Poverty and living standards in Quebec, Canada: official figures
7.0% of people in Quebec lived below the Market Basket Measure poverty line, Canada's official poverty line, in 2024; the lowest of 13 provinces and territories. The Canadian rate was 11.0%. In 2023 the rate in Quebec was 7.7%.
How many people live in poverty in Quebec?
About 626,700 people in Quebec were living in poverty under the Market Basket Measure in 2024, out of 4,477,500 across Canada; in 2020, the first year of the 2023-base series, the figure was 440,200 (5.2%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat is the child poverty rate in Quebec?
The child poverty rate in Quebec, the share of people under 18 below the Market Basket Measure line, was 5.8% in 2024; the lowest of 12 provinces and territories with data (Canada: 11.5%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat is the poverty rate for seniors in Quebec?
In 2024, the Market Basket Measure poverty rate in Quebec was 8.8% of people aged 18 to 64 (Canada: 12.6%) and 3.2% of people aged 65 and over (Canada: 5.4%; the lowest of 12 provinces and territories with data).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow far below the poverty line are poor households in Quebec?
People below the poverty line in Quebec had incomes on average 33.9% below the Market Basket Measure threshold in 2024 (the average gap ratio); Canada: 34.1%.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow many people in Quebec are food insecure?
18.0% of people in Quebec, about 1,606,300, lived in households that were food insecure in 2024, meaning they lacked or worried about lacking enough food because of money; 3rd lowest of 13 provinces and territories. The Canadian rate was 24.0%, and the rate in Quebec in 2023 was 19.9%.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow common is severe food insecurity in Quebec?
12.1% of people in Quebec were in moderately or severely food-insecure households in 2024 (the lowest of 13 provinces and territories; Canada: 18.4%), including 4.1% in severely food-insecure households, where meals were skipped or food intake reduced.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyAre single-parent families in Quebec food insecure?
Among people in one-parent families in Quebec, 26.9% lived in food-insecure households in 2024 (Canada: 44.4%), against 20.8% for people in couple families with children.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow Quebec compares with other provinces
Poverty rate (Market Basket Measure, 2023 base), all persons, 2024 (2024)
Quebec ranks 13 of 13, highest first. Estimates for smaller provinces and the territories have wide margins of error; Statistics Canada flags several of them for use with caution.
| Rank | Region | Poverty rate (Market Basket Measure, 2023 base), all persons, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Alberta | 11.0% |
| 8 | Nova Scotia | 10.9% |
| 9 | Newfoundland and Labrador | 10.4% |
| 10 | Prince Edward Island | 10.0% |
| 11 | Northwest Territories | 10.0% |
| 12 | New Brunswick | 9.9% |
| 13 | Quebec | 7.0% |
Child poverty rate (under 18, Market Basket Measure), 2024 (2024)
Quebec ranks 12 of 12, highest first. Estimates for smaller provinces and the territories have wide margins of error; Statistics Canada flags several of them for use with caution.
| Rank | Region | Child poverty rate (under 18, Market Basket Measure), 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | British Columbia | 12.6% |
| 7 | New Brunswick | 11.7% |
| 8 | Nova Scotia | 11.4% |
| 9 | Newfoundland and Labrador | 11.2% |
| 10 | Prince Edward Island | 11.1% |
| 11 | Yukon | 9.5% |
| 12 | Quebec | 5.8% |
Poverty rate, persons 65 and over (Market Basket Measure), 2024 (2024)
Quebec ranks 12 of 12, highest first. Estimates for smaller provinces and the territories have wide margins of error; Statistics Canada flags several of them for use with caution.
| Rank | Region | Poverty rate, persons 65 and over (Market Basket Measure), 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Nova Scotia | 5.1% |
| 7 | New Brunswick | 4.8% |
| 8 | Prince Edward Island | 4.5% |
| 9 | Alberta | 4.4% |
| 10 | Saskatchewan | 4.2% |
| 11 | Newfoundland and Labrador | 3.8% |
| 12 | Quebec | 3.2% |
Low income rate (low income measure after tax), 2024 (2024)
Quebec ranks 10 of 13, highest first. Estimates for smaller provinces and the territories have wide margins of error; Statistics Canada flags several of them for use with caution.
| Rank | Region | Low income rate (low income measure after tax), 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Saskatchewan | 14.3% |
| 8 | Ontario | 12.7% |
| 9 | British Columbia | 12.1% |
| 10 | Quebec | 11.6% |
| 11 | Alberta | 11.3% |
| 12 | Yukon | 8.3% |
| 13 | Northwest Territories | 7.2% |
Share of people in food-insecure households, 2024 (2024)
Quebec ranks 11 of 13, highest first. Canadian Income Survey; marginal, moderate and severe food insecurity combined.
| Rank | Region | Share of people in food-insecure households, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Newfoundland and Labrador | 25.5% |
| 8 | Ontario | 25.4% |
| 9 | Prince Edward Island | 23.3% |
| 10 | British Columbia | 23.2% |
| 11 | Quebec | 18.0% |
| 12 | Northwest Territories | 16.4% |
| 13 | Yukon | 15.5% |
Share of people in moderately or severely food-insecure households, 2024 (2024)
Quebec ranks 13 of 13, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of people in moderately or severely food-insecure households, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Saskatchewan | 19.7% |
| 8 | Nova Scotia | 19.7% |
| 9 | Prince Edward Island | 18.9% |
| 10 | British Columbia | 17.4% |
| 11 | Yukon | 13.0% |
| 12 | Northwest Territories | 12.6% |
| 13 | Quebec | 12.1% |
More on Quebec: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · Canada
Sources
- Statistics Canada: Table 13-10-0834-01: Food insecurity by economic family type (Web Data Service extract), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 50afb8936fa7…)
- Statistics Canada: Table 11-10-0135-01: Low income statistics by age, gender and economic family type (Web Data Service extract), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 078bc29ff3ff…)
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