Statistics Canada says real GDP rose 0.2 per cent in February

Statistics Canada building and signs are pictured in Ottawa on Wednesday, July 3, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says real gross domestic product rose 0.2 per cent in February, but there were early signs the economy might have stalled to close out the first quarter of the year.

The agency says economic growth in the month was led by a 1.8 per cent gain in the manufacturing sector, marking its fastest pace of growth in more than three years.

The wholesale trade and transportation and warehousing sectors were also among those giving the economy a lift in February, while a contraction in the public sector and from the arts, entertainment and recreation industry weighed on growth.

Statistics Canada says February marked the fourth month in a row of economic growth following a sharp contraction in October that pulled the final quarter of 2025 into negative territory.

The agency’s initial estimate for March suggests real GDP was essentially unchanged for the month, which would set the first quarter up for an annualized growth rate of 1.7 per cent.

If the early data holds, that would top the Bank of Canada’s latest expectations for 1.5 per cent in the quarter.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2026.