Canada's economy posted a surprise contraction in the first quarter versus the year before, making it two straight quarters of annualized decline - which some economists call a technical recession - as the country struggles with U.S. tariff uncertainty. Gross domestic product declined at an annualized rate of 0.1% in the first quarter, Statistics Canada said on Friday, compared with a downwardly revised contraction of 1% in the fourth quarter of last year.

Canada's GDP unexpectedly contracted in the first quarter of 2026, meeting the technical definition of a recession. Read more

Canada's economy contracted 0.6% annualized in Q4 2025, making it the only G7 nation to shrink. Early 2026 data hints at a narrow recovery.