Future of Canada

The Future of Canada

		SCENARIOS		STABILITY	CONFLICT	SELF-DETERMINATION	DEMOGRAPHY

Future Atlas blog: Canada			Canada: Primary future issues
	Cultural autonomy – Tight integration with the much larger United States presents Canadians with the perpetual issue of how they differ from their southern neighbors, and how they will maintain that difference. Many Canadians wish to preserve what they see as a more humane and inclusive society than they see to their south. Competitiveness – Canada is prosperous and highly economically competitive, ranked 13th out of 131 countries by the World Economic Forum for 2007-2008. It must maintain this status in face of growing competition from emerging markets and demographic challenges. On the other hand, as a major producer of raw materials, Canada stands to benefit from rising emerging market demand. Demography – The population is growing relatively slowly, and the growth rate is falling, so the aging of the baby boom will drive up average age, and the proportion of senior citizens will increase significantly. Canada is attractive to immigrants, however. Quebec – The status of French-speaking Quebec has been in contention for decades, and could still split the country. SOURCES: -- Competitiveness: World Economic Forum, “Table 4: Global Competitiveness Index rankings and 2006–2007 comparisons,” The Global Competitiveness Report 2007-2008, 2007.