Economic Snapshot
(Updated: September, 2026)
by Lana Asaff, Senior Economist at the Atlantic Economic Council
People
Population, Workforce, and Education
The Saint John Region's population grew 1.1% in 2025, reaching more than 144,500 people—a record high. The median age of the region was unchanged at 43.2 years old. The 60-64 age group accounted for the largest share of the population at 7.5%.
Immigration was the main driver of growth. However, the number of new immigrants to the region was down almost 19% annually. Net interprovincial migration and temporary residents marginally added to the population with contributions that were smaller than in 2024.
Employment in Saint John rose 2.2% year-over-year in June 2026, adding about 1,500 positions. Both part-time and full-time jobs experienced gains. As a result, the unemployment rate fell 1.7 percentage points to 5.5%. This was well below the provincial rate of 7.2%. Job vacancies increased to over 2,330 in 2026 Q1, up almost 16% from a year earlier.
Enrolment at the University of New Brunswick Saint John was up 2.6% in 2025. An increase in domestic student enrolment made up for a drop in international students. Nearly a quarter of the region’s population aged 25-64 had a bachelor's degree or above as their highest level of education in 2025. Close to 7% completed an apprenticeship or trades program.
Real Estate
Housing starts were down 57 units, or 29%, year-over-year in June 2026. Saint John and Grand Bay-Westfield were the two areas within the region that saw declining starts. Saint John’s average single-family home price increased 4.4% annually in June to $357,000. Its average price was lower than in Moncton but slightly higher than in Fredericton.
Average rent climbed 5.5% in 2025 to $1,199, which was the lowest rent among Atlantic cities. The rental vacancy rate declined from 3.9% in 2024 to 2.1% in 2025.
The region’s office vacancy rate was over 25% in December 2025, largely unchanged from one year earlier. Total office square footage shrank 2.5% over the same period, while average asking rent rose by less than a dollar to $23.79 per square foot. Saint John continued to have the lowest gross office rent among New Brunswick cities.
Commerce
New Brunswick’s real economic growth accelerated to 2.7% in 2024 after expanding 2.0% in 2023. The province’s economy grew faster than Canada’s for the first time in several years. The province’s inflation rate, excluding food and energy, was 2.1% in June 2026. This rate was 0.5 percentage points lower than a year earlier.
The number of active businesses in Saint John rose to over 3,000 in April 2026, up 1.7% year-over-year. A total of 130 businesses opened that month. Health care and social assistance, retail trade, and construction had the most businesses with employees last year.
Container cargo at the Port of Saint John posted strong growth in 2025. Volumes rose roughly 30% to more than 239,000 TEUs.
Tourism
Tourism activity in the Saint John Region strengthened last year. Visit nights increased 3.2% in 2025. Air passenger traffic rose 2.5% to more than 185,000 travelers. Cruise passenger traffic exceeded 196,000, up over 20% from 2024.
Key accommodation indicators improved in June 2026 compared to June 2025. Hotel occupancy rose to nearly 60% as demand for rooms grew 13% while supply held steady. Hotel revenues were up 20%.
