A 2016 World Economic Forum survey ranked Canada’s infrastructure quality at 14th among 28 OECD countries. Many higher-rated countries, such as Switzerland, Finland, Australia, France, Netherlands, Denmark and Japan, outperform Canada when it comes to per capita infrastructure spending.
The 2016 Canadian Infrastructure Report Card concludes that between 10 to 20% of Canada’s infrastructure assets are in poor or very poor condition. “Very poor” suggests that assets are unfit for sustained use and are near or beyond their expected service life. “Poor” suggests that assets are approaching the end of their useful life. Another 20-30% of assets were rated to be in “fair” condition, indicating they have signs of deterioration. All told, between 30% and 50% of Canadian infrastructure assets will soon require attention or replacement.