Performance and Potential 2005-06: The World and Canada: Trends Reshaping Our Future

This report summarizes the key findings of our examination of Canada’s performance and potential. It evaluates our progress since the mid-1990s and looks at the global trends that are reshaping our future prosperity and well-being.

Benchmarked against leading OECD countries, Canada’s performance is slipping. We lost ground this year in four of the six categories we track (Economy, Innovation, Health, and Society) and gained in only two (Environment and Education and Skills). We are not living up to our brand as a wealthy, environmentally responsible, socially conscious, healthy society. Our economic performance continues to be challenged by underlying structural weaknesses—mainly our low productivity growth—which could undermine future prosperity.

Canada’s future is also dependent on our understanding of the trends and influences that connect us to the world. This report explores the potential impact and policy implications emerging from four major global trends: economic transformation, growth in demand for resources, aging populations, and new and increased security risks.