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Canada Province economic profile
Alberta - Economic Profile
Statistics, economic information and rankings for this Prairie province
In 2026, the province of Alberta has a population of 5,173,774, having grown an annualized 3.1% over the five years to 2026, which ranks it 1st out of 13 provinces and territories by growth rate. Alberta's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2026 reached $373.2b, with growth of 3.3% over the 5 years to 2026. Businesses in Alberta employed a total of 1,880,564 people in 2026, with average annual employment growth over the past five years of 3.7%. The top three sectors by total employment are Mining, Real Estate & Rental & Leasing in Canada, Construction, while the unemployment rate across the province in 2026 was 6.6%.
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Province economic profile
Alberta Economic Overview
$373.2b
Gross province product
5,173,774
Population
367,896
Businesses
Province economic profile
Alberta Industry Trends
Learn about current trends affecting the most significant industries for Alberta's province economy, down to the county level. IBISWorld offers provincial industry research reports across all 13 provinces and territories, including 421 industries in Alberta.
What are Alberta's Largest Industries by Revenue?
The largest industries by revenue in Alberta are Oil Drilling & Gas Extraction, Gasoline & Petroleum Wholesaling and Commercial Banking, which generated $114.5b, $72.3b and $58.6b in 2026.
| Industry | 2026 revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Oil Drilling & Gas Extraction | $114.5b |
| 2. | Gasoline & Petroleum Wholesaling | $72.3b |
| 3. | Commercial Banking | $58.6b |
| 4. | Gasoline & Petroleum Bulk Stations | $52.5b |
| 5. | Petroleum Refining | $43.6b |
| 6. | Oil & Gas Field Services | $35.3b |
| 7. | Automobile Wholesaling | $27.2b |
| 8. | New Car Dealers | $20.5b |
| 9. | Electric Power Transmission | $16.6b |
| 10. | Life Insurance & Annuities | $14.9b |
Province economic profile
Top Companies in Alberta
Learn about current trends affecting the top companies in Alberta.
Top 10 Companies Headquartered in Alberta by Employment
The largest companies by employment in Alberta are Alberta Health Services, Telus Corporation and Suncor Energy Inc., which employed 113,000, 53,400 and 15,010 people in 2026.
| Company | 2026 employment | Share of employment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Alberta Health Services | 113,000 | 6.0% |
| 2. | Telus Corporation | 53,400 | 2.8% |
| 3. | Suncor Energy Inc. | 15,010 | 0.8% |
| 4. | University of Calgary | 6,260 | 0.3% |
| 5. | Precision Drilling | 5,159 | 0.3% |
| 6. | Rogers | 5,000 | 0.3% |
| 7. | Enbridge | 3,740 | 0.2% |
| 8. | Canada Pacific Railway Inc. | 2,342 | 0.1% |
| 9. | Exxon Mobil | 2,000 | 0.1% |
| 10. | Lafarge Canada Inc. | 1,449 | 0.1% |
Province economic profile
Alberta Sector Statistics
In Alberta, certain sectors drive a higher share of provincial GDP and employ more workers than others. However, simply looking at raw numbers doesn't always tell the whole story. Factoring in the current year growth percentage, in addition to the annualized growth percentage over the past five years, will give you a deeper understanding of the economic situation.
What is Alberta's GDP by Sector?
The Mining, Real Estate & Rental & Leasing in Canada and Construction sectors contributed the most to Alberta's GDP in 2026, representing a combined 39.7% of provincial GDP.
GDP trends by sector are an important indicator of which sectors are contributing the most value-add to the provincial economy, in addition to how the provincial economy is evolving over time.
What is Alberta's Employment by Sector?
The Retail Trade, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services in Canada and Accommodation & Food Services in Canada sectors contributed the most to employment in Alberta in 2026, representing a combined 36.3% of provincial employment.
Employment trends by sector are an important indicator of which sectors are growing or contracting most rapidly relative to the provincial economy as a whole.
| Sector | Employment | Growth 2026 | Annualized growth 2021-26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Trade | 282,449 | 3.7% | 1.8% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services in Canada | 207,811 | 1.5% | 2.0% |
| Accommodation & Food Services in Canada | 184,993 | 2.5% | 8.3% |
| Manufacturing | 171,690 | 1.8% | 2.1% |
| Construction | 156,847 | 0.5% | 1.9% |
| Healthcare & Social Assistance in Canada | 149,245 | -11.2% | -0.0% |
| Wholesale Trade | 112,097 | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Administration, Business Support & Waste Management Services | 103,423 | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Mining | 96,960 | 1.1% | 1.5% |
| Finance & Insurance in Canada | 68,482 | 1.0% | 1.4% |
| Transportation & Warehousing in Canada | 64,419 | 4.4% | 3.8% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting in Canada | 57,359 | 2.2% | 3.2% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 47,515 | 2.2% | 1.4% |
| Utilities | 41,620 | -0.6% | 1.3% |
| Educational Services | 37,015 | 1.2% | 1.9% |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation in Canada | 26,778 | 2.6% | 7.5% |
| Real Estate & Rental & Leasing in Canada | 26,570 | 0.1% | 1.2% |
| Information | 23,949 | 2.1% | 2.7% |
Province economic profile
Alberta Employment Trends
1.9m
Employment
6.6%
Unemployment
What Employment Trends are Impacting Alberta?
The province of Alberta employs 1,880,564 people in 2026, which ranks it 4th out of 13 provinces and territories. Employment in Alberta has grown at an annualized rate of 2.3% over the five years to 2026, overperforming the national average of 1.6%. Major sectors by employment in Alberta include Retail Trade, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services in Canada and Accommodation & Food Services in Canada, which employed 282,449, 207,811 and 184,993 people in 2026, respectively. Alberta's unemployment rate is 6.6% in 2026, which ranks it 8th out of 13 provinces and territories. Alberta's unemployment rate has trended downwards at a rate of -5.0% over the five years to 2026, overperforming the Canada economy as a whole.
Employment trends indicate the degree of tightness or slack in labor markets, in addition to the overall strength of an economy. Faster employment growth typically indicates a strong and growing economy, while lower unemployment tends to imply tightness in labor markets.
You can track unemployment trends in Alberta, and compare them to the Canada economy, using the chart below.
$123.0k
Per capita disposable income
What is Alberta's Per Capita Disposable Income?
Per capita disposable income, also known as disposable personal income (DPI), is the amount of money that the average person in an economy has available for spending and saving after accounting for income taxes. Alberta's DPI in 2026 was $123.0k, compared to the Canadian average of $120.6k, which places it 11th out of 13 provinces and territories.
Disposable income is regarded as a key economic indicator as trends in disposable income are indicative of the level of aggregate demand, the state of labor markets and the financial strength of households.
You can track trends in Alberta's per capita disposable income, and compare it to the Canadian average, using the chart below.
Province economic profile
Alberta Construction & Building Trends
$780.7m
Nonresidential construction
$2.1b
Residential construction
48,014
Building permits
What can construction trends tell you about a province’s economy?
In Alberta, non-residential construction was $780.7m in 2026, which ranks it 5th out of 13 provinces and territories. Residential construction was $2.1b in 2026, which places Alberta 9th out of 13 provinces and territories. The number of building permits issued in Alberta in 2026 was 48,014, representing a 6.6% annualized growth rate between 2021 and 2026.
Trends in the construction sector are important because it creates jobs, income and tax revenue for a province. In addition, construction sector activity impacts other sectors in its supply chain, including manufacturing, wholesaling, warehousing, transportation, and real estate, rental and leasing services. Therefore, construction trends are important indicators of the health of an economy.
You can track trends in the number of building permits issued in Alberta, and compare it to trends in the number issued in Canada as a whole, using the chart below.
Province economic profile
Alberta Population Statistics
Which Counties in Alberta have the Largest Populations?
The counties with the highest populations in Alberta are Calgary, Edmonton and Lethbridge, which had populations of 1,506,283, 1,440,515 and 123,699 people in 2026.
| Region | 2026 population | Annual growth 2021-26 | Share of population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary | 1.5m | 3.6% | 29.1% |
| Edmonton | 1.4m | 3.7% | 27.8% |
| Lethbridge | 123.7k | 3.3% | 2.4% |
Province economic profile
Alberta Demographics
In Alberta, 18.3% of the population has a Bachelors or higher.
Education level in Alberta
| Education level | Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Bachelors or higher | 18.3 |
| Primary Education | 4.2 |
| Other | 77.5 |
Alberta Province industry reports
IBISWorld Province Industry Reports help you quickly understand how an industry performs at the province level compared with the national level, with accurate and unbiased industry information with a local focus. Use this collection to:
- Discover key local industry trends
- Identify threats and opportunities at the subnational level
- Inform your business strategies and planning
See our list of 421 Alberta industry reports.
Other provinces to explore
Compare Alberta’s economy with other provinces in Canada.
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