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 September 2023 over September 2022 was 4.5%. The largest contributors were food (8.3%), shelter (6.7%), recreation, education and reading (8.2%), and Health and personal care (6.7%).

August 2023 year-to-date retail trade was up by 0.7% over the same period in 2022.

• Sub-sectors that posted increases were new car dealers (13.2%), Furniture and home furnishings stores (1.3%), Health and personal care stores (9.6%), Clothing and clothing accessories stores (0.5%), Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores (7.8%), General merchandise stores (8.5%), and all other (19.7%).
• During the same time period, used car dealers (-23.3%), Gasoline stations (-11.3%), Electronics and appliance stores (-2.0%), Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers (-0.9%), Grocery stores (-11.29%), and Beer, wine and liquor stores (-5.6%) posted declines.

August 2023 year-to-date new motor vehicle (units) sales were down -0.2% from August 2022. New minivans, sport-utility vehicles, light and heavy trucks, vans and buses sales were up 1.0% while new passenger cars sales were down -13.0%.

August 2023 year-to-date restaurant receipts were up 12.3% over the same period in 2022. All sub-categories posted increases: Special food services (26.3%), Drinking places (alcoholic beverages) (8.0%), Full-service restaurants (10.6%), and Limited-service eating places (12.3%).

August 2023 year-to-date manufacturing sales were down by -2.5% over the same period in 2022.

• Sub-sectors that posted increases were Food manufacturing sales (5.8%), Machinery manufacturing sales (22.5%), and Fabricated metal product manufacturing sales (3.6%).
• Sub-sectors that posted decreases were limited to all other Manufacturing sales (-10.4%). 

August 2023 year-to-date wholesale trade was up 43.7% over the same period in 2022.

• Farm product merchant wholesalers (107.1%), Food, beverage and tobacco merchant wholesalers (17.7%), Machinery, equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers (25.8%), Building material and supplies merchant wholesalers (9.6%), and all other (83.4%) posted increases while Agricultural supplies merchant wholesalers (-27.8%) saw a decline.

Total International merchandise exports were down -3.2% year-to-date September 2023 over September 2022.

• Sub-sectors that posted increases were Farm, fishing and intermediate food products (24.8%), Metal and non-metallic mineral products (38.7%), Basic and industrial chemical, plastic and rubber products (22.1%), Industrial machinery, equipment and parts (6.8%), Electronic and electrical equipment and parts (0.3%), Motor vehicles and parts (27.7%), Aircraft and other transportation equipment and parts (26.4%), Consumer goods (30.8%), and Special transactions (10.0%).
• Sub-sectors that posted decreases were Energy products (-6.7%), Metal ores and non-metallic minerals (-27.2%), and Forestry products and building and packaging materials (-23.0%).           

Year-to-date October 2023 construction employment was down -4,430 or -9.3%               from the same period in 2022 with weak residential construction activity.

October 2023, total year-to-date housing starts were down by -522 units or -16.3% over the same period in 2022. Year-to-date increases were observed in semi-detached (12 units or 10.0%) and apartment and other types (44 units or 2.8%). Year-to-date declines were noted in singles (-401 units or -36.7%) and row (-177 units or -45.9%).

The average year-to-date Housing Price Index Benchmark Composite Price is down from   $326,460 in October 2022 to $325,600 in October 2023 or -0.3% as higher borrowing costs stifle demand.

September 2023 year-to-date building permits were up 7.6% over the same period in 2022. Sub-sectors that posted increases were residential (3.1%), industrial (10.4%), and institutional and governmental (85.2%). During the same time period, only commercial (-5.9%) posted a decline.  

October 2023 year-to-date employment in Information, culture and recreation was up 980 positions or 5% over same period in 2022.

Q3 2023 Provincial population was up persons or 2.6% over 2022 Q3 to 1,209,107, an all-time high. In addition, the provincial population grew by 8,567 people over the second 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.