Canada Losing Ground, Says Candian Conference Board

Canada continues to slide down the ranks of the world's top economies and is a "chronic laggard in key areas, notably productivity and investment," according to the Conference Board of Canada's latest global report.

Dropping investment spending and sub-par productivity growth pulled Canada down to the No.12 spot from sixth place last year and third in 2003, the board said.

"Canada runs the risk of squandering its abundant endowments and opportunities," Conference Board CEO Anne Golden said in a release.

"Our report card shows that Canada's relative performance continues to slip, and other countries are not standing still."

Canada earned top 12 rankings in all six categories of the board's global survey, but lost ground in four, including a decline to 12th from sixth in the economy category.

"Even in areas such as health and society, where we believe that we have created a strong social fabric, our public record does not measure up to our international brand," Golden said.