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June 15, 2022INFRASTRUCTURE ECONOMIC ACCOUNTS, 2021 Statistics Canada has released the infrastructure economic accounts for 2021. These data report the stock of infrastructure, which is diminished by estimated depreciation and increased by investment in new capital. The data are reported for both public and private owners of infrastructure as well as by the type of asset and public service function it performs (categorized in the broad Classification of Functions of Government). Except where public and private infrastructure are explicitly reported, this analysis focuses primarily on infrastructure by function performed, which includes both public and private infrastructure.
At the end of 2021, Nova Scotia's infrastructure net capital stock was $19.6 billion or $19,746 per person. Nationally, infrastructure net capital stock was $994 billion or $25,995 per person. Newfoundland and Labrador and Prairie Provinces had the highest per capita infrastructure stock at the end of 2021.
Public infrastructure assets make up two thirds of infrastructure in Nova Scotia.
In 2021, a total of $2.228 billion in investments in infrastructure were made in Nova Scotia ($2,246 per capita). Nationally, investment in infrastructure was $2,348 per capita. Newfoundland and Labrador reported the highest investments in infrastructure while Prince Edward Island reported the least investments. Investment in public infrastructure accounted for over 80% of Nova Scotia's investment in infrastructure in 2021.
Across Canada, transportation infrastructure (roads, bridges, canals, rails, ports, airports, pipelines) accounts for the largest portion of the stock of infrastructure: $7,109 per capita. Nova Scotia had less transportation infrastructure per capita at $5,982 in 2021.
Fuel and energy infrastructure (primarily power generation and transmission) accounts for the next largest category of infrastructure by function. Nationally, there was $7,038 in fuel and energy infrastructure per capita with the largest amounts in Newfoundland and Labrador and Manitoba. Nova Scotia's fuel and energy infrastructure capital stock was $4,258 per capita - the second lowest among provinces after Prince Edward Island.
Nova Scotia's 2021 investment in new transportation infrastructure amounted to $900 per capita - just above the national average of $891 per capita. The highest investments in transport infrastructure were in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The lowest investments in transport in 2021 were in Ontario.
Nova Scotia had $249 in investment in fuel and energy infrastructure, the second lowest among provinces after Prince Edward Island. Nationally, investment in fuel and energy infrastructure was $536 per capita with the highest investment in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Education (primarily schools, universities, colleges) and health care (hospitals, nursing/residential care buildings) were the next two largest categories of infrastructure by function.
Nova Scotia's education infrastructure amounted to $3,564 per capita in 2021, just above the national average of $3,405 per capita. Education infrastructure was highest in Alberta and lowest in New Brunswick.
Health infrastructure in Nova Scotia was the third lowest per capita at $1,494 (ahead of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick). Nationally, there was $1,872 per capita in health infrastructure, with the highest amount in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Nova Scotia's investment in education infrastructure was the highest among provinces in 2021 at $429 per capita, will above the national average investment in education infrastructure of $266 per capita. Prince Edward Island had the lowest investment in education infrastructure.
Nova Scotia had the second largest investment in health infrastructure at $226 per capita, behind Newfoundland and Labrador. Nationally, investment in health infrastructure was $134 per capita with the lowest amount in Prince Edward Island.
The next three largest categories of infrastructure capital stock by function were: housing and community amenities (primarily water infrastructure), environmental protection (primarily wastewater collection and treatment) and recreation/culture/religion (mostly sport/recreation facilities - both indoor and outdoor).
Nova Scotia has the second lowest per capita stock of both housing (ie: water) and environmental protection (ie: wastewater) infrastructure across Canada. Alberta had the highest per capita stock of both housing/water and environmental/wastewater infrastructure.
Nova Scotia's recreation infrastructure amounted to $995 per capita in 2021, below the national average of $1,175. The highest recreational capital stock per capita was in Saskatchewand and the lowest in Prince Edward Island.
Although having relatively lower capital stock, Nova Scotia made the second largest per capita investments in housing/water infrastructure and the largest investments in environmental/wastewater infrastructure. New Brunswick reported the largest investments per capita in housing/water. Prince Edward Island reported the lowest investments per capita in both housing/water and environmental/wastewater infrastructure.
Nova Scotia's investment in recreation infrastructure was $77 per capita, above the national average of $67 per capita. Alberta reported the largest per capita investments in recreation infrastructure while Prince Edward Island reported the lowest.
Infrastructure for communications (cables, structures), public transit (busses, rolling rail stock) and public order/safety buildings had the smallest value of per capita stocks as reported by public service function.
Nova Scotia reported communications infrastructure stock of $709 per capita - second lowest after Saskatchewan. National communications infrastructure per capita was $1,089 with the highest amount in Ontario.
Nova Scotia's public transit equipment stock was $148 per capita in 2021 - third lowest after Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island. Nationally, there was $516 in public transit infrastructure per capita. The highest amounts were in Saskatchewan and Ontario.
Nova Scotia had $379 per capita in public order and safety infrastructure in 2021. This was below the national average of $427 per capita. The highest public order and safety infrastructure per capita was in Manitoba and the lowest in New Brunswick.
Nova Scotia reported lower than national average investments per capita in communications (lowest among provinces), public transit (lowest among provinces) and public order and safety. Communications investment was highest in Ontario and New Brunswick. Public transit investments per capita were highest in Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan. Public order and safety investments per capita were highest in Manitoba and lowest in New Brunswick.
When measured at constant prices, the stock of Nova Scotia infrastructure assets remained largely stable from 2000 to 2008. Since then there has been mostly steady increases in the stock of infrastructure in Nova Scotia (except 2015).
Transportation infrastructure in Nova Scotia has been rising steadily, with accelerated growth in 2020 and 2021. Fuel and energy infrastructure exhibits periods of rapid increases (2009-2010 and 2015-2017) followed by periods of stable stock of infrastructure.
Nova Scotia's education infrastructure has risen substantially since 2008 and particularly in 2020 and 2021. Health infrastructure stock declined from 2012 to 2017 (including depreciation), but has started to increase again, particularly in 2020 and 2021, when real health infrastructure increased above the 2012 levels.
Nova Scotia's housing (ie: water) infrastructure has been rising in most years since 2010. Environmental (ie: wastewater) infrastructure values contracted from 2012 to 2018 before eising again in the last three years of data. Recreation infrastructure increased substantially from 2010 to 2014 and again from 2016 to 2020 before edging down in 2021.
Communications infrastructure trended down in most years from 2003 to 2015 (except 2010 and 2011). There were substantial increases in Nova Scotia's communications infrastructure stock from 2015 to 2019 before declines in the last two years.
Nova Scotia's public transit equipment stock rose (in real terms) for most of the period from 2001 to 2017 but has declined since then.
The stock of Nova Scotia's public order and safety building infrastructure has gnerally trended down with a few exceptions (2001, 2005, 2012-2014). Although it edged up in 2021, infrastructure for public order and safety buildings in Nova Scotia has declined since 2014.
Infrastructure can also be measured by the "average age" of the assets used in public service functions. The average age of all infrrastructure in Nova Scotia was 13.8 years in 2021, just above the national average of 13.5 years. The oldest infrastructure in Canada was reported in New Brunswick and Quebec while the newest was reported in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Nova Scotia's fuel and energy infrastructure (mostly electric power generation and transmission) had an average age of 16.9 years in 2021, which was above the national average age of 15.5 years. The oldest fuel and energy infrastructure was in New Brunswick and the newest in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Nova Scotia's transport infrastructure had an average age of 10.4 years in 2021, just above the national average of 10.3 years. Prince Edward Island had the oldest transport infrastructure while Saskatchewan had the newest.
Nova Scotia's health infrastructure (hospitals, nursing/residential care facilities) had an average age of 15.6 years, which was above the national average of 14.9 years. New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Manitoba had the oldest health infrastructure while Newfoundland and Labrador had the newest.
Nova Scotia's education infrastructure (schools, colleges, universities) had an average age of 14.8 years in 2021, which was the second lowest among provinces after Alberta. Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan had the oldest education infrastructure in 2021.
Nova Scotia's housing/water (16.7 years) and environmental/wastewater (18.0 years) infrastructure was older than the national averages. Water infrastructure was oldest in Saskatchewan and newest in Ontario. Wastewater infrastructure was oldest in New Brunswick and newest in Alberta.
Nova Scotia's recreation facility infrastructure had an average age of 9.6 years in 2021 - the newest recreation infrastructure among provinces. Prince Edward Island had the oldest recreation infrastructure.
Nova Scotia's infrastructure for public transit equipment (11.6 years) and communications (9.5 years) were the oldest among provinces for each category. Nova Scotia's public order and safety buildings had an average age of 18.9 years, the second oldest among provinces after Prince Edward Island. Nationally, public transit equipment had an average age of 9.9 years with the newest infrastructure in Quebec. Communications infrastructure had an average age of 8.2 years across Canada with the newest infrsatructure in Alberta. Public order and safety building infrastructure had an average age of 15.1 years, with the newest infrastructure in Alberta.
Notes: Infrastructure is defined as physical structures and systems that support the production of goods and service and their delivery to and consumption by governments, business and citizens. Infrastructure assets are tangible assets that generally enable or perform a support function and includes both economic asset (i.e. highways, road, energy generation/transmission, sewage systems) and social assets (i.e. hospitals, schools, pollution abatement, recreation facilities, law enforcement facilities). The value of the capital stock is measured using perpetual inventory method where investment are positive flows that accumulated the asset which is depreciated over time as assets age. Assets in the data can be separated by purchasing sector, asset type, or function. Infrastructure assets do not include all types of non-residential assets, for instance buses and trains are included while some other types of mobile assets (defense ships, aircraft, ambulances) are not considered part of infrastructure assets.
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 36-10-0608-01 Infrastructure Economic Accounts, investment and net stock by asset, industry, and asset function (x 1,000,000); Table 36-10-0610-01 Infrastructure Economic Accounts, economic impact by asset, industry, and asset function (x 1,000,000); Table 36-10-0611-01 Infrastructure Economic Accounts, average age and remaining useful service life ratio by asset and asset function
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