About this episode
The episode discusses Canada's stalled economy and the debate over whether the country is in a recession.
Canada’s economy has stalled. According to Statistics Canada, Canada’s real GDP contracted 0.1 per cent on an annualized basis in the first quarter of 2026. In the previous quarter, there was a 1-per-cent annualized decline. Two consecutive quarters of decline has sparked debate in Ottawa and on Bay Street about whether the country is in a recession. Mark Rendell is The Globe’s economics reporter. He’s on the show to put these numbers in context, unpack the debate around what defines a recession, and what this says about Canada’s economic landscape. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
People in this episode
Guest: Mark Rendell
Topics covered
- economy
- recession
- GDP
- Canada
- economic debate
Keywords
- Canada
- economy
- recession
- GDP
- Statistics Canada
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Globe, Statistics Canada
Places: Canada
More episodes of The Decibel
- Pierre Poilievre: An interview, in full · June 13, 2026 · 58 min
- Canada’s first steps towards a social media ban · June 12, 2026 · 27 min
- The risks and rewards of the IPO hype in Canada · June 11, 2026 · 23 min
- World Cup 2026: Breakout stars, dark horses and Canada’s chances · June 10, 2026 · 26 min
- Is smoking making a comeback? · June 9, 2026 · 24 min
- Carney’s plan for AI in Canada, explained · June 8, 2026 · 23 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Decibel podcast page.