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Saskatchewan

  • Total area: 651,036 km2
  • Capital: Regina

Demographics (2008)

Population of the province

  • 1,006,644
  • Canada's only province where the majority of the population is of neither British nor French background.
  • Various ethnic cultures represented: Aboriginal peoples, along with many people of European origin (e.g. British, French, German, Ukrainian and Scandinavian) as well as non-European origin.

Population of major urban centres (000s)

  • Saskatoon (CMA)1: 213.6
  • Regina (CMA): 200.0
  • Prince Albert(CA)2: 39.7
  • Moose Jaw (CA): 35.0
  • Yorkton (CA): 16.9

Total labour force (000s)

  • 534.7

Employment by industry (000s)

  • Trade: 83.5
  • Health care and Education: 101.1
  • Agriculture: 41.0

Economy (2008)

  • GDP ($CDN Billion): 50.9
  • Real GDP growth (4year annual average): 3.0%
  • CPI3 Inflation: 1.0%
  • Unemployment Rate: 3.9%

Total international trade ($CDN billions)

  • Exports of goods and services: 27
  • Imports of goods and services: 14.4

Trade and Investment (2008)

International export markets (%)

  • United States: 67
  • China: 3.1
  • Japan: 3.1

Top three international exports (%)

  • Energy Products: 39.6
  • Agricultural and Fishing Products: 29.4
  • Industrial Products: 26.6

Business and Investment Environment

  • Highest average economic growth (GDP) in Canada along with the lowest rate of unemployment in the country
  • Government incentives for natural gas drilling and new oil wells, a 90,000 barrel/ day refinery, an asphalt refiner, 2 heavy oil upgraders and 3 ethanol plants
  • One of Canada’s lowest corporate income tax rates for manufacturers and processors—as low as 10% for qualifying companies—and royalty rates among the lowest in Canada

Sectoral Strengths

Food, Crop and Beverage Processing

  • The province's $2 billion food and beverage processing industry includes almost 300 companies, employs over 7,000 people and produces: flour products, meat products, fruit- based products, certified organic foods, specialty foods and nutraceuticals
  • The industry produces about 20% of the province total manufacturing and processing output

Machinery, Transportation and Industrial Equipment

  • Over 31,000 employees and $10.4 billion in manufacturing shipments in 2007
  • A diverse range of about 300 companies with complementary industrial processes and capabilities to produce world-class products
  • Produces a wide range of major goods, and exports 78% of what is manufactured

Agriculture

  • Saskatchewan has almost half of Canada's total cultivated farmland
  • In 2008, total value of crops exported, was $8,341M

Oil and gas

  • Saskatchewan is Canada's second-largest producer of crude oil and third-largest natural gas producer.
  • Has an excellent infrastructure that includes numerous pipeline systems delivering crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids and refined petroleum products to domestic and international markets.

Minerals: exploration, extraction, processing and servicing

  • The world's largest potash producer and exporter (supplying one-third of world demand); the world's largest uranium producer (accounting for about 23% of global production in 2007); and, is home to the largest diamondiferous kimberlite field in the world

Advanced technologies: agricultural biotechnology and life sciences

  • It is one of the world's leading agri-biotech research centres
  • Innovation Place in Saskatoon is one of North America's most advanced research parks for agriculture, pharmaceuticals and the environment. Also located in Saskatoon is the Canadian Light Source synchrotron that will help groundbreaking research in the biotechnology, nanotechnology, medical, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors

Forestry

  • More than half of Saskatchewan - about 355,000 km 2 - is forested. Saskatchewan is home to around 300 companies in the forest industry, including two Oriented Strand Board (OSB) plants, as well as plywood and lumber operations

Online Resources

For additional information please contact Enterprise Saskatchewan.

  1. CMA: Census Metropolitan Area (return to source paragraph)
  2. CA: Census Agglomeration (return to source paragraph)
  3. CPI: Consumer Price Index (return to source paragraph)