Real GDP Growth in Canada and the United States In Canada the growth rate in real GDP averages around 3.1 percent per year, as indicated by the green line in panel (a). But there is a wide variation around this average. Recessions are periods during which real GDP falls—that is, during which real GDP growth is negative. U.S. GDP is shown in panel (b). Clearly business cycles in the two economies are closely connected. But the state of the U.S. economy is not the only important thing for Canada.