Reports on Plans and Priorities
2014-15 - Section 1 - Text description - Figure 4: Average Age and Age as a Percentage of Useful Life of Core Public Infrastructure

Figure 4: Average Age and Age as a Percentage of Useful Life of Core Public Infrastructure

Figure 4 is a graph based on Statistics Canada data. The graph shows the average age of core public infrastructure in Canada, as well as the age as a percentage of useful life of the assets, from 2000 to 2012. The "useful life" of an asset corresponds to its estimated productive life at the time of its acquisition.

Figure 4 shows that the average age of core public infrastructure is now declining. From its peak of 16.9 years in 2000 to 2003, the average age of core public infrastructure declined to 14.7 years in 2011 and to 14.3 years forecasted for 2012.

The graph also shows that between 2003 and 2012, the average age of Canada's core public infrastructure as a percentage of useful life fell from 65 percent to 53 percent. In terms of useful life, Canada's core public infrastructure is getting younger.