The CFIB Business Barometer is a leading economic indicator that measures the business sentiment and expectations of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) owners in Canada. It provides insights into future business performance, hiring intentions, and capital investment plans for the next 12 months. A reading above 50 indicates that owners expecting stronger performance outnumber those expecting weaker performance, signaling economic expansion.
The index is based on a monthly survey of CFIB members across various industries and regions in Canada. Responses are weighted by industry and province to ensure a representative sample of the national small business landscape.
| Date | Actual | Forecast | Surprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 2026 | — | 53.00 | — |
| Aug 21, 2026 | 57.60 | 56.00 | +1.60 |
| Jul 23, 2026 | 58.60 | 49.90 | +8.70 |
| Jun 19, 2026 | 49.60 | 56.50 | -6.90 |
| May 22, 2026 | 46.30 | 57.40 | -11.10 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | 58.00 | 54.00 | +4.00 |
| Mar 24, 2026 | 55.80 | 61.10 | -5.30 |
| Feb 27, 2026 | 64.80 | 59.00 | +5.80 |
| Jan 22, 2026 | 59.50 | 59.50 | 0.00 |
| Dec 18, 2025 | 59.90 | 54.00 | +5.90 |
| Nov 20, 2025 | 55.50 | 48.00 | +7.50 |
| Oct 16, 2025 | 46.30 | 50.70 | -4.40 |
| Sep 18, 2025 | 50.20 | 45.00 | +5.20 |
| Aug 21, 2025 | 47.80 | 50.80 | -3.00 |
| Jul 17, 2025 | 50.90 | 47.50 | +3.40 |
| Jun 19, 2025 | 47.30 | 43.00 | +4.30 |
| May 22, 2025 | 40.00 | 34.60 | +5.40 |
| Apr 17, 2025 | 34.80 | — | — |
| Mar 24, 2025 | 25.00 | 49.00 | -24.00 |
| Feb 28, 2025 | 49.50 | 54.00 | -4.50 |
| Jan 30, 2025 | 54.60 | 56.20 | -1.60 |
| Dec 30, 2024 | 56.40 | 55.00 | +1.40 |
| Nov 29, 2024 | 59.70 | 56.30 | +3.40 |
| Oct 31, 2024 | 55.80 | 54.30 | +1.50 |
| Sep 27, 2024 | 55.00 | 55.00 | 0.00 |
| Aug 30, 2024 | 56.80 | 55.30 | +1.50 |
| Jul 26, 2024 | 55.40 | 56.70 | -1.30 |
| Jun 28, 2024 | 56.30 | 56.00 | +0.30 |
| May 30, 2024 | 56.40 | 49.00 | +7.40 |
| Apr 26, 2024 | 47.50 | 52.00 | -4.50 |
| Mar 28, 2024 | 52.70 | 52.00 | +0.70 |
| Feb 29, 2024 | 54.90 | 49.40 | +5.50 |
| Jan 25, 2024 | 49.00 | 48.00 | +1.00 |
| Dec 28, 2023 | 47.04 | 45.00 | +2.04 |
| Nov 30, 2023 | 45.58 | 47.00 | -1.42 |
| Oct 26, 2023 | 47.20 | 48.00 | -0.80 |
| Sep 28, 2023 | 48.70 | 54.00 | -5.30 |
| Aug 31, 2023 | 54.80 | 53.80 | +1.00 |
| Jul 27, 2023 | 54.20 | — | — |
| Jun 29, 2023 | 54.10 | 50.00 | +4.10 |
| May 25, 2023 | 56.40 | 54.00 | +2.40 |
| Apr 27, 2023 | 55.70 | 53.00 | +2.70 |
| Mar 30, 2023 | 55.30 | 49.00 | +6.30 |
| Feb 23, 2023 | 51.70 | 49.00 | +2.70 |
| Jan 26, 2023 | 51.40 | 49.00 | +2.40 |
| Dec 29, 2022 | 50.90 | 49.00 | +1.90 |
| Nov 24, 2022 | 50.00 | 51.00 | -1.00 |
| Oct 27, 2022 | 51.40 | 52.00 | -0.60 |
| Sep 29, 2022 | 52.50 | 52.00 | +0.50 |
| Aug 25, 2022 | 53.50 | 51.00 | +2.50 |
| Jul 29, 2022 | 52.70 | 58.00 | -5.30 |
| Date | First print | Current | Revision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 23, 2026 | 58.3 | 58.6 | +0.30 ↑ |
| Apr 17, 2026 | 58.5 | 58 | -0.50 ↓ |
