BC leads Canada-wide rise in gasoline sales
Gas sales in the province jumped by 17 per cent in 2015 compared with previous year
Almost two billion more litres of gasoline were sold in Canada during 2015 than in 2014, with British Columbia leading the national rise.
This increase in sales volume occurred at the same time as prices at the pump fell 15 per cent. According to Natural Resources Canada, the average retail pump price in 2014 was C$1.28 per litre (US$0.99), which fell to an average of C$1.09 (US$0.84)in 2015.
In 2015 Canadian gasoline sales reached 44.6 billion litres, rising 4.5 per cent since 2014. British Columbia’s gross sales of gasoline increased by 17 per cent, adding almost 800 million litres in 2015. The province’s oil sales hit 5.5 billion litres, making up 12 per cent of the national sales. This is proportionate to BC’s share of the population, which is 13 per cent.
The 2015 growth was the largest increase the province has seen in five years. In recent years, the province’s gasoline sales volume has typically changed by roughly 100 million year to year.
Quebec had the second-largest increase in gasoline sales, with an eight per cent increase, to nine million litres. Only two provinces, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland, saw sales decreases, with drops of 0.5 per cent and three per cent respectively.
