--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/research/a-comparison-of-australian-and-canadian-productivity-performance-lessons-for-canada/" title: "A Comparison of Australian and Canadian Productivity Performance: Lessons for Canada" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-02T12:51:03+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-02T12:51:03+00:00" post_type: "research" summary: "" post_tag: - "Australia" - "Canada" - "comparative analysis" - "labour productivity" - "lessons for Canada" - "multifactor productivity" - "productivity" - "public policy" country_focus: - "Australia" - "Canada" province_region: - "National" research_theme: - "Productivity and Economic Measurement" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/old-reports_hero_banner_bg.webp" status: "publish" --- # A Comparison of Australian and Canadian Productivity Performance: Lessons for Canada Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/research/a-comparison-of-australian-and-canadian-productivity-performance-lessons-for-canada/ # A Comparison of Australian and Canadian Productivity Performance: Lessons for Canada [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2016-07-1.pdf) Cite this report × Cite this report as: Capeluck, Evan. 2016. “A Comparison of Australian and Canadian Productivity Performance: Lessons for Canada.” CSLS Research Report 2016-07. Ottawa: Centre for the Study of Living Standards. https://csls.ca/research/a-comparison-of-australian-and-canadian-productivity-performance-lessons-for-canada/ ## Author: - Evan Capeluck Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University ## Report 2016-07 June 2016 154 pages ## Related research [Measuring the Appropriate Outcomes for Better Decision-Making: A Framework to Guide the Analysis of Health Policy Matthew Calver March 2016 | Report 2016-03 | 132 pages](https://csls.ca/research/measuring-the-appropriate-outcomes-for-better-decision-making-a-framework-to-guide-the-analysis-of-health-policy-2016-03/) [Living Standards Domain of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing Andrew Sharpe, Christopher Ross November 2011 | Report 2011-17 | 124 pages](https://csls.ca/research/living-standards-domain-of-the-canadian-index-of-wellbeing-2011-17/) [Productivity: Key to Economic Success Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) March 1998 | Report 1998-01 | 99 pages](https://csls.ca/research/productivity-key-to-economic-success/) [Productivity Trends: A Canada-U.S. Comparison Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) January 1999 | Report 1999-01 | 6 pages](https://csls.ca/research/productivity-trends-a-canada-u-s-comparison/) [New Estimates of Manufacturing Productivity Growth for Canada and the United States Andrew Sharpe March 1999 | Report 1999-02 | 21 pages](https://csls.ca/research/new-estimates-of-manufacturing-productivity-growth-for-canada-and-the-united-states/) [Apprenticeship in Canada: A Training System Under Siege? 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To do this, the report conducts a comprehensive analysis of the productivity performance of both countries, with particular interest in determining which underlying factors can explain Australia’s superior productivity growth in recent years. In addition, the report discusses the literature on the effects of public policy on Australian productivity performance since the 1990s. L’objectif de ce rapport est d’examiner l’incidence des politiques publiques sur la performance de la productivité de l’Australie et de dégager les leçons possibles pour le Canada à partir de cette expérience. Pour ce faire, le rapport procède à une analyse approfondie de la performance en matière de productivité des deux pays, en s’intéressant particulièrement aux facteurs sous-jacents susceptibles d’expliquer la croissance supérieure de la productivité de l’Australie au cours des dernières années. De plus, le rapport examine la littérature sur les effets des politiques publiques sur la performance de la productivité australienne depuis les années 1990. [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2016-07-1.pdf)