Addition of household transportation to the 2014 Canadian Transportation Economic Account
Transportation is a major driver of the Canadian economy. Most of our goods are moved between markets by one or several modes of transportation (air, rail, water, pipeline and trucks). Passenger movements across Canada and internationally are also critical for the nation’s economic health.
In 2018, the Canadian Transportation Economic Account (CTEA) expanded the supply and use tables to include own-account (i.e., private) transportation activities as distinct industries. As a result, the contribution of own-account transportation to the economy was made explicit. Previously, it was counted as non-transportation activity in other industries such as manufacturing or retail.
In 2019, the CTEA was expanded further to include the contribution of transportation undertaken by private households. With these two additions, the CTEA can now more fully assess the entire impact of transportation on the Canadian economy.
For-hire transportation accounts for only half of transportation-related gross domestic product
In 2014, transportation’s contribution to Canada’s overall gross domestic product, as measured by the CTEA, was estimated to be $153.4 billion. Of this total, household transportation activities (not including their value of labour) accounted for $58.3 billion (or 38%), own-account transportation (rail, water, air and truck) accounted for $18.9 billion (or 12%) and for-hire transportation (North American Industry Classification System code 48-49 less warehousing) accounted for $76.2 billion, or about one-half (50%).
Production of household transportation services rivals many industries
In 2014, private households produced $140.4 billion worth of transportation services, an output that rivalled the retail trade industry’s production of $149.6 billion in the same year. In comparison, total own-account production of air, rail, water and trucking was $41.5 billion, and the for-hire transportation industry produced $160.1 billion in transportation services.
As input, household transportation used $22.1 billion worth of gasoline, diesel and biodiesel fuels; $745.6 million worth of tires; $8.2 billion worth of repair and maintenance services; and $2.5 billion worth of parking services.
Every dollar of household transportation output in 2014 required approximately 16 cents of gasoline, diesel and biodiesel fuels; 5 cents of automotive insurance services; and 6 cents of repair and maintenance services.
Most industries use more own-account than for-hire trucking
In 2014, most industries used more own-account trucking than purchased trucking services. In particular, the mining, oil and gas industries used 57% own-account trucking, while the retail trade industry used 92%.
The CTEA helps to quantify the transportation services—both for-hire and own account—embedded in the output of other industries. For example, every dollar of retail trade industry output required 6 cents worth of transportation services. Of those 6 cents, 4 cents comprised own account trucking. The mining, oil and gas industries used 3 cents worth of transportation services for every dollar of output.
Only the agriculture, forestry and manufacturing industries relied more heavily on for-hire services than on private trucking.
For marine transportation, the agriculture and forestry industries used more own-account (78%) than for-hire transportation services. Together, these two industries accounted for over 60% of total own-account water transportation.
The industries that produced the most own-account air transportation were government services and mining, oil and gas, which were also the largest users of own-account rail transportation.
For more information, please contact Statistics Canada (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca).