Notice of release
Québec, September 20, 2022. – In 2020, the year in which the COVID-19 pandemic began, Québec’s nominal gross domestic product (GDP) at basic prices was nearly $418.7 billion. This was a 1.7% decrease from the previous year. Twelve of Québec’s seventeen administrative regions posted a decline in production. This was revealed in Produit intérieur brut régional par industrie au Québec, édition 2022 released today by the Institut de la statistique du Québec.
Several administrative regions registered significant declines
At the regional level, the largest drops in GDP occurred in the regions of Montréal (-3.7%), Montérégie (-1.2%), Laval (-2.8%), and Chaudière-Appalaches (-2.4%). On the other hand, certain regions posted growth: Outaouais (+1.8%), Estrie (+1.9%), Lanaudière (+0.9%), and Abitibi-Témiscamingue (+1.1%).
GDP growth rate at basic prices by administrative region and for all of Québec, 2020
Sources: Institut de la statistique du Québec; Statistique Canada; Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation; Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Revenu Québec.
Compilation : Institut de la statistique du Québec.
Four out of six CMAs down
In 2020, the census metropolitan area (CMA) that recorded the largest decrease in GDP was Montréal (-2.9%), followed by the CMAs of Québec (-1.3%), Trois-Rivières (-1.4%) and Saguenay (-1.2%). In contrast, GDP increased in the CMAs of Ottawa-Gatineau (Québec portion only) and Sherbrooke, by 2.0% and 2.8%, respectively.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the regional economy
The year 2020 was characterized by considerable economic disruptions associated with the response to COVID-19. These disruptions were felt differently from one economic sector to another and from one region to another. Montréal was heavily impacted by the pandemic, partly because of the economic importance of the transportation and warehousing, accommodation and food services, and arts, entertainment and recreation sectors in the region, which were hard hit by the crisis. As a result, the drop in GDP in the Montréal region alone accounted for 76.1% of the province’s total GDP decline in 2020, while the contribution to this decline was 10.2% for Montérégie, 6.6% for Laval, and 6.2% for Chaudière-Appalaches.
The Institut de la statistique du Québec produces, analyzes and disseminates official, objective and quality statistical information on various aspects of Québec society. It is responsible for conducting all statistical surveys of general interest. The relevance of its work makes it a strategic ally for decision makers and all those wishing to learn more about Québec.