Property & Casualty Insurance Services Price Index (PCISPI)

Detailed information for March 2007 to January 2011

This survey collects information needed to produce indexes that measure the changes in the prices of Property and Casualty Insurance.

Data release - This is a pilot survey. No data will be released.

• Questionnaire(s) and reporting guide(s)
• Description
• Data sources and methodology

Description

This survey collects information needed to produce indexes that measure the changes in the prices of Property and Casualty Insurance. Businesses would use these indexes to gain a better understanding of their industry and assess their performance, while Statistics Canada uses these indexes to estimate inflation-adjusted growth and productivity from this sector of the economy.

Statistical activity

These indexes are a part of the Services Producer Price Index program (SPPI) at Statistics Canada.

The SPPI program develops and produces price indexes for a wide range of business service categories. This initiative fills an important data gap in the area of economic statistics and has resulted in a more comprehensive set of service price indexes. It also allows Statistics Canada to produce more accurate estimates of real value added of the Gross Domestic Product and changes in productivity.

Reference period: The time period for which the PCISPI equals 100; currently this is the year is 2007.

Subjects

• Prices and price indexes
• Service price indexes

Data sources and methodology

Target population

The target population of the Property & Casualty Insurance Services Price Index survey includes establishments that are classified under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) as Direct Insurance (except Life, Health and Medical) Carriers (NAICS 52412) and that are primarily engaged in underwriting all types of insurance (other than life, health or medical), directly to policyholders.

• Additional documentation

Sampling

This is a sample survey with a longitudinal design.

Sample and weighting information for each surveyed line of insurance is derived from a list of insurers providing the corresponding type of insurance policies.

Data sources

Responding to this survey is mandatory.

Data are collected directly from survey respondents.

Advance phone calls will be made to all respondents, informing them about the survey.

Collection will be monthly and initially will include identifying policies that are most representative of each respondent. A questionnaire will be sent to each respondent and a follow-up will be conducted in Prices Division. Respondents will also be asked to provide copies of the policies underlying the provided price quotes.

Each time a questionnaire is sent to a respondent, that respondent will be asked to authorize the use of a pre-filled questionnaire containing information they provide.

To reduce survey response burden, respondents will be asked to supply us with rate manuals for the policies they selected and any updated copies as they become available. These rate manuals would also be used for future in-house re-pricing.

View the Questionnaire(s) and reporting guide(s) .

Disclosure control

Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any information it collects which could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Various confidentiality rules are applied to all data that are released or published to prevent the publication or disclosure of any information deemed confidential. If necessary, data are suppressed to prevent direct or residual disclosure of identifiable data.

Collected data are converted to price indexes and data are released as such, so that it is not possible to identify the suppliers of raw prices.