--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/research/productivity-trends-in-the-canadian-transport-sector-an-overview/" title: "Productivity Trends in the Canadian Transport Sector: An Overview" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-02T12:51:13+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-02T12:51:13+00:00" post_type: "research" summary: "" post_tag: - "air transportation" - "Canada" - "labour productivity" - "productivity" - "rail" - "transportation" - "truck transportation" - "urban transit" country_focus: - "Canada" province_region: - "National" research_theme: - "Productivity and Economic Measurement" - "Sector/Industry Analysis" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/old-reports_hero_banner_bg.webp" status: "publish" --- # Productivity Trends in the Canadian Transport Sector: An Overview Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/research/productivity-trends-in-the-canadian-transport-sector-an-overview/ # Productivity Trends in the Canadian Transport Sector: An Overview [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2016-04-1.pdf) Cite this report × Cite this report as: McKellips, Fanny, and Matthew Calver. 2016. “Productivity Trends in the Canadian Transport Sector: An Overview.” CSLS Research Report 2016-04. Ottawa: Centre for the Study of Living Standards. https://csls.ca/research/productivity-trends-in-the-canadian-transport-sector-an-overview/ ## Authors: - Fanny McKellips Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) - Matthew Calver Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) ## Report 2016-04 April 2016 204 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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In particular, while labour productivity (real GDP per worker) grew an average of 0.64 per cent per year between 2000 and 2014 in the transportation and warehousing sector, labour productivity grew an average of 1.83 per cent per year in the truck transportation subsector, 3.25 per cent per year in the air transportation subsector and 2.09 per cent in the train transportation subsector for the same period. Conversely, in the urban transit subsector, labour productivity decreased an average of 0.76 per cent per year between 2000 and 2014. This report provides a detailed analysis of output, input and productivity trends in four subsectors of the Canadian transportation and warehousing sector. It also examines drivers of the productivity growth for each subsector as well as policies that could enable faster growth. Given the impact that the transportation sector has on many Canadian industries as well as the Canadian economy, maintaining productivity growth is important. Au cours des dernières décennies, la croissance globale de la productivité de nombreux sous-secteurs du secteur canadien du transport et de l’entreposage a été supérieure à la moyenne. En particulier, alors que la productivité du travail (PIB réel par travailleur) a augmenté en moyenne de 0,64 % par année entre 2000 et 2014 dans le secteur du transport et de l’entreposage, elle a augmenté en moyenne de 1,83 % par année dans le sous-secteur du camionnage, de 3,25 % par année dans le sous-secteur du transport aérien et de 2,09 % dans le sous-secteur du transport ferroviaire durant la même période. À l’inverse, dans le sous-secteur du transport urbain, la productivité du travail a reculé en moyenne de 0,76 % par année entre 2000 et 2014. Ce rapport propose une analyse détaillée des tendances de la production, des intrants et de la productivité dans quatre sous-secteurs du secteur canadien du transport et de l’entreposage. Il examine également les moteurs de la croissance de la productivité pour chaque sous-secteur, ainsi que les politiques susceptibles de favoriser une croissance plus rapide. Étant donné l’incidence du secteur des transports sur de nombreuses industries canadiennes ainsi que sur l’économie canadienne, le maintien de la croissance de la productivité revêt une grande importance. [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2016-04-1.pdf)