Businesses operating in Greater Victoria
Area: Greater Victoria (CMA) July 2026 · Where this covers
11,394 businesses
About the same
Was 11,332 in Jul 2025
Source: Statistics Canada, Jul 2026 · Full source
What it measures
How many businesses with at least one employee were operating in Greater Victoria in the month, with how many opened and closed.
Why it matters
A growing number of businesses means more jobs and services. A downtown-only count is not published, so the regional figure is shown.
Over time
How we decided “about the same”
A higher number means more businesses with employees are operating in the area. 11,394 active businesses in July 2026 compared with 11,332 in July 2025 (+0.5%). Over the 12 months to July 2026, about 5,821 businesses opened and 5,762 closed (monthly estimates added up here). The rules.
Source
- Period
- July 2026
- Updated by agency
- Monthly; latest release Oct 29, 2026
- Retrieved
- Nov 10, 2026, 11:55 PM B.C. time
Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 33-10-0270-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
Show the numbers as a table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 2026-07 | 11,394 |
| 2026-06 | 11,377 |
| 2026-05 | 11,347 |
| 2026-04 | 11,307 |
| 2026-03 | 11,282 |
| 2026-02 | 11,310 |
| 2026-01 | 11,296 |
| 2025-12 | 11,312 |
| 2025-11 | 11,292 |
| 2025-10 | 11,286 |
| 2025-09 | 11,316 |
| 2025-08 | 11,305 |
| 2025-07 | 11,332 |
| 2025-06 | 11,307 |
| 2025-05 | 11,308 |
| 2025-04 | 11,313 |
| 2025-03 | 11,299 |
| 2025-02 | 11,277 |
| 2025-01 | 11,313 |
| 2024-12 | 11,259 |
| 2024-11 | 11,173 |
| 2024-10 | 11,267 |
| 2024-09 | 11,268 |
| 2024-08 | 11,265 |
| 2024-07 | 11,246 |
Keep in mind
- Statistics Canada labels these as experimental estimates. A business is counted as active in a month if it reported one or more employees that month. Estimates are revised as new records arrive.
- Covers business-sector industries. An "opening" includes a seasonal business re-opening or a firm hiring again after a month with no employees, so openings and closings are not the same as new and permanently closed businesses.
- Businesses without employees, such as many sole owners, are not counted.
- The area is the Victoria census metropolitan area (Greater Victoria). A downtown-only figure is not published.
- Monthly openings and closings are seasonally adjusted estimates; the 12-month totals in the note are added up here and are approximate.
Where this covers
Area: Greater Victoria (CMA)
Statistics Canada’s Victoria metropolitan area: 13 municipalities plus nearby electoral-area and reserve lands.
Included
- Victoria
- Saanich
- Oak Bay
- Esquimalt
- View Royal
- Langford
- Colwood
- Highlands
- Metchosin
- Sooke
- Central Saanich
- North Saanich
- Sidney
- Juan de Fuca electoral area, part 1 (for example East Sooke, Jordan River and Shirley)
- First Nations reserves: Cole Bay 3, Union Bay 4, East Saanich 2, South Saanich 1, Becher Bay 1, Esquimalt, New Songhees 1A and T'Sou-ke
Not included
- Salt Spring Island
- Southern Gulf Islands (Galiano, Mayne, Pender and Saturna islands)
- Port Renfrew area (Juan de Fuca electoral area, part 2)
Official definition
How the agency describes it: Victoria census metropolitan area (Greater Victoria).
Connected to: Business owners, All levels of government (taxes, rules, services). This is a label, not a judgement.