British Columbia - Statistics & Facts
British Columbia is Canada’s westernmost province and third most populous province. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean, and provinces Yukon, Northwest Territories, Alberta, and the U.S. states Washington, Idaho, and Montana. British Columbia is home to approximately 5.21 million people, where the majority live in a large urban area. Its largest city is Vancouver, and its second-largest and capital city is Victoria. Furthermore, it had the fourth-highest GDP in Canada, where the real estate and leasing industry contributed nearly a fifth to the province’s GDP.
British Columbia’s largest city Vancouver is the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada, and the second largest in terms of immigration. Vancouver is known for its expensive housing market, as it is the most expensive city to rent a one-bedroom apartment, and had the highest house prices in Canada. Vancouver’s high prices can be attributed to foreigners and wealthy people investing in the real estate market, and because of Vancouver’s desirable location. While Vancouver is seen as an attractive city to be living in, it is also considered the center of British Columbia’s drug problem.
Substance abuse in British Columbia is a province-wide problem, as it had the highest opioid poisoning hospitalization rate and second highest opioid overdose deaths. The majority of opioid overdose deaths involved fentanyl. Furthermore, nine percent of residents in British Columbia reported having used cocaine/crack in their lifetime, the second highest out of all provinces. Additionally, the proportion of people starting opioid therapy in British Columbia has been decreasing in the past few years. Vancouver was the first North American city to open a supervised injection site in 2003, which has caused a lot of controversies. Many people argue that it lowers the number of overdoses, while others claim that the government should not be enabling drug use, and these injection sites do nothing to prevent drug use or help drug addicts.
British Columbia’s largest city Vancouver is the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada, and the second largest in terms of immigration. Vancouver is known for its expensive housing market, as it is the most expensive city to rent a one-bedroom apartment, and had the highest house prices in Canada. Vancouver’s high prices can be attributed to foreigners and wealthy people investing in the real estate market, and because of Vancouver’s desirable location. While Vancouver is seen as an attractive city to be living in, it is also considered the center of British Columbia’s drug problem.
Substance abuse in British Columbia is a province-wide problem, as it had the highest opioid poisoning hospitalization rate and second highest opioid overdose deaths. The majority of opioid overdose deaths involved fentanyl. Furthermore, nine percent of residents in British Columbia reported having used cocaine/crack in their lifetime, the second highest out of all provinces. Additionally, the proportion of people starting opioid therapy in British Columbia has been decreasing in the past few years. Vancouver was the first North American city to open a supervised injection site in 2003, which has caused a lot of controversies. Many people argue that it lowers the number of overdoses, while others claim that the government should not be enabling drug use, and these injection sites do nothing to prevent drug use or help drug addicts.
