Quebecers have the lowest disposable income in Canada: stats bureau
Alberta leads nation, P.E.I. passed Quebec in 2013
For the second straight year, Quebecers have the lowest disposable income in Canada, new numbers by the Institut de la statistique du Québec show.
The per-capita revenue of Quebec residents after taxes and deductions was $26,046 in 2014, compared to the Canadian average of $30,270.
Albertans have the highest disposable income, at an average of $40,495 per person.
Quebec's low showing is mostly explained by overall salaries, which remain the lowest in the country, the Institut said. Although Quebecers' purchasing power increased by 1.5 per cent in 2014, the cost of household expenses increased by 1.4 per cent.
This was the lowest increase in real disposable wages in nine years, the Institut noted, the result of low wages combined with high deductions for pensions plans.
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Quebec used to have the second-lowest numbers until 2013, when it was passed by Prince Edward Island.
Within the province, the Montérégie and capital region had the highest disposable incomes, while the Lower St. Lawrence and Gaspé regions had the lowest.
Montreal's per-capita disposable income was $26,481 in 2014, in line with the provincial average.
The Coalition Avenir Québec used the news to attack Philippe Couillard's Liberal government, accusing them of doing little to stimulate innovation and reinvigorate the manufacturing sector.
"It's a worrisome reality, especially for our middle-class families," said André Lamontagne, economics spokesman for the CAQ.
And what's inacceptable is that our government seems completely resigned and blames their inaction on the global economy."