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Canada Province economic profile
British Columbia - Economic Profile
Statistics, economic information and rankings for this West Coast province
In 2026, the province of British Columbia has a population of 5,789,029, having grown an annualized 2.1% over the five years to 2026, which ranks it 7th out of 13 provinces and territories by growth rate. British Columbia's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2026 reached $326.7b, with growth of 2.4% over the 5 years to 2026. Businesses in British Columbia employed a total of 2,208,983 people in 2026, with average annual employment growth over the past five years of 2.1%. The top three sectors by total employment are Real Estate & Rental & Leasing in Canada, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services in Canada, Construction, while the unemployment rate across the province in 2026 was 5.2%.
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Province economic profile
British Columbia Economic Overview
$326.7b
Gross province product
5,789,029
Population
486,456
Businesses
Province economic profile
British Columbia Industry Trends
Learn about current trends affecting the most significant industries for British Columbia's province economy, down to the county level. IBISWorld offers provincial industry research reports across all 13 provinces and territories, including 422 industries in British Columbia.
What are British Columbia's Largest Industries by Revenue?
The largest industries by revenue in British Columbia are Commercial Banking, Gasoline & Petroleum Wholesaling and New Car Dealers, which generated $64.6b, $26.2b and $24.6b in 2026.
| Industry | 2026 revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Commercial Banking | $64.6b |
| 2. | Gasoline & Petroleum Wholesaling | $26.2b |
| 3. | New Car Dealers | $24.6b |
| 4. | Gasoline & Petroleum Bulk Stations | $19.1b |
| 5. | Automobile Wholesaling | $17.9b |
| 6. | Oil Drilling & Gas Extraction | $15.6b |
| 7. | Supermarkets & Grocery Stores | $15.6b |
| 8. | Life Insurance & Annuities | $14.2b |
| 9. | Heavy Engineering Construction | $14.0b |
| 10. | Pharmaceuticals & Pharmacy Supplies Wholesaling | $13.9b |
Province economic profile
Top Companies in British Columbia
Learn about current trends affecting the top companies in British Columbia.
Top 10 Companies Headquartered in British Columbia by Employment
The largest companies by employment in British Columbia are Jim Pattison, Fraser Health Authority and Government of British Columbia, which employed 45,207, 43,000 and 35,000 people in 2026.
| Company | 2026 employment | Share of employment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jim Pattison | 45,207 | 2.0% |
| 2. | Fraser Health Authority | 43,000 | 1.9% |
| 3. | Government of British Columbia | 35,000 | 1.6% |
| 4. | University of British Columbia | 16,308 | 0.7% |
| 5. | Walmart | 11,764 | 0.5% |
| 6. | Vancouver Coastal Health | 10,000 | 0.5% |
| 7. | Amazon.Com | 10,000 | 0.5% |
| 8. | Teck Resources | 9,453 | 0.4% |
| 9. | Telus Corporation | 8,200 | 0.4% |
| 10. | Lululemon Usa Inc. | 5,077 | 0.2% |
Province economic profile
British Columbia Sector Statistics
In British Columbia, 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 British Columbia's GDP by Sector?
The Real Estate & Rental & Leasing in Canada, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services in Canada and Construction sectors contributed the most to British Columbia's GDP in 2026, representing a combined 36.1% 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.
| Sector | GDP | Growth 2026 | Annualized growth 2021-26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Estate & Rental & Leasing in Canada | 61,664,627,084 | 2.9% | 2.7% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services in Canada | 28,560,973,855 | 4.2% | 4.9% |
| Construction | 28,202,345,600 | -0.6% | 0.2% |
| Healthcare & Social Assistance in Canada | 27,995,466,608 | 4.5% | 4.4% |
| Public Administration in Canada | 19,797,411,916 | 3.9% | 4.0% |
| Finance & Insurance in Canada | 19,621,147,446 | 2.1% | 1.8% |
| Transportation & Warehousing in Canada | 19,200,277,105 | 6.1% | 8.3% |
| Retail Trade | 17,695,122,948 | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Educational Services | 17,533,930,197 | 3.1% | 3.2% |
| Manufacturing | 14,427,024,752 | -4.1% | -3.8% |
| Mining | 12,695,010,476 | 3.9% | 4.3% |
| Information | 11,085,405,512 | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Wholesale Trade | 10,591,876,831 | -0.6% | -1.3% |
| Accommodation & Food Services in Canada | 10,072,313,025 | 3.3% | 5.1% |
| Administration, Business Support & Waste Management Services | 7,822,111,739 | 2.4% | 3.4% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 6,890,658,613 | 2.1% | 2.8% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting in Canada | 5,525,501,547 | -1.7% | -2.4% |
| Utilities | 5,509,288,459 | -0.1% | -1.2% |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation in Canada | 3,285,234,133 | 4.9% | 7.6% |
What is British Columbia's Employment by Sector?
The Retail Trade, Accommodation & Food Services in Canada and Manufacturing sectors contributed the most to employment in British Columbia in 2026, representing a combined 36.6% 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 | 316,696 | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Accommodation & Food Services in Canada | 254,720 | 1.7% | 8.5% |
| Manufacturing | 232,519 | 0.3% | 1.6% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services in Canada | 214,165 | 1.9% | 3.2% |
| Healthcare & Social Assistance in Canada | 196,042 | -1.3% | 1.9% |
| Construction | 158,038 | 1.9% | 3.1% |
| Wholesale Trade | 137,995 | 0.2% | 1.3% |
| Transportation & Warehousing in Canada | 134,458 | 1.3% | 3.2% |
| Administration, Business Support & Waste Management Services | 128,476 | 2.0% | 2.8% |
| Finance & Insurance in Canada | 79,329 | 0.2% | 0.9% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting in Canada | 62,792 | 2.1% | 2.1% |
| Educational Services | 59,473 | 2.5% | 2.0% |
| Information | 54,603 | 0.4% | 4.4% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 39,413 | 2.2% | 2.4% |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation in Canada | 34,954 | 4.1% | 8.8% |
| Real Estate & Rental & Leasing in Canada | 34,287 | 0.7% | 1.5% |
| Mining | 30,919 | 1.9% | 2.2% |
| Utilities | 30,043 | 1.9% | 2.9% |
Province economic profile
British Columbia Employment Trends
2.2m
Employment
5.2%
Unemployment
What Employment Trends are Impacting British Columbia?
The province of British Columbia employs 2,208,983 people in 2026, which ranks it 3rd out of 13 provinces and territories. Employment in British Columbia has grown at an annualized rate of 2.8% over the five years to 2026, overperforming the national average of 1.6%. Major sectors by employment in British Columbia include Retail Trade, Accommodation & Food Services in Canada and Manufacturing, which employed 316,696, 254,720 and 232,519 people in 2026, respectively. British Columbia's unemployment rate is 5.2% in 2026, which ranks it 4th out of 13 provinces and territories. British Columbia's unemployment rate has trended downwards at a rate of -4.5% 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 British Columbia, and compare them to the Canada economy, using the chart below.
$121.9k
Per capita disposable income
What is British Columbia'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. British Columbia's DPI in 2026 was $121.9k, compared to the Canadian average of $120.6k, which places it 3rd 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 British Columbia's per capita disposable income, and compare it to the Canadian average, using the chart below.
Province economic profile
British Columbia Construction & Building Trends
$1.0b
Nonresidential construction
$2.5b
Residential construction
43,671
Building permits
What can construction trends tell you about a province’s economy?
In British Columbia, non-residential construction was $1.0b in 2026, which ranks it 7th out of 13 provinces and territories. Residential construction was $2.5b in 2026, which places British Columbia 7th out of 13 provinces and territories. The number of building permits issued in British Columbia in 2026 was 43,671, representing a -1.3% 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 British Columbia, and compare it to trends in the number issued in Canada as a whole, using the chart below.
Province economic profile
British Columbia Population Statistics
Which Counties in British Columbia have the Largest Populations?
The counties with the highest populations in British Columbia are Vancouver, Victoria and Kelowna, which had populations of 2,636,149, 388,441 and 206,749 people in 2026.
| Region | 2026 population | Annual growth 2021-26 | Share of population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | 2.6m | 2.4% | 45.5% |
| Victoria | 388.4k | 2.2% | 6.7% |
| Kelowna | 206.7k | 2.3% | 3.6% |
| Abbotsford - Mission | 189.7k | 2.1% | 3.3% |
Province economic profile
British Columbia Demographics
In British Columbia, 18.2% of the population has a Bachelors or higher.
Education level in British Columbia
| Education level | Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Bachelors or higher | 18.2 |
| Primary Education | 3.7 |
| Other | 78.1 |
British Columbia 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 422 British Columbia industry reports.
Other provinces to explore
Compare British Columbia’s economy with other provinces in Canada.
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