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 August 2023 over August 2022 was 4.6%. The largest contributors were food (8.7%), shelter (6.7%), recreation, education and reading (8.1%), and Health and personal care (6.8%).    

July 2023 year-to-date retail trade is up by 1.0% over the same period in 2022.

• Sub-sectors that posted increases were new car dealers (16.5%), Furniture and home furnishings stores (1.3%), Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers (0.9%), Health and personal care stores (9.7%), Clothing and clothing accessories stores (0.9%), Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores (9.5%), General merchandise stores (8.5%), and all other (12.9%).
• During the same time period, used car dealers (-22.9%), Gasoline stations (-12.6%), Electronics and appliance stores (-2.2%), Grocery stores (-12.63%), and Beer, wine and liquor stores (-0.4%) posted declines.

July 2023 year-to-date new motor vehicle (units) sales were unchanged from July 2022. New minivans, sport-utility vehicles, light and heavy trucks, vans and buses sales were up 0.9% while new passenger cars sales were also down -10.0%.

July 2023 year-to-date restaurant receipts were up 13.4% over the same period in 2022. Within restaurant receipts, all sub-categories posted increases: Special food services (29.4%), Drinking places (alcoholic beverages) (9.2%), Full-service restaurants (11.8%), and Limited-service eating places (13.3%).

July 2023 year-to-date manufacturing sales are down by -1.8% over the same period in 2022.

• Sub-sectors that posted increases were: Food manufacturing sales (7.3%), Machinery manufacturing sales (23.6%), and Fabricated metal product manufacturing sales (3.8%).
• Sub-sectors that posted decreases were limited to All other Manufacturing sales (-10.1%).     

July 2023 year-to-date wholesale trade was up 44.5% over the same period in 2022.

•  Farm product merchant wholesalers (99.3%), Food, beverage and tobacco merchant wholesalers (14.1%), Machinery, equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers (26.5%), Building material and supplies merchant wholesalers (9.4%), and all other (77.5%) all posted increases while Agricultural supplies merchant wholesalers (-23.0%) saw a decline.  

Total International merchandise exports were down -1.4% year-to-date August 2023 over August 2022.

• Sub-sectors that posted increases were Farm, fishing and intermediate food products (30.6%), Metal and non-metallic mineral products (44.4%), Basic and industrial chemical, plastic and rubber products (24.6%), Industrial machinery, equipment and parts (10.1%), Motor vehicles and parts (26.2%), Aircraft and other transportation equipment and parts (25.7%), Consumer goods (32.6%), and Special transactions (11.5%).
• Sub-sectors that posted decreases were Energy products (-7.9%), Metal ores and non-metallic minerals (-25.3%), Forestry products and building and packaging materials (-25.6%), and Electronic and electrical equipment and parts (-6.6%).   

Year-to-date September 2023 construction employment was down -4,800 or -10.0% from the same period in 2022 with weak residential construction activity.

September 2023, total year-to-date housing starts are down by -148 units or -5.2% 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 (296 units or 22.0%). Year-to-date declines were noted in singles (-317 units or -31.4%) and row (-139 units or -39.9%).

The average year-to-date Housing Price Index Benchmark Composite Price is down from $326,92 in September 2022 to $325,411 in September 2023 or -0.5% as higher borrowing costs bite into demand.      

 August 2023 year-to-date building permits are up 4.5% over the same period in 2022. Sub-sectors that posted increases were residential (0.7%), industrial (3.7%), and institutional and governmental (64.2%). During the same time period, only commercial (-5.3%) posted a decline.

September 2023 year-to-date employment in Information, culture and recreation was up 644 positions or 3.2% 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.