Business Outlook Survey

Four times a year, our regional offices interview business leaders from about 100 firms to gather a broad range of economic perspectives that help us fulfill our mandate as Canada’s central bank.

The results of these interviews are available in our quarterly Business Outlook Surveys (BOS). View the recent survey data and references for more information.

Purpose

Firms are selected from across Canada in accordance with the composition of the country's gross domestic product. They give us their views on:

• topics of interest to the Bank of Canada, such as demand and capacity pressures;
• forward-looking views that these firms hold on economic activity.

The BOS results are presented quarterly to the Bank’s Governing Council as a timely input into the monetary policy decision-making process.

Disclaimers:

• The opinions expressed are those of the respondents, and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Bank of Canada.
• The method of sample selection ensures a good cross-section of opinion. Nevertheless, the statistical reliability of the survey is limited, given the small sample size.

Industry participation

A rotating, and regularly updated, roster of businesses participates in the survey. Learn why we need business participation and how we engage with businesses.