According to the Saskatchewan Finance in its 2023-2024 budget forecast, real GDP is predicted to slow down significantly from the 4.8% increase in 2021 to 1.3% for 2022 and 1.8% in 2024.

The average year-to-date rate of change in the all-items Consumer Price Index (inflation) in October 2023 over October 2022 was 4.2%. The largest contributors were food (8.0%), shelter (6.5%), recreation, education and reading (8.2%), and Health and personal care (6.5%).

September 2023 year-to-date retail trade is up by 0.8% over the same period in 2022.

• Sub-sectors that posted increases were new car dealers (11.9%), Furniture and home furnishings stores (0.1%), Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers (0.3%), Health and personal care stores (8.8%), Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores (6.4%), General merchandise stores (7.8%), and all other (16.8%).
• During the same time period, used car dealers (-23.4%), Gasoline stations (-9.2%), Electronics and appliance stores (-1.5%), Clothing and clothing accessories stores (-0.5%), Grocery stores (-9.20%), Beer, wine and liquor stores (-7.7%) posted declines.

September 2023 year-to-date new motor vehicle (units) sales were up 0.7% from September 2022. New minivans, sport-utility vehicles, light and heavy trucks, vans and buses sales were up 1.8% while new passenger cars sales were down -11.8%.               

September 2023 year-to-date restaurant receipts were up 11.6% over the same period in 2022. All sub-categories posted increases: Special food services (23.7%), Drinking places (alcoholic beverages) (7.5%), Full-service restaurants (10.2%), and Limited-service eating places (11.7%).

September 2023 year-to-date manufacturing sales were down by -2.6%  over the same period in 2022.

• Sub-sectors that posted increases were Food manufacturing sales (5.3%), Machinery manufacturing sales (18.1%), and Fabricated metal product manufacturing sales (2.5%).
•  Sub-sectors that posted decreases were limited to All other Manufacturing sales (-9.8%).       

September 2023 year-to-date wholesale trade was up 43.0% over the same period in 2022.

• Farm product merchant wholesalers (111.5%), Food, beverage and tobacco merchant wholesalers (19.8%), Machinery, equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers (23.2%), Building material and supplies merchant wholesalers (9.1%), and all other (89.1%) posted increases while Agricultural supplies merchant wholesalers (-31.4%) saw a decline.

otal International merchandise exports were down -4.6% year-to-date October 2023 over October 2022.

• Sub-sectors that posted increases were Farm, fishing and intermediate food products (18.4%), Metal and non-metallic mineral products (31.3%), Basic and industrial chemical, plastic and rubber products (12.5%), Industrial machinery, equipment and parts (5.5%), Motor vehicles and parts (26.7%), Consumer goods (27.2%), and Special transactions (9.5%).
• Sub-sectors that posted decreases were Energy products (-4.2%), Metal ores and non-metallic minerals (-28.4%), Forestry products and building and packaging materials (-33.0%), Electronic and electrical equipment and parts (-2.0%), and Aircraft and other transportation equipment and parts (-11.9%).   

Year-to-date November 2023 construction employment was down -3,918 or -8.3% from the same period in 2022 with soft residential construction.

Benefitting from a late year surge in apartment/condo starts, November 2023 total year-to-date housing starts are up by 21 units or 0.6% over the same period in 2022. Year-to-date increases were observed in semi-detached (44 units or 33.8%) and apartment and other types (412 units or 24.8%). Year-to-date declines were noted in singles (-257 units or -21.8%) and row (-178 units or -43.8%).

The average year-to-date Housing Price Index Benchmark Composite Price is down from $325,709 in November 2022 to $325,491 in November 2023 or -0.1% as higher borrowing costs negatively impact home demand.

October 2023 year-to-date building permits are up 10.5% over the same period in 2022. Sub-sectors that posted increases were residential (3.6%), industrial (32.0%), and institutional and governmental (66.7%). During the same time period, only commercial (-0.9%) posted a decline.

November 2023 year-to-date employment in Information, culture and recreation was up 1,227 positions or 6.2% over same period in 2022.

Q4 2023 Provincial population was up 31,369 persons or 2.6% over 2022 Q3 to 1,218,976, an all-time high. In addition, the provincial population grew by 9,869 people over the third quarter of 2023. 

• Driving population growth was post-COVID resurgent international immigration as borders re-opened. Net inter-provincial migration has been negative every quarter since Q2 2013.