BC Monthly Real GDP Estimate for March 2026 & Preliminary Estimate for April 2026

The BCREA Nowcast estimate for provincial economic growth, measured as year-over-year growth in real GDP, indicated a 0.9 per cent increase in March 2026, the second month of sub-1 per cent growth this year. By comparison, the Canadian economy saw a year-over-year growth of 0.6 per cent in March. Our preliminary estimate for April suggests that year-over-year growth improved slightly to 1.5 per cent for BC, compared to 0.8 per cent for Canada. On a month-over-month basis, our Nowcast measure indicates three consecutive months of contraction in BC's real GDP. 

On a regional level, growth is still lagging in the Kootenay and Northern BC regions and continues to slow in the Vancouver Island region. The Lower Mainland registered one of its slowest months in years, weighed down by elevated unemployment in Metro Vancouver. One bright spot was the Thompson-Okanagan, where strong employment growth in the services sector is driving a strong regional recovery.