Significant investment increase forecasted in nordic regions in 2012

Québec, May 23, 2012 – The value of investments carried out in the province should reach 70.8 billion of dollars in 2012, a 5.6% rise compared to 2011. Intentions for 2012 point toward growth in 13 of the 17 regions of Québec, including a gain of 66.3% in Côte-Nord and 20.3% in Nord-du-Québec. Those were the findings revealed today in the bulletin Flash on regional investment.

Private and public investment

Non-residential investment from private sector are on the rise by 8.5% in 2012 and totalize $25.8 billion. A stunning growth is registered in Côte-Nord (+159.5%) driving this region in third place among all administrative regions. Nord-du-Québec region also makes good figure thanks to a 26.8% jump.

Public investment growth is moderate since 2010 (+5.8% in 2012) following three years of growth higher than 10%. In Québec regions all together, public investment is growing, espacially in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean (+30.0%) and Outaouais (+18.4%).

Investment by industry

According to intentions for 2012, goods-producing industries are those which anticipate the highest growth (+17.5%). For the first time since 1998, the Côte-Nord region climbs at the top with projected investments of $3.4 billion, an increase of 88.9% compared to 2011. The mining sector with projected investments of $2.1 billion in 2012 is mainly responsible for this growth.

Investment by services-producing industries in Québec grows more slowly in 2012 (+1.9%). The most significant growths are in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (+17.2%), while in Outaouais and Cöte-Nord the growth is the same (+11.7%).

Investment related to housing, on the provincial scale, is on the rise by 2.6%, a growth reflected in 11 of the 17 administrative regions. In residential investment, Laurentides (+7.7%) and Laval (+6.0%) record the strongest increases.

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Sources:

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