P.E.I. manufacturing is growing, but what are Islanders making?

P.E.I. manufacturers have been enjoying significant growth over the last five years.

• P.E.I. leads Canada in manufacturing sales growth

In terms of percentage sales growth, Island manufacturers led the country in 2016, an achievement not recognized in Statistics Canada's release Monday, which awarded the honours to British Columbia and Ontario.

Despite all the growth, P.E.I. is still just a blip on the national scene. The Island industry's sales of $1.7 billion in 2016 were just over a half per cent of sales in Ontario. Even measured in terms of its impact on the local economy, P.E.I. has a ways to go to match what is going on in Ontario.

• Ontario: $21,513 in sales per capita.
• P.E.I.: $11,400 in sales per capita

Still, sales are up 32 per cent since 2012. Here's a look at what Islanders are making.

Non-durable goods

This sector makes up almost three quarters of P.E.I. manufacturing. It includes consumables like food, beverages, chemicals, clothing, and printed products.

Not showing up on this chart are beverage and tobacco products, at about half per cent, and textile products at .01 per cent.

Durable goods

This includes products made to last, generally out of metal, plastic or wood.

Most of the durable goods products are unspecified. The results from smaller sectors are often hidden by Statistics Canada in order to protect the privacy of smaller producers.

Methodology

This is a snapshot of manufacturing on P.E.I. in 2016, as published in report released by Statistics Canada Monday.

Average monthly sales were determined using seasonally adjusted figures for the months figures were published, sometimes as few as two. Percentages represented were then calculated from those monthly averages.

Because the data available is limited due to privacy concerns, these are rough estimates only.

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS |'It's all Mi'kmaq land': Why First Nations claim P.E.I. as their own
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS |'I just wanna win!': Thrills and spills at indoor RC races