Region at a glance

The Peace Country region in north western Alberta covers an area of 110,854 square kilometers, larger in size than South Korea.  The region accounts for 17.3% of Alberta’s land mass and for 3.5% of Alberta’s population.  

According to Statistics Canada’s latest estimates, the region’s population totaled 131,200 in 2010, an increase of 5.7% from 2006.  According to the Labour Force Survey, about 67,000 people were employed in 2010 and the region’s unemployment rate was 6.1%, down from 7.7% in 2009. 

The region’s largest industries on an employment basis are forestry and oil and gas, retail trade, and construction, each accounting for between 12% and 13% of total employment.  The agricultural industry is also well represented in this region, and it also has a sizeable manufacturing base, which is concentrated in the forest products sector.  The fastest growing industry between 2006 and 2010 was the construction sector.  Employment in the agricultural sector, which has been on a long and steady decline in the province, fell sharply in the Peace Country over the same period. 

According to personal income taxfiler data the average individual income was $41,100 in 2007, a large 44% increase from 2003.  Average income for couples was $116,500 in 2007, a 52% rise from 2003.

Peace Country is one of the top two Alberta regions for the production of forest products, first for employment in the forest sector, and is the leading producer of pulp and paper and panelboard.  It is also one of Alberta’s top agricultural regions, accounting for more than 10% of the province’s number of farms and cropland, and is the province’s largest oilseed producing region.  The region is the province’s largest producer of natural gas and of conventional crude oil.

Although very few current indicators are available on a regional basis, it is clear that the impacts of the global economic crisis have also subsided in this region; for instance the number of Employment Insurance beneficiaries receiving regular benefits in Peace Country fell by 19% between 2009 and 2010.  Moreover, the number declined sharply by 32% between June 2010 and June 2011.

Date Updated:
RDP-2460