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Canada


Canada Country Report: GDP data and GDP forecasts; economic, financial and trade information; the best banks in Canada; country and population overview

DATA ON GDP AND ECONOMIC INFORMATION
Central bankBank of Canada - Banque du Canada
International ReservesUS$ 65.428 billion (Source: IMF; Data updated: November 2011)
Gross Domestic Product - GDPUS$ 1.737 trillion (2010 estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)1.382 trillion of International dollars (2010 estimate)
Real GDP growth
20002001200220032004200520062007
5.2%1.8%2.9%1.9%3.1%3%2.8%2.2%
2008200920102011*
0.5%-2.5%3.1%2.8%

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current pricesUS$ 50,265 (2010 estimate)
GDP per capita - PPP$39,982 International Dollars (2010 estimate)
GDP (PPP) - share of world total
19801990200020102015**
2.4%2.32%2.11%1.8%1.62%

**Forecast

GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 1.9% 
  • industry: 27.1% 
  • services: 71% (2011 estimate)

    • (Data released on February 2012)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP)1.99% (2009)

(Data released on November 2010)

Inflation
2008200920102011*
2.4%(2008)0.3%1.8%2.2%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2008200920102011*
6.2%8.3%8%(2009)7.6%

*Estimate

Household saving rates4% (Net saving; 2011 forecast)

(Data released on November 2010)

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
20072008200920102011*
65.1%69.8%83.4%84%84.2%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2007200820092010*2011**
1.6%0.1%-5.5%-4.9%-2.9%

*Estimate    **Forecast

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: AAA/Stable/A-1+

Moody's rating: Aaa

Moody's outlook: STA

(Foreign Currency Government Bond Ratings; Data last updated Nov 2010)

Market value of publicly traded shares
200720082009
US$2.187 trillionUS$1.002 trillionUS$1.681 trillion
Largest companies in CanadaRoyal Bank of Canada (Major Banks), TD Bank Financial Group (Major Banks), Bank of Nova Scotia (Major Banks), Suncor Energy (Oil & Gas Operations), Bank of Montreal (Major Banks), Canadian Imperial Bank (Major Banks), Sun Life Financial (Life & Health Insurance), BCE (Telecommunications services)
(2011)
DATA ON TRADE AND COMPETITIVENESS
Current account balanceUS$ -49.1 billion (2010 estimate)(After 2008)
Current account balance by percentage of GDP-2.8% of GDP (2010 estimate)(2009)
Exports as percent of GDP

(Exports of goods and services)

34.8% (2007)

(Data released on December 2010)

Shares in world total merchandising export2.55%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Shares in world total commercial services export1.83%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Total exportsUS$406.8 billion f.o.b. (2010 estimate)
Export commoditiesmotor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft, telecommunications equipment; chemicals, plastics, fertilizers
Total importsUS$436.7 billion f.o.b. (2008 estimate)
Import commoditiesmachinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil, chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods
Exports - major partnersUS 78.9%, UK 2.8%, China 2.1% (2007)
Imports - major partnersUS 54.1%, China 9.4%, Mexico 4.2% (2007)
FDI inflows
200820092010
US$57,177 millionUS$21,406 million(2009)US$23,413 million(2009)
FDI outflows
200820092010
US$79,794 millionUS$41,665 millionUS$38,585 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2008200920102011
US$44,141 millionUS$16,718 million(2009)US$32,328 million(2009)US$14,313 million
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2008

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

Toronto-Dominion Bank, Commerce Bancorp Inc., United States, $8.6 billion
Shell Canada Ltd, Duvernay Oil Corp, Canada, $5.5 billion

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2010

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

Pinafore Acquisitions Ltd, Tomkins PLC, United Kingdom, $4.4 billion
Investor group, HS1 Ltd, United Kingdom, $3.4 billion
Goldcorp Inc, Andean Resources Ltd Springer Science+Business Media Deutschland, United States, $3.4 billion
Brookfield Asset Management Inc, General Growth Properties Inc, United States, $3.3 billion
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Intoll Group, Australia, $3.1 billion
(2008 estimate)

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Best countries for doing business

World Bank/IFC Doing Business Project

(Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1 – 183. A high ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.)

Overall ranking: 7 out of 183 countries(2009) (2010)

Subcategories:

Starting a business: 3 out of 183 countries(2009)

Registering property: 37 out of 183 countries

Paying Taxes: 10 out of 183 countries

Getting credit: 32 out of 183 countries

Protecting investors: 5 out of 183 countries

Trading across border: 41 out of 183 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 58 out of 183 countries

(2010)

Global competitiveness ranking
(ranking by country on a basis of 142, the first is the best)		12

(2011/2012)

Index of Economic Freedom

WSJ and Heritage Foundation

Ranking: 6 Score: 80.8 (Free) (2009)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed )

COUNTRY AND POPULATION OVERVIEW
Time zoneUTC-5
Total area 9,984,670 km2 (2006)
CapitalOttawa (2009)
CurrencyCanadian dollars (CAD) (2009)
Government typea parliamentary democracy, a federation, and a Commonwealth realm (2009)
LanguagesEnglish (official) 59.3%, French (official) 23.2%, other 17.5%
ReligionsRoman Catholic 42.6%, Protestant 23.3% (including United Church 9.5%, Anglican 6.8%, Baptist 2.4%, Lutheran 2%), other Christian 4.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other and unspecified 11.8%, none 16% (2001 census)
Total population
1980199020002010*2015**
24.47 million27.63 million30.65 million34.08 million36.12 million

*Estimate    **Forecast

Urban population as % of total population
1960198020002009
69.1%75.7%79.5%80.5%
Population median age39.0 years (2006)
Population growth rate1.3% (2009)
Life expectancy81 years (2007)
Adult literacyN/A
% of population living on less than $2 a dayN/A
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

32.6 (2000)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

Freedom House rating

Political Rights:1
Civil Liberties:1 (2010)

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free)

Total telephone subscribers as % of population

120.7% (2010)

(sum of fixed telephone lines and mobile cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population81.6% (Data were released in 2011 and refer to 2010)
Cost of living index

(ranking by city on a basis of 214; the 1st is the most expensive and the 214th is the least expensive)

Ottawa: 114th (2011)

CO2 emissions
(Metric tons of CO2 per capita)

16.359 (2008)

GLOBAL FINANCE RANKINGS AND AWARDS

WORLD'S BEST TREASURY & CASH MANAGEMENT BANKS & PROVIDERS

2010:
  • Best Treasury Management Systems & Services Providers / Pension Plan Administration Services CPAS Systems (Global, 2010)

WORLD'S BEST TRADE FINANCE BANKS & PROVIDERS

2012:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Scotiabank (National, 2012)
2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Scotiabank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Scotiabank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Scotiabank (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST DEVELOPED MARKET BANKS

2012:
  • Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) (National, 2012)
2011:
  • Royal Bank of Canada (National, 2011)
2010:
  • Royal Bank of Canada (National, 2010)
2009:
  • Scotiabank (North America, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST INTERNET BANKS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks Royal Bank of Canada (National, 2011)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks Citi (National, 2011)
  • REGIONAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks / Best in Mobile Banking CIBC (North America, 2011)
  • REGIONAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks / Best Integrated Consumer Bank Site Royal Bank of Canada (North America, 2011)
  • REGIONAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks / Best Web Site Design Royal Bank of Canada (North America, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks RBC (North America, 2011)
  • GLOBAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks / Best In Mobile Banking CIBC (Global, 2011)
2010:
  • REGIONAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks / Best Information Security Initiatives CIBC (North America, 2010)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks CIBC (National, 2010)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks Citi (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks CIBC (National, 2009)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks Scotiabank/Scotia Capital (National, 2009)
  • REGIONAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks / Best Online Consumer Credit Site CIBC (North America, 2009)

WORLD'S SAFEST BANKS

2012:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Royal Bank of Canada (North America, 2012)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) (North America, 2012)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Scotiabank (Bank of Nova Scotia) (North America, 2012)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Caisse centrale Desjardins (North America, 2012)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Bank of Montreal (BMO) (North America, 2012)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) (North America, 2012)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) (Global, 2012)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD Bank) (Global, 2012)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Scotiabank (Bank of Nova Scotia) (Global, 2012)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Caisse centrale Desjardins (Global, 2012)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Bank of Montreal (BMO) (Global, 2012)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) (Global, 2012)
  • OVERALL SAFEST National Bank of Canada (Global, 2012)
2011:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Royal Bank of Canada (North America, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Toronto-Dominion Bank (North America, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Scotiabank (North America, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Caisse centrale Desjardins (North America, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS BMO Financial Group (North America, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS CIBC (North America, 2011)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Royal Bank of Canada (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD Bank) (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Scotiabank (Bank of Nova Scotia) (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Caisse centrale Desjardins (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL SAFEST BMO Financial Group (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL SAFEST CIBC (Global, 2011)
2010:
  • OVERALL SAFEST Royal Bank of Canada (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Toronto-Dominion Bank (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Scotiabank (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Caisse centrale Desjardins (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Bank of Montreal (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL SAFEST CIBC (Global, 2010)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Royal Bank of Canada (North America, 2010)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Toronto-Dominion Bank (North America, 2010)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Scotiabank (North America, 2010)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Caisse centrale Desjardins (North America, 2010)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS BMO Financial Group (North America, 2010)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS CIBC (North America, 2010)
2009:
  • OVERALL SAFEST Royal Bank of Canada (Global, 2009)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Toronto-Dominion Bank (Global, 2009)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Scotiabank (Global, 2009)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Caisse centrale Desjardins (Global, 2009)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Bank of Montreal (Global, 2009)
  • OVERALL SAFEST CIBC (Global, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST SUB CUSTODIANS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS CIBC Mellon (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS CIBC Mellon (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS CIBC Mellon (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST INVESTMENT BANKS

2012:
  • SECTORS / Infrastructure Scotiabank (Global, 2012)
  • SECTORS / Metals & Mining BMO Capital Markets (Global, 2012)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS BMO Capital Markets (National, 2012)
2011:
  • SECTORS / Infrastructure Scotia Capital (Global, 2011)
  • SECTORS / Metals & Mining BMO Capital Markets (Global, 2011)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Scotia Capital (National, 2011)
2010:
  • SECTORS / Infrastructure Scotia Capital (Global, 2010)
  • SECTORS / Metals & Mining BMO Capital Markets (Global, 2010)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Scotia Capital (National, 2010)
2009:
  • GLOBAL / Most Creative RBC Capital Markets (Global, 2009)
  • SECTORS / Infrastructure Scotia Capital (Global, 2009)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Scotia Capital (National, 2009)

CENTRAL BANKER REPORT CARD

2011:
2010:
2009:

WORLD'S BIGGEST BANKS

2011:
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Scotiabank (Bank of Nova Scotia) (Global, 2011)
2010:
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Royal Bank of Canada (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Toronto-Dominion Bank (Global, 2010)

WORLD'S BEST FOREIGN EXCHANGE PROVIDERS

2012:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Scotiabank (National, 2012)
2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Scotiabank (National, 2011)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Scotia Capital (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Scotia Capital (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Scotia Capital (National, 2009)
ARTICLES AND COUNTRIES REPORTS FROM GLOBAL FINANCE ARCHIVE