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Canada Province economic profile
New Brunswick - Economic Profile
Statistics, economic information and rankings for this Atlantic province
In 2026, the province of New Brunswick has a population of 885,852, having grown an annualized 2.3% over the five years to 2026, which ranks it 4th out of 13 provinces and territories by growth rate. New Brunswick's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2026 reached $37.2b, with growth of 1.9% over the 5 years to 2026. Businesses in New Brunswick employed a total of 277,445 people in 2026, with average annual employment growth over the past five years of 3.0%. The top three sectors by total employment are Real Estate & Rental & Leasing in Canada, Public Administration in Canada, Healthcare & Social Assistance in Canada, while the unemployment rate across the province in 2026 was 7.7%.
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Province economic profile
New Brunswick Economic Overview
$37.2b
Gross province product
885,852
Population
39,566
Businesses
Province economic profile
New Brunswick Industry Trends
Learn about current trends affecting the most significant industries for New Brunswick's province economy, down to the county level. IBISWorld offers provincial industry research reports across all 13 provinces and territories, including 413 industries in New Brunswick.
What are New Brunswick's Largest Industries by Revenue?
The largest industries by revenue in New Brunswick are Commercial Banking, New Car Dealers and Gasoline & Petroleum Wholesaling, which generated $11.2b, $5.4b and $5.2b in 2026.
| Industry | 2026 revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Commercial Banking | $11.2b |
| 2. | New Car Dealers | $5.4b |
| 3. | Gasoline & Petroleum Wholesaling | $5.2b |
| 4. | Petroleum Refining | $4.2b |
| 5. | Gasoline & Petroleum Bulk Stations | $3.8b |
| 6. | Life Insurance & Annuities | $3.3b |
| 7. | Hospitals | $3.2b |
| 8. | Electric Power Transmission | $3.0b |
| 9. | Colleges & Universities | $2.9b |
| 10. | Supermarkets & Grocery Stores | $2.0b |
Province economic profile
Top Companies in New Brunswick
Learn about current trends affecting the top companies in New Brunswick.
Top 10 Companies Headquartered in New Brunswick by Employment
The largest companies by employment in New Brunswick are Government of New Brunswick, Horizon Health Network Llc and Vitalité Health Network, which employed 48,562, 14,000 and 7,600 people in 2026.
| Company | 2026 employment | Share of employment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Government of New Brunswick | 48,562 | 17.5% |
| 2. | Horizon Health Network Llc | 14,000 | 5.0% |
| 3. | Vitalité Health Network | 7,600 | 2.7% |
| 4. | University of New Brunswick | 3,200 | 1.2% |
| 5. | Walmart | 3,194 | 1.2% |
| 6. | Irving Oil Ltd. | 2,800 | 1.0% |
| 7. | New Brunswick Power Corporation | 2,600 | 0.9% |
| 8. | Mcdonald’s corporation | 2,156 | 0.8% |
| 9. | OrganiGram Holdings Inc. | 610 | 0.2% |
| 10. | Home Depot | 495 | 0.2% |
Province economic profile
New Brunswick Sector Statistics
In New Brunswick, 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 New Brunswick's GDP by Sector?
The Real Estate & Rental & Leasing in Canada, Public Administration in Canada and Healthcare & Social Assistance in Canada sectors contributed the most to New Brunswick's GDP in 2026, representing a combined 35.5% 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 New Brunswick's Employment by Sector?
The Retail Trade, Healthcare & Social Assistance in Canada and Manufacturing sectors contributed the most to employment in New Brunswick in 2026, representing a combined 42.1% 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 | 47,307 | 1.0% | 2.3% |
| Healthcare & Social Assistance in Canada | 36,083 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Manufacturing | 32,907 | 2.6% | -2.1% |
| Accommodation & Food Services in Canada | 25,454 | 0.9% | 6.6% |
| Educational Services | 18,662 | 0.2% | 3.1% |
| Construction | 14,156 | 0.9% | 2.8% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting in Canada | 14,027 | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| Transportation & Warehousing in Canada | 13,932 | 1.4% | 4.2% |
| Finance & Insurance in Canada | 13,914 | 1.2% | 0.4% |
| Wholesale Trade | 13,135 | 0.2% | -0.4% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services in Canada | 13,080 | 1.4% | 2.3% |
| Administration, Business Support & Waste Management Services | 9,232 | -0.4% | 0.3% |
| Utilities | 6,490 | 2.3% | 0.0% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 5,417 | 3.1% | 1.4% |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation in Canada | 4,060 | 24.0% | 21.1% |
| Information | 4,034 | 1.9% | 2.9% |
| Mining | 2,297 | 4.5% | -7.6% |
| Real Estate & Rental & Leasing in Canada | 2,160 | 0.2% | 3.1% |
Province economic profile
New Brunswick Employment Trends
277.4k
Employment
7.7%
Unemployment
What Employment Trends are Impacting New Brunswick?
The province of New Brunswick employs 277,445 people in 2026, which ranks it 8th out of 13 provinces and territories. Employment in New Brunswick has grown at an annualized rate of 1.5% over the five years to 2026, underperforming the national average of 1.6%. Major sectors by employment in New Brunswick include Retail Trade, Healthcare & Social Assistance in Canada and Manufacturing, which employed 47,307, 36,083 and 32,907 people in 2026, respectively. New Brunswick's unemployment rate is 7.7% in 2026, which ranks it 11th out of 13 provinces and territories. New Brunswick's unemployment rate has trended downwards at a rate of -3.6% 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 New Brunswick, and compare them to the Canada economy, using the chart below.
$89.5k
Per capita disposable income
What is New Brunswick'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. New Brunswick's DPI in 2026 was $89.5k, compared to the Canadian average of $120.6k, which places it 8th 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 New Brunswick's per capita disposable income, and compare it to the Canadian average, using the chart below.
Province economic profile
New Brunswick Construction & Building Trends
$108.1m
Nonresidential construction
$363.0m
Residential construction
7,062
Building permits
What can construction trends tell you about a province’s economy?
In New Brunswick, non-residential construction was $108.1m in 2026, which ranks it 10th out of 13 provinces and territories. Residential construction was $363.0m in 2026, which places New Brunswick 11th out of 13 provinces and territories. The number of building permits issued in New Brunswick in 2026 was 7,062, representing a 4.7% 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 New Brunswick, and compare it to trends in the number issued in Canada as a whole, using the chart below.
Province economic profile
New Brunswick Population Statistics
Which Counties in New Brunswick have the Largest Populations?
The counties with the highest populations in New Brunswick are Moncton, Saint John and Saint John, Fredericton, And Moncton, which had populations of 160,702, 123,601 and 0 people in 2026.
| Region | 2026 population | Annual growth 2021-26 | Share of population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moncton | 160.7k | 3.6% | 18.1% |
| Saint John | 123.6k | 2.2% | 13.9% |
Province economic profile
New Brunswick Demographics
In New Brunswick, 8.9% of the population has a Bachelors or higher.
Education level in New Brunswick
| Education level | Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Bachelors or higher | 8.9 |
| Primary Education | 5.5 |
| Other | 85.5 |
New Brunswick 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 413 New Brunswick industry reports.
Other provinces to explore
Compare New Brunswick’s economy with other provinces in Canada.
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