Montreal, February 7, 2012 – Are Quebec households richer or poorer than those elsewhere in Canada? Has Quebec closed the income gap with the wealthiest provinces? What is the cause of this gap? What is the impact of federal tax policy on Quebeckers’ standard of living? The HEC Montréal Centre for Productivity and Prosperity recently conducted a study to answer these questions, and revealed some troubling trends. “The findings are rather disturbing, and deserve our attention,” says the study’s author, Associate Professor Martin Coiteux.
The study shows that Quebeckers’ incomes are lower than those of other Canadians, with the exception of people living in the Atlantic provinces. More than these income gaps, however, it is the trends observed that should alarm us. Canada’s eastern provinces, traditionally the poorest, have largely reduced their income gap with Quebec, while Ontario, traditionally richer than Quebec, has widened its lead. In the long term, if these trends continue, Quebec could find itself in very last place in terms of income.
