Purchasing power: 86% of Quebecers have financial concerns, according to Centraide

A woman checks prices at the grocery store with her calculator on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. (Christinne Muschi/ The Canadian Press)

The vast majority of Quebecers experience financial anxiety.

For the most vulnerable, this pressure jeopardizes their future and their health, laments Tasha Lackman, president and CEO of Centraide.

In fact, few Quebecers are free from financial worries.

Eighty-six per cent experience financial anxiety, according to an online survey conducted from Feb. 17 to March 11 by the firm Léger on behalf of Centraide in Greater Montreal.

Among the 2,003 respondents, 48 per cent reported feeling “moderate or higher” levels of anxiety, according to Centraide’s Financial Anxiety Index released on Tuesday.

Precariousness has “profound impacts” on many Quebecers, Lackman noted in an interview.

She points out that it is difficult for people living in poverty to plan for the future.

Precariousness hinders their ability to save for retirement or retrain for another job.

Nearly one-third of Quebecers experience food insecurity, a figure that has worsened since last year.

The survey results show that poverty is a systemic issue and that the government must find ways to increase the incomes of the most vulnerable and provide long-term support to community organizations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 9, 2026.