A survey by the firm Angus Reid released Friday reveals that nearly 60% of Canadians have difficulty feeding their families properly.
The poll shows that 57% of Canadians said they had difficulty feeding their families recently. This is a substantial increase from the last time the question was asked by Angus Reid, in 2019, when 36% of Canadians said they struggled to feed their families.
“For those who are uncomfortable or in difficulty [financière], putting food on the table can be a daunting task,” the survey notes read.
Quebecers at ease
At the same time, the survey reveals that Quebecers are those who consider themselves the most financially comfortable in the country.
According to the sounding, 31% of the inhabitants of the Belle Province consider themselves to be in a “prosperous” situation and 27% consider their finances “comfortable”, while only 19% of respondents are struggling to make ends meet.
In doing so, Quebec achieves a rate of 58% of financially comfortable respondents, while no other province reaches the 50% mark.
The situation is particularly dire in the oil-rich provinces, with 33% of Albertans, 35% of Saskatchewanians and 45% of Newfoundlanders struggling to make ends meet. Nearly half of the inhabitants of these three provinces have also declared that their financial situation has deteriorated over the past year.
These data may be surprising considering that the disposable income per capita in Quebec, established at $30,721 for the latest data available in 2019, has long been below the national average, which was $33,858 according to the Institut de la statistique of Quebec. On the other hand, the growth of these incomes was one of the fastest in the country and the province currently maintains the lowest unemployment rate in the country at 4.6%, compared to 7.3% in Alberta and 11.6% on Earth. Newfoundland and Labrador, noted Angus Reid, which may partly explain the good financial situation of Quebecers.
Remember that the high inflation that marked the past year, with increases never seen in 30 years of 3.4% in Canada and 3.8% in Quebec, is putting a lot of pressure on many households, which must deal in particular with significant increases in food and energy prices.