Gross Domestic Product by Industry - National (Monthly) (GDP)

Summary of changes

Activity on this program started: 1961

Reference period of change - September 2023

Effective this release, monthly gross domestic product by industry at basic prices data now have 2017 as a reference year instead of 2012.

For the chained volume estimates, this means that the data for each industry and aggregate are obtained from a chained volume index, multiplied by the industry's value added in 2017. Monthly data are benchmarked to annually chained Fisher volume indexes of GDP obtained from the constant-price supply and use tables (SUT) up to the latest SUT year.

Revisions have been made back to January 1997 to improve the continuity of the time series and achieve greater coherence with expenditure-based GDP.

Reference period of change - September 2021

With the legalization of production and sale of edible cannabis, cannabis extracts and cannabis topicals in Canada on October 17, 2019, beginning in reference year 2019, industry 3122 (Tobacco manufacturing) also includes cannabis product manufacturing.

Reference period of change - December 2018

Effective October 17th, 2018 it became legal to sell cannabis for non-medical purposes in Canada. The December 2018 release of gross domestic product by industry introduces estimates of the licensed and unlicensed economic activities related to cannabis production, distribution and consumption for non-medical and medical use. Prior to this release, only the production, distribution and consumption activities related to legal use for medical purposes were included. New industries, aggregates and sectors have been introduced to reflect this. The release also incorporates revisions back to January 1997.

Reference period of change - September 2018

Effective this release, monthly gross domestic product by industry at basic prices data now have 2012 as a reference year instead of 2007.

For the chained volume estimates, this means that the data for each industry and aggregate are obtained from a chained volume index, multiplied by the industry's value added in 2012. Monthly data are benchmarked to annually chained Fisher volume indexes of GDP obtained from the constant-price supply and use tables (SUT) up to the latest SUT year.

Revisions have been made back to January 1997 to improve the continuity of the time series and achieve greater coherence with expenditure-based GDP.

Reference period of change - November 2012

Periodically, the monthly national gross domestic product by industry data undergoes historical revisions, broader in scope than the regular revisions undertaken on a monthly basis. These historical revisions are reserved for incorporating updated international national accounting concepts as well as classification updates and methodological and statistical improvements. These changes are part of a comprehensive revision to the Canadian system of national economic accounts. The release of January 31, 2013 incorporates such revisions back to 2007.

These changes include:

- Conversion of the industrial structure from North American Industrial Classification System 2002 (NAICS 2002) to NAICS 2007

- A new reference year (2007) for the chained dollars series replaces the 2002 reference year data

- Overall, the changes in the published industrial detail for the monthly national GDP by industry program are based on the classification changes made to the Input-Output tables, which represent a realignment to better reflect the industries' relative importance in today's economy. The old CANSIM table #379-0027 has been replaced by a new table #379-0031.

Reference period of change - August 2012

With this release of monthly GDP by industry, revisions have been made back to January 2012. In the context of the comprehensive revision to the Canadian System of National Accounts, historically-revised data of monthly GDP by industry are planned for release on January 31, 2013. These revisions will extend back to January 2007 and will reflect conceptual, classification and statistical improvements.

Reference period of change - August 2007

As of the August 2007 reference month, the monthly GDP by industry program was converted to the 2002 North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) from NAICS 1997.

Estimation - The reference year for the chained dollar data and the base year for the constant price data changed from 1997 to 2002.

Reference period of change - October 2003

With this release of monthly GDP by industry, a new aggregate of energy-related industries was introduced. This "energy sector" includes the following NAICS 1997 industries: oil and gas extraction (211), coal mining (2121), other metal ore mining (21229), support activities for mining and oil and gas extraction (213), electric power generation, transmission and distribution (2211), natural gas distribution (2212), refineries and other petroleum and coal products (32411, 32419) and pipeline transportation (486).

Reference period of change - July 2003

With the release of monthly GDP by industry for this reference period, the revised 1999 and new 2000 input-output annual benchmarks were incorporated, resulting in revisions to the monthly series from 1997 forward. In reference year 2000, an improved coverage of the manufacturing sector resulted in an upward revision that varied substantially by industry. Nearly half the growth in manufacturing shipments was due to expanded coverage. Although the effect on manufacturing GDP is estimated to be somewhat less, the higher level of output in 2000 did contribute to an upward revision in GDP that exceeds the average boundary of annual revisions. For more information, see Latest developments in the Canadian economic accounts, Statistics Canada, Catalogue no. 13-605-X (free) and select November 6, 2003 in the drop down menu.

Reference period of change - July 2002

With this reference period, the monthly GDP by industry program has introduced chained dollars estimates of real GDP, by adopting annually chained Input-Output benchmarks in its calculation of real GDP. The monthly GDP measures are now expressed in chained 1997 dollars. This conversion brings the monthly GDP by industry estimates more in line with the quarterly expenditure-based GDP data, chained quarterly. For more information, see "Chain Fisher formula" in Latest developments in the Canadian economic accounts Statistics Canada, Catalogue no. 13-605-X (free) and select September 30, 2002 in the drop-down menu.

Revisions and seasonal adjustment - Survey redesigns and methodological changes due to the conversion to the 1997 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and other developments resulted in larger than normal annual benchmarking revisions to certain industries.

The definition of the information and communications technologies (ICT) sector was modified to conform more closely to the international standard as developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Specifically, libraries and the retailing of ICT commodities were removed from the aggregation, but due to data limitations we were unable to include the repair of ICT equipment in our aggregation. The estimates were reworked back to January 1997. For more information on the definition of the ICT sector, see Statistics Canada's web site http://www.statcan.ca select Definitions, data sources and methods, then select Industry, then select NAICS 1997, then select Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Sector.

Reference period of change - November 2001

Starting with this reference period, the monthly GDP statistics include an aggregation for the information and communications technologies (ICT) sector and its manufacturing and services components. An analysis of trends in the ICT sector since 1997 is available in the November 2001 issue of Gross domestic product by industry, Statistics Canada, Catalogue no. 15-001-XIE, and Latest developments in the Canadian economic accounts, Statistics Canada, Catalogue no. 13-605-X select November 6, 2003 in the drop down menu, select Trends in provincial and territorial economic statistics: 1981 -- 2002, then select Information Communication Technologies (also available as Trends in provincial and territorial economic statistics: 1981 -- 2002, Catalogue no. 13-604-MIE2003043). For more information on the definition of the ICT sector, see Statistics Canada's web site http://www.statcan.ca select Definitions, data sources and methods, then select Industry, then select NAICS 1997, then select Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Sector.

Reference period of change - July 2001

This release of GDP by industry estimates includes major classification and conceptual changes. The most important of these are: replacement of the 1980 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) with the 1997 North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS); rebasing from 1992 to 1997 prices, i.e., updating the price structure used to derive constant-price GDP; a change in valuation from factor cost to basic prices; and the capitalization of computer software. For more information, consult Latest developments in the Canadian economic accounts, Statistics Canada, Catalogue no. 13-605-X (free) and select September 28, 2001 in the drop down menu, as well as The 1997 historical revision of the Canadian System of National Accounts, Statistics Canada, Catalogue no. 13F0031MIE.

The release contains detailed estimates for 323 industries and aggregates from January 1997. The period spanning 1981 to 1996 is covered by a more summary level of aggregation, totalling 129 industries and aggregates. The conversion from SIC to NAICS in 1997 caused significant breaks between 1996 and 1997 in the time series for many industries. Input-Output Division has produced a reconciliation summary between NAICS and SIC for 1997. For more information, refer to the "Documentation" section of record no. 1401 -- Input-Output Structure of the Canadian Economy in Current Prices.

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