--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/research/directions-for-regional-economic-policy-in-the-uk-lessons-from-canada/" title: "Directions for Regional Economic Policy in the UK: Lessons from Canada" author: name: "" url: "https://csls.ca/author/" date_published: "2026-07-01T11:24:23+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-01T11:24:23+00:00" post_type: "research" summary: "" post_tag: - "Canada" - "decentralization" - "political economy" - "productivity" - "regional development" - "regional economic policy" - "UK" country_focus: - "Canada" - "UK" province_region: - "National" research_theme: - "Fiscal Policy" - "Regional Economic Development" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/old-reports_hero_banner_bg.webp" status: "publish" --- # Directions for Regional Economic Policy in the UK: Lessons from Canada Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/research/directions-for-regional-economic-policy-in-the-uk-lessons-from-canada/ # Directions for Regional Economic Policy in the UK: Lessons from Canada [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2025-01-1.pdf) Cite this report × Cite this report as: Sargent, Tim. 2025. “Directions for Regional Economic Policy in the UK: Lessons from Canada.” CSLS Research Report 2025-01. Ottawa: Centre for the Study of Living Standards. https://csls.ca/research/directions-for-regional-economic-policy-in-the-uk-lessons-from-canada/ ## Author: - Tim Sargent Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS); Macdonald-Laurier Institute ## Report 2025-01 January 2025 53 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/) [Apprenticeship in Canada: A Training System Under Siege? 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We look at the regional distribution of industries in both countries, noting both differences and similarities across the two countries, and look at each country’s experience with regional economic development policy and political decentralization over the last fifty years or so. We outline the current structure of economic development programming in Canada, at both the federal and provincial level, as well as programmes by the federal government that target specific sectors. We then look at the outcomes of regional economic development in Canada, which we find to be mixed at best. Finally, we draw out lessons for UK policymakers from the Canadian experience. These include the perceived need for an enduring central government role in regional development, however much political devolution takes place, the importance of political representation for economic development institutions, the tendency to uniformity despite political decentralization, and the existence of some innovative Canadian economic development programmes that bear watching. Cet article examine la structure économique et politique régionale du Royaume-Uni et du Canada, ainsi que leur évolution au fil du temps. Nous étudions la répartition régionale des industries dans les deux pays, en relevant à la fois les différences et les similitudes, et examinons l’expérience de chaque pays en matière de politique de développement économique régional et de décentralisation politique au cours des cinquante dernières années environ. Nous présentons la structure actuelle de la programmation du développement économique au Canada, tant à l’échelle fédérale que provinciale, ainsi que les programmes fédéraux ciblant des secteurs précis. Nous examinons ensuite les résultats du développement économique régional au Canada, que nous jugeons mitigés au mieux. Enfin, nous dégageons des leçons pour les décideurs britanniques à partir de l’expérience canadienne. Celles-ci comprennent la nécessité perçue d’un rôle durable du gouvernement central en matière de développement régional, peu importe l’ampleur de la dévolution politique, l’importance de la représentation politique pour les institutions de développement économique, la tendance à l’uniformité malgré la décentralisation politique, et l’existence de programmes canadiens de développement économique novateurs qui méritent d’être surveillés. [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2025-01-1.pdf)