CAD macro coverage

Canada Economic Indicators

Canadian dollar — North American oil-linked currency, closely tied to crude prices and the US economy.

The Canadian dollar (CAD), nicknamed the 'loonie', is the official currency of Canada and one of the most-traded currencies in the world. It is heavily influenced by oil prices, US economic conditions, and the Bank of Canada's policy stance relative to the Federal Reserve.

Canada macro brief

The highest-signal pages for Canada include Central Bank Policy Rate, Inflation Rate (CPI/HICP), Core Inflation, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Growth, with each page linking back to the source metadata, release history, and API endpoint.

The Bank of Canada (BoC) sets the overnight rate target at eight scheduled decisions per year. It targets the midpoint of a 1–3% CPI inflation control range and publishes a quarterly Monetary Policy Report with detailed projections and a press conference following each MPR meeting.

The pages below are organized by indicator rather than API route. That keeps the public website useful for research while still preserving direct links into the versioned API documentation for developers.

What to watch
  • BoC interest-rate decision and Monetary Policy Report.
  • Canada monthly CPI and labour force survey.
  • WTI crude oil and Western Canadian Select differential.
  • BoC Business Outlook Survey (quarterly).
  • Cross-border trade and US ISM data.

Key Canada indicators

The highest-signal country pages for rates, inflation, growth, labour markets, and external balances.

Central Bank Policy Rate

Primary interest rate set by the Central Bank.

~8x/year % Monetary Policy

Inflation Rate (CPI/HICP)

Headline inflation: the year-over-year percentage change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the standard measure central banks target.

Monthly %YoY Economy

Core Inflation

CPI excluding volatile items like food and energy.

Monthly %YoY Economy

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Growth

GDP growth: the quarterly change in the inflation-adjusted value of all goods and services produced in the economy.

Monthly CAD bn Economy

Unemployment Rate

Percentage of the labor force that is unemployed.

Monthly % Labor Market

Trade Balance

The difference between the value of a country's exports and imports.

Monthly CAD mn Economy

Retail Sales

Measures change in the total value of sales at the retail level.

Monthly CAD mn Economy

Producer Price Index (PPI)

Measures the average change over time in the selling prices received by domestic producers for their output.

Monthly %YoY Economy

All Canada indicator pages

Filter by indicator name, source, cadence, or category.

Economy 13 pages

Building Permits

Number of new residential construction permits authorized, a leading indicator of future housing activity and economic growth.

Monthly CAD mn History from 2000-01-31 (26.4 years)

Business Confidence

Survey-based measure of business executives' outlook on economic conditions, production, and investment plans.

Quarterly Index (0-100 normalized) History from 2003-09-30 (22.7 years)

Consumer Confidence

Survey-based measure of consumers' confidence in economic conditions, employment prospects, and personal finances.

Quarterly Index (0-100 normalized) History from 2014-12-31 (11.5 years)

Current Account Balance

Measures trade in goods and services and income flows.

Quarterly CAD mn History from 2010-03-31 (16.2 years)

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Growth

GDP growth: the quarterly change in the inflation-adjusted value of all goods and services produced in the economy.

Monthly CAD bn History from 2021-04-30 (5.1 years)

Housing Starts

Number of new residential construction projects that have begun in a given period, a key indicator of economic activity and construction sector health.

Monthly Units (SAAR) History from 2000-01-31 (26.4 years)

Inflation Rate (CPI/HICP)

Headline inflation: the year-over-year percentage change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the standard measure central banks target.

Monthly %YoY History from 2025-05-31 (1.1 years)

Inflation MoM

Month-over-month change in the consumer price index, measuring short-term inflationary momentum.

Monthly %MoM History from 2025-05-31 (1.1 years)

Producer Price Index (PPI)

Measures the average change over time in the selling prices received by domestic producers for their output.

Monthly %YoY History from 2000-01-05 (26.5 years)

Retail Sales

Measures change in the total value of sales at the retail level.

Monthly CAD mn History from 2000-01-31 (26.4 years)

Trade Balance

The difference between the value of a country's exports and imports.

Monthly CAD mn History from 2000-01-31 (26.4 years)

Trade-Weighted Index (NEER)

Nominal Effective Exchange Rate (NEER) measuring the value of a currency relative to a basket of trading partners' currencies, weighted by trade volumes. Published monthly by the BIS.

Monthly Index (2020=100) History from 2000-01-31 (26.4 years)
Labor Market 5 pages

Labor Force Participation Rate

Ratio of the labor force to the working-age population.

Monthly % History from 2021-06-30 (5.0 years)
Money & Credit 3 pages

Narrow Money (M1)

Currency in circulation + transaction deposits. RBNZ column A.

Monthly CAD mn History from 1975-03-01 (51.3 years)

M2 Money Supply

M1 + savings deposits (on-call). RBNZ derived: column A + B1.

Monthly CAD mn History from 1968-01-01 (58.5 years)

Broad Money (M3)

M1 + savings + term deposits. RBNZ column A+B (broadest aggregate).

Monthly CAD mn History from 1970-01-01 (56.5 years)
Monetary Policy 2 pages
Government Bond Yields 7 pages
Additional Indicators 12 pages

CAD market drivers

Evergreen macro forces to keep beside the country data table.

Driver 1

Bank of Canada overnight rate and Monetary Policy Report.

Driver 2

WTI crude oil price — Canada is a major net oil exporter.

Driver 3

US economic data and the Fed-BoC policy-rate differential.

Driver 4

Canada CPI, core CPI (trim and median measures).

Driver 5

Canada labour force survey: employment, unemployment, wages.

Driver 6

BoC Business Outlook Survey and Senior Loan Officer Survey.