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Canada Province economic profile
Prince Edward Island - Economic Profile
Statistics, economic information and rankings for this Atlantic province
In 2026, the province of Prince Edward Island has a population of 186,247, having grown an annualized 2.9% over the five years to 2026, which ranks it 3rd out of 13 provinces and territories by growth rate. Prince Edward Island's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2026 reached $8.1b, with growth of 3.4% over the 5 years to 2026. Businesses in Prince Edward Island employed a total of 71,201 people in 2026, with average annual employment growth over the past five years of 4.7%. The top three sectors by total employment are Real Estate & Rental & Leasing in Canada, Public Administration in Canada, Manufacturing, while the unemployment rate across the province in 2026 was 9.9%.
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Province economic profile
Prince Edward Island Economic Overview
$8.1b
Gross province product
186,247
Population
12,921
Businesses
Province economic profile
Prince Edward Island Industry Trends
Learn about current trends affecting the most significant industries for Prince Edward Island's province economy, down to the county level. IBISWorld offers provincial industry research reports across all 13 provinces and territories, including 375 industries in Prince Edward Island.
What are Prince Edward Island's Largest Industries by Revenue?
The largest industries by revenue in Prince Edward Island are Gasoline & Petroleum Wholesaling, Commercial Banking and Gasoline & Petroleum Bulk Stations, which generated $2.5b, $2.0b and $1.9b in 2026.
| Industry | 2026 revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Gasoline & Petroleum Wholesaling | $2.5b |
| 2. | Commercial Banking | $2.0b |
| 3. | Gasoline & Petroleum Bulk Stations | $1.9b |
| 4. | Hospitals | $958.3m |
| 5. | New Car Dealers | $812.9m |
| 6. | Fishing | $802.3m |
| 7. | Life Insurance & Annuities | $681.7m |
| 8. | Seafood Preparation | $520.2m |
| 9. | Warehouse Clubs & Supercentres | $504.1m |
| 10. | Property, Casualty and Direct Insurance | $451.5m |
Province economic profile
Top Companies in Prince Edward Island
Learn about current trends affecting the top companies in Prince Edward Island.
Top 10 Companies Headquartered in Prince Edward Island by Employment
The largest companies by employment in Prince Edward Island are Government of Prince Edward Island, PEI Seafood Processors Association and University Of Prince Edward Island, which employed 11,500, 2,000 and 1,250 people in 2026.
| Company | 2026 employment | Share of employment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Government of Prince Edward Island | 11,500 | 16.2% |
| 2. | PEI Seafood Processors Association | 2,000 | 2.8% |
| 3. | University Of Prince Edward Island | 1,250 | 1.8% |
| 4. | Grand Forest Holdings, Inc. | 700 | 1.0% |
| 5. | The Carlyle Group | 500 | 0.7% |
| 6. | Walmart | 491 | 0.7% |
| 7. | Biovectra Inc. | 400 | 0.6% |
| 8. | Mcdonald’s corporation | 370 | 0.5% |
| 9. | Home Depot | 165 | 0.2% |
| 10. | Sekisui Diagnostics, Llc | 130 | 0.2% |
Province economic profile
Prince Edward Island Sector Statistics
In Prince Edward Island, 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 Prince Edward Island's GDP by Sector?
The Real Estate & Rental & Leasing in Canada, Public Administration in Canada and Manufacturing sectors contributed the most to Prince Edward Island's GDP in 2026, representing a combined 37.0% 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 Prince Edward Island's Employment by Sector?
The Retail Trade, Manufacturing and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting in Canada sectors contributed the most to employment in Prince Edward Island in 2026, representing a combined 42.7% 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 | 10,899 | 2.0% | 1.4% |
| Manufacturing | 9,829 | 1.9% | -1.2% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting in Canada | 9,443 | -0.2% | 1.0% |
| Healthcare & Social Assistance in Canada | 9,253 | 1.0% | -0.4% |
| Accommodation & Food Services in Canada | 7,398 | 1.6% | 8.0% |
| Construction | 3,783 | 1.9% | 5.4% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services in Canada | 3,348 | 2.8% | 3.7% |
| Finance & Insurance in Canada | 2,502 | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Wholesale Trade | 2,415 | 2.0% | -0.1% |
| Administration, Business Support & Waste Management Services | 2,296 | 1.9% | 0.4% |
| Transportation & Warehousing in Canada | 2,131 | 3.2% | -0.4% |
| Educational Services | 1,677 | 2.6% | -14.8% |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation in Canada | 1,535 | 2.8% | 10.0% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1,347 | 2.9% | 4.0% |
| Information | 1,164 | 2.7% | 3.8% |
| Utilities | 841 | 0.8% | -5.3% |
| Real Estate & Rental & Leasing in Canada | 635 | 2.3% | 4.5% |
| Mining | 183 | 10.2% | -3.9% |
Province economic profile
Prince Edward Island Employment Trends
71.2k
Employment
9.9%
Unemployment
What Employment Trends are Impacting Prince Edward Island?
The province of Prince Edward Island employs 71,201 people in 2026, which ranks it 10th out of 13 provinces and territories. Employment in Prince Edward Island has grown at an annualized rate of 0.9% over the five years to 2026, underperforming the national average of 1.6%. Major sectors by employment in Prince Edward Island include Retail Trade, Manufacturing and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting in Canada, which employed 10,899, 9,829 and 9,443 people in 2026, respectively. Prince Edward Island's unemployment rate is 9.9% in 2026, which ranks it 12th out of 13 provinces and territories. Prince Edward Island's unemployment rate has trended upwards at a rate of 0.4% 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 Prince Edward Island, and compare them to the Canada economy, using the chart below.
$102.9k
Per capita disposable income
What is Prince Edward Island'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. Prince Edward Island's DPI in 2026 was $102.9k, compared to the Canadian average of $120.6k, which places it 4th 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 Prince Edward Island's per capita disposable income, and compare it to the Canadian average, using the chart below.
Province economic profile
Prince Edward Island Construction & Building Trends
$33.0m
Nonresidential construction
$62.9m
Residential construction
1,870
Building permits
What can construction trends tell you about a province’s economy?
In Prince Edward Island, non-residential construction was $33.0m in 2026, which ranks it 6th out of 13 provinces and territories. Residential construction was $62.9m in 2026, which places Prince Edward Island 3rd out of 13 provinces and territories. The number of building permits issued in Prince Edward Island in 2026 was 1,870, representing a 1.8% 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 Prince Edward Island, and compare it to trends in the number issued in Canada as a whole, using the chart below.
Province economic profile
Prince Edward Island Demographics
In Prince Edward Island, 24.0% of the population has a Bachelors or higher.
Education level in Prince Edward Island
| Education level | Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Bachelors or higher | 24.0 |
| Primary Education | 3.5 |
| Other | 72.4 |
Prince Edward Island 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 375 Prince Edward Island industry reports.
Other provinces to explore
Compare Prince Edward Island’s economy with other provinces in Canada.
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