2 in Toronto (September 3 UTC). Countability retains both editions. The figures printed above stay fixed when the current reading advances. The source’s latest table may contain later revisions and cannot, by itself, reproduce the earlier estimate.
Read Countability’s September 2 revision reading, which also records the effects on GDP per person and net debt relative to GDP. The defence numerator is the same NATO Table 1 estimate used in the existing denominator comparison; this lesson does not substitute a newer spending estimate.
This is one worked restatement, not a revision history or a measure of Statistics Canada’s usual revision size, direction or reliability. Countability prepared the explanation and teaching exercise with AI assistance and is responsible for them. No issuer endorsement or external specialist review is claimed. About Countability and contact.
Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 36-10-0104-01, 2026. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
Scenarios
The identity, latest four quarters
How does the change in real GDP per person decompose over the latest four-quarter window?
Exact log-change identity: the change in ln(real GDP per person) equals the sum of the four term changes; the output-per-worker term is further split into the measured productivity index, measured hours worked per employed person, and a narrower derived reconciliation. Contributions are reported in percentage points; the parts sum to the total exactly, and that arithmetic is re-checked every time the record is rebuilt.
| Real GDP per person (total change) | -0.61 pp |
| Output per worker | -0.57 pp |
| Employment rate | +0.28 pp |
| Participation | -0.77 pp |
| Population structure | +0.45 pp |
| — of which output per hour (measured index) | -0.46 pp |
| Identity residual (always exactly zero) | +0.00 pp |
| — of which hours worked per employed person (measured) | -0.31 pp |
| — of which national-accounts scope reconciliation (derived) | +0.19 pp |
Assumptions:
- Monthly labour series are sampled at quarter starts to align with quarterly GDP and population (a convention reviewed and adopted in July 2026).
- The labour force is participation times the LFS population aged fifteen and over — both on the same LFS basis.
- The hours-plus-reconciliation term is a derived residual, not a measured component; it absorbs the LFS-versus-SNA basis difference.
The identity, 1991–2000
How did the change in real GDP per person decompose across the first era of the record?
Exact log-change identity computed over one era window instead of the latest four quarters: the change in ln(real GDP per person) equals the sum of the four term changes; output per worker is further split into measured output per hour, measured hours worked per employed person, and a narrower derived reconciliation. Contributions are the era's total change in percentage points, not yet annualized; the identity residual is zero by construction.
| Real GDP per person (total change) | +21.86 pp |
| Output per worker | +16.61 pp |
| Employment rate | +3.48 pp |
| Participation | -0.45 pp |
| Population structure | +2.23 pp |
| — of which output per hour (measured index) | +19.74 pp |
| Identity residual (always exactly zero) | +0.00 pp |
| — of which hours worked per employed person (measured) | +3.63 pp |
| — of which national-accounts scope reconciliation (derived) | -6.76 pp |
Assumptions:
- Monthly labour series are sampled at quarter starts to align with quarterly GDP and population, the same convention the latest-window scenario uses.
- The labour force is participation times the LFS population aged fifteen and over, both on the same LFS basis.
- Era boundaries are quarter-exact decade ends; results are not annualized in this scenario (see the companion window_growth_split scenarios for the annualized total-growth split).
The identity, 2000–2010
How did the change in real GDP per person decompose across the second era of the record?
Exact log-change identity computed over one era window instead of the latest four quarters: the change in ln(real GDP per person) equals the sum of the four term changes; output per worker is further split into measured output per hour, measured hours worked per employed person, and a narrower derived reconciliation. Contributions are the era's total change in percentage points, not yet annualized; the identity residual is zero by construction.
| Real GDP per person (total change) | +8.56 pp |
| Output per worker | +5.00 pp |
| Employment rate | -1.14 pp |
| Participation | +1.50 pp |
| Population structure | +3.19 pp |
| — of which output per hour (measured index) | +7.68 pp |
| Identity residual (always exactly zero) | +0.00 pp |
| — of which hours worked per employed person (measured) | -5.48 pp |
| — of which national-accounts scope reconciliation (derived) | +2.81 pp |
Assumptions:
- Monthly labour series are sampled at quarter starts to align with quarterly GDP and population, the same convention the latest-window scenario uses.
- The labour force is participation times the LFS population aged fifteen and over, both on the same LFS basis.
- Era boundaries are quarter-exact decade ends; results are not annualized in this scenario (see the companion window_growth_split scenarios for the annualized total-growth split).
The identity, 2010–2019
How did the change in real GDP per person decompose across the third era of the record?
Exact log-change identity computed over one era window instead of the latest four quarters: the change in ln(real GDP per person) equals the sum of the four term changes; output per worker is further split into measured output per hour, measured hours worked per employed person, and a narrower derived reconciliation. Contributions are the era's total change in percentage points, not yet annualized; the identity residual is zero by construction.
| Real GDP per person (total change) | +8.26 pp |
| Output per worker | +6.99 pp |
| Employment rate | +2.74 pp |
| Participation | -1.81 pp |
| Population structure | +0.34 pp |
| — of which output per hour (measured index) | +10.10 pp |
| Identity residual (always exactly zero) | +0.00 pp |
| — of which hours worked per employed person (measured) | -2.74 pp |
| — of which national-accounts scope reconciliation (derived) | -0.37 pp |
Assumptions:
- Monthly labour series are sampled at quarter starts to align with quarterly GDP and population, the same convention the latest-window scenario uses.
- The labour force is participation times the LFS population aged fifteen and over, both on the same LFS basis.
- Era boundaries are quarter-exact decade ends; results are not annualized in this scenario (see the companion window_growth_split scenarios for the annualized total-growth split).
The identity, 2019–present
How did the change in real GDP per person decompose across the current era?
Exact log-change identity computed over one era window instead of the latest four quarters: the change in ln(real GDP per person) equals the sum of the four term changes; output per worker is further split into measured output per hour, measured hours worked per employed person, and a narrower derived reconciliation. Contributions are the era's total change in percentage points, not yet annualized; the identity residual is zero by construction.
| Real GDP per person (total change) | +0.66 pp |
| Output per worker | +0.55 pp |
| Employment rate | -0.91 pp |
| Participation | -1.22 pp |
| Population structure | +2.25 pp |
| — of which output per hour (measured index) | +1.34 pp |
| Identity residual (always exactly zero) | +0.00 pp |
| — of which hours worked per employed person (measured) | -1.50 pp |
| — of which national-accounts scope reconciliation (derived) | +0.70 pp |
Assumptions:
- Monthly labour series are sampled at quarter starts to align with quarterly GDP and population, the same convention the latest-window scenario uses.
- The labour force is participation times the LFS population aged fifteen and over, both on the same LFS basis.
- Era boundaries are quarter-exact decade ends; results are not annualized in this scenario (see the companion window_growth_split scenarios for the annualized total-growth split).
The identity, per-capita peak to latest
How did the change in real GDP per person decompose from its record peak to the latest quarter?
Exact log-change identity computed over one era window instead of the latest four quarters: the change in ln(real GDP per person) equals the sum of the four term changes; output per worker is further split into measured output per hour, measured hours worked per employed person, and a narrower derived reconciliation. Contributions are the era's total change in percentage points, not yet annualized; the identity residual is zero by construction.
| Real GDP per person (total change) | -1.67 pp |
| Output per worker | -1.32 pp |
| Employment rate | -1.72 pp |
| Participation | -0.46 pp |
| Population structure | +1.83 pp |
| — of which output per hour (measured index) | -0.67 pp |
| Identity residual (always exactly zero) | +0.00 pp |
| — of which hours worked per employed person (measured) | -1.15 pp |
| — of which national-accounts scope reconciliation (derived) | +0.50 pp |
Assumptions:
- Monthly labour series are sampled at quarter starts to align with quarterly GDP and population, the same convention the latest-window scenario uses.
- The labour force is participation times the LFS population aged fifteen and over, both on the same LFS basis.
- Era boundaries are quarter-exact decade ends; results are not annualized in this scenario (see the companion window_growth_split scenarios for the annualized total-growth split).
Growth composition, 1991–2000
In the first era, how much of total real GDP growth was population growth, and how much was per-person growth?
Splits one era's total real GDP growth into its numerator (real GDP) and denominator (population) own annualized log-change, restating the same era window's per-person growth as what it is arithmetically made of.
| Numerator, annualized | +3.43 pp |
| Denominator, annualized | +1.00 pp |
| Ratio, annualized | +2.43 pp |
| Window length (years) | 9.0 years |
Assumptions:
- Annualization divides the window's total log change by its exact length in years (quarter-counted), the same convention the era-ladder scenarios use.
- Real GDP and population are both quarterly, chained/postcensal series already held in the record; nothing here is projected.
Growth composition, 2000–2010
In the second era, how much of total real GDP growth was population growth, and how much was per-person growth?
Splits one era's total real GDP growth into its numerator (real GDP) and denominator (population) own annualized log-change, restating the same era window's per-person growth as what it is arithmetically made of.
| Numerator, annualized | +1.89 pp |
| Denominator, annualized | +1.03 pp |
| Ratio, annualized | +0.86 pp |
| Window length (years) | 10.0 years |
Assumptions:
- Annualization divides the window's total log change by its exact length in years (quarter-counted), the same convention the era-ladder scenarios use.
- Real GDP and population are both quarterly, chained/postcensal series already held in the record; nothing here is projected.
Growth composition, 2010–2019
In the third era, how much of total real GDP growth was population growth, and how much was per-person growth?
Splits one era's total real GDP growth into its numerator (real GDP) and denominator (population) own annualized log-change, restating the same era window's per-person growth as what it is arithmetically made of.
| Numerator, annualized | +2.06 pp |
| Denominator, annualized | +1.14 pp |
| Ratio, annualized | +0.92 pp |
| Window length (years) | 9.0 years |
Assumptions:
- Annualization divides the window's total log change by its exact length in years (quarter-counted), the same convention the era-ladder scenarios use.
- Real GDP and population are both quarterly, chained/postcensal series already held in the record; nothing here is projected.
Growth composition, 2019–present
In the current era, how much of total real GDP growth was population growth, and how much was per-person growth?
Splits one era's total real GDP growth into its numerator (real GDP) and denominator (population) own annualized log-change, restating the same era window's per-person growth as what it is arithmetically made of.
| Numerator, annualized | +1.67 pp |
| Denominator, annualized | +1.57 pp |
| Ratio, annualized | +0.10 pp |
| Window length (years) | 6.2 years |
Assumptions:
- Annualization divides the window's total log change by its exact length in years (quarter-counted), the same convention the era-ladder scenarios use.
- Real GDP and population are both quarterly, chained/postcensal series already held in the record; nothing here is projected.
Directly observed
Method and limitations
- An exact accounting identity in log changes: the change in real GDP per person equals the sum of output per worker, the employment rate, participation, and population structure — with output per worker further split into output per hour (the measured Statistics Canada labour-productivity index), hours worked per employed person (measured directly from the business-sector hours-worked index), and a narrower derived reconciliation for the remaining national-accounts scope gap. Monthly labour series are sampled at quarter starts to align with quarterly GDP and population, a convention reviewed and adopted in July 2026. The same identity is computed for the latest window and for each era in the long-run record, on one basis throughout. The terms sum to the total exactly; that arithmetic is re-checked automatically every time the record is rebuilt. The identity locates where change shows up in measurement; it never asserts why. Population structure is the ratio of the Labour Force Survey population aged fifteen and older to the demographic estimate of total population. This joins separate statistical populations and revision schedules; it is not a direct age-composition measure. The current refresh revised the demographic estimates while retaining the labour inputs, so its revision contribution includes that difference in source updates.
- Monthly labour series are sampled at quarter starts to align with quarterly GDP and population (a convention reviewed and adopted in July 2026).
- The labour force is participation times the LFS population aged fifteen and over — both on the same LFS basis.
- The hours-plus-reconciliation term is a derived residual, not a measured component; it absorbs the LFS-versus-SNA basis difference.
- Monthly labour series are sampled at quarter starts to align with quarterly GDP and population, the same convention the latest-window scenario uses.
- The labour force is participation times the LFS population aged fifteen and over, both on the same LFS basis.
- Era boundaries are quarter-exact decade ends; results are not annualized in this scenario (see the companion window_growth_split scenarios for the annualized total-growth split).
- Monthly labour series are sampled at quarter starts to align with quarterly GDP and population, the same convention the latest-window scenario uses.
- The labour force is participation times the LFS population aged fifteen and over, both on the same LFS basis.
- Era boundaries are quarter-exact decade ends; results are not annualized in this scenario (see the companion window_growth_split scenarios for the annualized total-growth split).
- Monthly labour series are sampled at quarter starts to align with quarterly GDP and population, the same convention the latest-window scenario uses.
- The labour force is participation times the LFS population aged fifteen and over, both on the same LFS basis.
- Era boundaries are quarter-exact decade ends; results are not annualized in this scenario (see the companion window_growth_split scenarios for the annualized total-growth split).
- Monthly labour series are sampled at quarter starts to align with quarterly GDP and population, the same convention the latest-window scenario uses.
- The labour force is participation times the LFS population aged fifteen and over, both on the same LFS basis.
- Era boundaries are quarter-exact decade ends; results are not annualized in this scenario (see the companion window_growth_split scenarios for the annualized total-growth split).
- Monthly labour series are sampled at quarter starts to align with quarterly GDP and population, the same convention the latest-window scenario uses.
- The labour force is participation times the LFS population aged fifteen and over, both on the same LFS basis.
- Era boundaries are quarter-exact decade ends; results are not annualized in this scenario (see the companion window_growth_split scenarios for the annualized total-growth split).
- Annualization divides the window's total log change by its exact length in years (quarter-counted), the same convention the era-ladder scenarios use.
- Real GDP and population are both quarterly, chained/postcensal series already held in the record; nothing here is projected.
- Annualization divides the window's total log change by its exact length in years (quarter-counted), the same convention the era-ladder scenarios use.
- Real GDP and population are both quarterly, chained/postcensal series already held in the record; nothing here is projected.
- Annualization divides the window's total log change by its exact length in years (quarter-counted), the same convention the era-ladder scenarios use.
- Real GDP and population are both quarterly, chained/postcensal series already held in the record; nothing here is projected.
- Annualization divides the window's total log change by its exact length in years (quarter-counted), the same convention the era-ladder scenarios use.
- Real GDP and population are both quarterly, chained/postcensal series already held in the record; nothing here is projected.
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