The AAMDC has recently released a report that highlights the contribution of rural Alberta to the Alberta economy.
The report is titled: The Economic Contribution of Rural Alberta
The report, completed in collaboration with Nichols Applied Management, addresses two specific questions. First, what is the current contribution of rural Alberta to the broader provincial economy; and, second, what is the future of Alberta’s rural economy. It also uses a regional approach to look at the different characteristics of the rural economy in different areas of the province.
Some of the key findings of the report are:
- Rural Alberta houses only 18% of the provincial population1, yet is home to 41% of the public and private investment in the province and 26% of the provincial GDP
- The future of the economy of rural Alberta is largely dependent upon the oil and gas, agriculture, and forestry sectors
- The population of rural Alberta continues to grow year after year.
- Rural Alberta is geographically diverse and includes communities that vary substantially from one another. However, in general, communities with similar socio-economic characteristics in a similar area of the province engage with the provincial economy in a similar manner
- In 2015, of the $39 billion in investments in the rural portion of Alberta in 2015 – over 60% of which was focused on mining and oil and gas extraction
- Nearly 50% of all the goods and services produced in rural Alberta is attributed to mining and oil and gas extraction, well above the provincial level of approximately 30%
The AAMDC believes this report provides strong evidence of the importance of rural Alberta within the Albertan economy, and the relative strength of the economic contribution in relation to its population. The AAMDC will use this report in its advocacy efforts moving forward and encourages members to do the same.
To view the report, click here.
Enquiries may be directed to:
Matt Dow
Policy Analyst
780.955.4085
Tasha Blumenthal
Director, Advocacy & Communications
780.955.4094