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British Columbia

Province 59 · Population 5,697,536
15 Sources Updated June 22, 2026
5.7M ▲
Population
$85,000 ▲
Median Income (CAD)
$84,000 national
5.5% ▲
Unemployment
$429.1B
Provincial GDP (CAD)
3.6M
Total Employment
27% ▲
Bachelor's+
25% national
Community Data / Canada / British Columbia

Census Division Map

Geographic subdivisions of British Columbia

Demographics & Population

Statistics Canada · 2021 Census of Population

Household Income

Source: Statistics Canada · 2021 Census of Population
Median Household Income
$85,000
Poverty Rate (LIM-AT)
12.1%
Low Income Measure, after tax · British Columbia 2024 · Canada: 12.5%
Median Income Comparison (CAD)
British Columbia$85,000
National$84,000

Community Snapshot

Source: Statistics Canada · 2021 Census of Population
5,697,536
Population
2,211,694
Total Dwellings
Total Employment
3,555,500
Unemployment Rate StatCan LFS 2024 annual
5.5% ▲ +0.3 pts YoY
Industry Sectors
10
Age Distribution
0-14: 13.1% (745,874 residents) 15-54: 54% (3,077,319 residents) 55-64 (near retirement): 12.4% (707,097 residents) 65+: 20.5% (1,167,246 residents) 41.4 Avg Age
0-14: 745,874
15-54: 3,077,319
55-64: 707,097
65+: 1,167,246
Visible Minority Composition
Chinese 10.5%
South Asian 9.3%
Filipino 3.4%
Black 1.5%
Korean 1.4%
West Asian 1.4%
Not a visible minority(complement) 66.5%
"Visible minority" is a Statistics Canada classification defined by the Employment Equity Act and refers to "persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour." "Not a visible minority" is the complement to the total visible minority population. Top 6 groups shown; smaller groups are included in totals but not charted.
Indigenous Identity
5.9% identify as Indigenous
First Nations 3.7%
Métis 2%
Indigenous responses, n.i.e. 0.1%
Multiple Indigenous responses 0.1%
Indigenous identity per Statistics Canada Census 2021 (Table 98-10-0293): First Nations (North American Indian), Métis, and Inuk (Inuit), plus multiple and other Indigenous responses. Counts use census random rounding, so categories may not sum exactly to the total.
British Columbia's median household income sits 1% above the Canadian national median, with 5,697,536 residents and a senior-skewed population structure (65+: 20.5%, 0-14: 13.1%). Bachelor's-or-higher attainment of 27%.
Source: Statistics Canada 2021 Census of Population via CensusMapper.ca
Key Takeaways
  • Aging population: Seniors (65+) outnumber youth (0-14); plan for succession and senior-services demand.

Educational Attainment

Source: Statistics Canada · Table 37-10-0130 · British Columbia province-wide (ages 25-64)
95%
High School+
Canada: 93%
▲ +2.0 pts
27%
Bachelor's+
Canada: 25%
▲ +2.0 pts
16%
Graduate+
Canada: 14%
▲ +2.0 pts

Economy & Industry

Statistics Canada · Labour Force Survey · Provincial GDP

$429.1B
Provincial Gross Domestic Product (CAD)
Source: Statistics Canada · Provincial Economic Accounts
3,555,500
Total Employment
$85,000
Median Income
3,555,500
Total Employment
Source: StatCan Labour Force Survey
$85,000
Median Income (CAD)
Source: Statistics Canada · 2021 Census

Top Industries by Employment

Source: Statistics Canada · Labour Force Survey
IndustryEmployment% of Top Sectors
1Wholesale and retail trade		 430,300 16.7%
2Health care and social assistance		 407,800 15.9%
3Professional, scientific and technical services		 311,800 12.1%
4Construction		 258,600 10.1%
5Technical trades and transportation officers and controllers		 226,700 8.8%
6Educational services		 222,500 8.7%
7Accommodation and food services		 188,100 7.3%
8Finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing		 187,000 7.3%
9Manufacturing		 182,400 7.1%
10Public administration		 154,300 6%
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Key Takeaways
  • Largest sector: Wholesale and retail trade employs 430,300 workers (12.1% of total employment).
  • Economic scale: Provincial GDP of $429.1B CAD.
  • Diversified base: Top 5 sectors are Wholesale and retail trade, Health care and social assistance, Professional, scientific and technical services, Construction, and Technical trades and transportation officers and controllers.
Source: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey + Provincial Economic Accounts.
Industry Employment Composition
British Columbia's Top Sectors by Workforce Share
Each rectangle's area is proportional to that sector's share of the top sectors. Hover for exact employment.
Source: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey · NAICS supersectors

Housing & Rental Market

Statistics Canada Table 34-10-0133 (Rents) - Table 34-10-0127 (Vacancy) - Reference year 2025 - Provincial average across CMHC-surveyed centres

Note: figures are single-year vintages. StatCan and CMHC do not publish ACS-style rolling 5-year housing averages, the long-form Census of Population every 5 years (2016, 2021) plays the equivalent precision role.

CMHC Average Rents by Bedroom

Source: Statistics Canada Table 34-10-0133 - 2025
22.2%
Annual Rent (2BR) as % of Median Household Income - Affordable
30% threshold = "cost-burdened" (CMHC / HUD convention). Computed from $1,570 average 2BR rent × 12 / $85,000 household income.
Bachelor
$1,095/mo
1 Bedroom
$1,266/mo
2 Bedroom
$1,570/mo
3+ Bedroom
$1,888/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$2,125/mo), rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.

Vacancy & Housing Stock

Source: Statistics Canada Table 34-10-0127 - 2021 Census Dwellings
4%
CMHC Vacancy Rate (apartment structures of 6+ units)
Near the 3% balanced-market benchmark.
Total Dwellings
2,211,694
Avg 2BR Rent
$1,570/mo
Vacancy Rate
4%
Key Takeaways
  • Affordable rental market: Annual 2BR rent eats 22.2% of median household income, well below the 30% threshold.
Source: CMHC RMS rent data and StatCan median household income.

Industry Concentration

Location Quotient: industries where British Columbia over- or under-indexes vs. the Canadian national average

Concentrated Industries
Source: Statistics Canada Table 33-10-0222-01 · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector, establishment basis, LQ computed vs. national share. Note: LFS-based or SEPH-based employment LQ may differ, StatCan publishes household and payroll employment series with different methodologies.
Water transportation
2.46x
122
Forestry and logging
2.45x
1,664
Scenic and sightseeing transportation
2.33x
133
Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing
1.89x
490
Aboriginal public administration
1.80x
239
Support activities for agriculture and forestry
1.52x
1,007
Wood product manufacturing
1.49x
772
Motion picture and sound recording industries
1.44x
1,167

Attraction Opportunities - Below Average Industries

LQ < 0.5, below-average sub-sector representation vs. national. Source: Statistics Canada Table 33-10-0222-01 (NAICS-3 establishments)
0.35x
Fishing, hunting and trapping
279 establishments
0.48x
Petroleum and coal product manufacturing
27 establishments
0.49x
Local, municipal and regional public administration
329 establishments
Key Takeaways
  • Top specialization: Water transportation concentrates at 2.46x the national norm.
  • Cluster depth: 8 sectors register LQ >= 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base.
  • Attraction whitespace: 3 sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification.
Source: StatCan Table 33-10-0222-01 (NAICS-3 sub-sector establishment counts).

Workforce & Labour

Labour force composition from Statistics Canada population estimates and employment data

Source: StatCan Table 17-10-0137
3,784,416
Working Age (15-64)
Employment rate: 94% of working-age population (15-64) 94% Employment Rate

Labour Summary

Source: StatCan LFS + Population Estimates
Total Employment
3,555,500
Working Age Pop
3,784,416
Youth (0-14)
745,874
Seniors (65+)
1,167,246

Dependency & Aging

Source: StatCan population estimates
20%
Seniors (65+) Share
Senior population exceeds youth, aging workforce risk. Succession planning and talent attraction recommended.
Youth / Senior Ratio
64:100

Aging Workforce

Source: StatCan 17-10-0150 · Population estimates by age
18.7%
55+ of working-age (15-64)

Workforce by Occupation

Source: Statistics Canada Table 14-10-0416 NOC 2021 broad categories (2025)
Management / Professional
58.1%
Sales & Service
22.1%
Trades / Transport
15.5%
Natural Resources
1.5%
Manufacturing
2.8%
Bars scaled 2x for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 2,946,200 employed workers.

Commute

Source: StatCan 2021 Census Table 98-10-0457
Mean Commute 0.3 min above national avg
24.0 min

Work From Home

Source: StatCan 2021 Census Table 98-10-0455
Worked At Home vs 24.3% national
22.6%
Census 2021 long-form: percent of employed labour force aged 15+ whose place of work is "at home".
Key Takeaways
  • Working-age base: 3,784,416 residents aged 15-64 (66.4% of total population) form the labour pool.
  • Employment rate: 94% of working-age residents are employed (3,555,500 workers).
  • Succession risk: Seniors (65+) outnumber youth (0-14); plan for retirements and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 + Labour Force Survey.

Economic Regions

8 economic regions in British Columbia

Cariboo ER 5950 Kootenay ER 5940 Mainland/Southwest ER 5920 Nechako ER 5970 North Coast ER 5960 Northeast ER 5980 Thompson-Okanagan ER 5930 Vancouver Island and Coast ER 5910

AI Insights

AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 15 Canadian data sources

Sample AI Insight

British Columbia's industrial base is anchored by Wholesale and retail trade with 430,300 workers, followed by Health care and social assistance and Professional, scientific and technical services. The province skews older: seniors outnumber youth, which has implications for succession planning and workforce transition strategy.

Industry Shift Analysis

Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100

Prospect Match Scores

Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example

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Data Sources

Updated from official Canadian government data.

Statistics Canada Census 20212021
StatCan Labour Force Survey2025
StatCan LFS Unemployment Rate (14-10-0393)2024
StatCan GDP Tables2024
CMHC Rental Market2025
CRTC Broadband Data2025
StatCan Education (37-10-0130)2025
StatCan Population (17-10-0150)2025
StatCan Postsecondary Enrolments (37-10-0277)2024
StatCan Top Occupations (14-10-0416)2025
StatCan Commute (98-10-0457)2021
StatCan Place of Work (98-10-0455)2021
StatCan Low Income (11-10-0135)2024
StatCan Visible Minority (98-10-0351)2021
StatCan Indigenous Identity (98-10-0293)2021

Frequently Asked Questions

Key economic and demographic figures for British Columbia, from Statistics Canada and federal sources.

What is the population of British Columbia?

5,697,536 (Statistics Canada, Population Estimates 17-10-0150).

What is the median household income in British Columbia?

$85,000 (Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population).

What is the unemployment rate in British Columbia?

5.5% (Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey 14-10-0393).

What is the GDP of British Columbia?

$429.1B CAD (Statistics Canada, Table 36-10-0222).