Newly released data from Statistics Canada allows us to compare the annual economic output of Canada’s census metropolitan areas* (CMAs) as of 2019.

Adjusting for population size, Calgary produced the most GDP out of Canada’s 35 CMAs in 2019.

Nominal GDP per resident of the Calgary CMA in 2019 was $73,466.

Edmonton was sixth on the list at $63,464 and Lethbridge was 18th at $53,125.

The areas outside Alberta’s CMAs had a higher level of economic output per person than the big cities at $101,772 versus $67,950 for the three metros.

The higher level of GDP per person outside Alberta’s CMAs is largely due to oil and gas activity with agriculture also playing a key role.

Nationally, GDP per capita across all CMAs was $59,330 compared to $52,848 outside them.

The Toronto CMA has the largest total GDP of any CMA at $442.2 billion. Calgary was fourth on the list at $111.3 billion (after Montreal and Vancouver) and Edmonton fifth at $91.6 billion.

*A census metropolitan area (CMA) is formed by one or more adjacent municipalities centred on a population centre (known as the core). A CMA must have a total population of at least 100,000 of which 50,000 or more must live in the core. To be included in the CMA, adjacent municipalities must have a high degree of integration with the core, as measured by commuting flows derived from data on place of work.

Answer to the previous trivia question: The Chinese invented an early form of bacon when they started preserving pork with salt around 1500 BCE.

Today’s trivia question: Which has the larger area: the Census Metropolitan Area of Calgary or the Census Metropolitan Area of Edmonton?