The number of black-market transactions in Canada grew by more than 30 percent over the five-year period between 2016 and 2021, according to a new report by Statistics Canada, which says residential construction is the largest contributor to underground activity.
“The gross domestic product (GDP) at market prices for underground economic activity in Canada was estimated to be $68.5 billion, or 2.7% of total GDP, in 2021,” wrote the agency in its report, titled “The underground economy in Canada, 2021,” as first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.
In its 2016 report on underground economy activity, Statistics Canada found that the total value of Canada’s black market was just over $51 billion, meaning the number was up over 32 percent in 2021….