(Ottawa, Canada) – Canada’s economy was essentially unchanged in August, Statistics Canada reported Friday, marking a second consecutive month without meaningful growth.

Nine of the 20 industrial sectors expanded. Retail trade rose 1.2 per cent and manufacturing grew 0.3 per cent, while declines in wholesale trade and public administration weighed on services.

Overall, services-producing industries edged down 0.1 per cent. Goods-producing industries increased 0.1 per cent as manufacturing and construction gains more than offset lower utilities output.

September and third-quarter figures remain preliminary

The agency’s advance information points to a 0.1 per cent decline in September. Lower manufacturing and resource-sector activity was partly offset by utilities and wholesale trade.

With that preliminary September estimate, GDP-by-industry information suggests the economy expanded 0.3 per cent in the third quarter. That is not the final quarterly estimate or an annualized growth rate.

Statistics Canada says official September industry data and the third-quarter income-and-expenditure GDP estimate are due November 30. The advance figures may be revised.

Source: Statistics Canada, GDP by industry for August 2026, released October 30.

Editorial illustration of Canadian retail, industrial production and distribution; not a documentary photograph.