Most Canadian provinces trail U.S. states on living standards, report finds

A Fraser Institute report published Oct. 8 compared the economic performance of Canada’s provinces with U.S. states, examining measures including GDP per person, employment income, private-sector jobs and productivity. It tracked changes since 1999 using the latest available data from 2024. Six provinces were among the 10 lowest-ranked jurisdictions in 1999; that number has risen to seven. Alberta dropped from seventh to 25th, but remained Canada’s best-performing province and the only Canadian province in the top half of the ranking.

New York led the GDP ranking at $134,470, while Alberta placed 25th at $74,907, according to the report. Saskatchewan ranked 35th at $70,921, just ahead of Florida, and B.C. ranked 49th at $60,131. New Brunswick was last at $46,467, behind Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. Other low-ranked provinces included Ontario in 51st place, Newfoundland and Labrador in 52nd, Quebec in 55th and Manitoba in 56th.

The report also found gaps in employment income and productivity. In 2024, median employment income in every U.S. state was higher than in every Canadian province, leaving all provinces in the bottom 10 for that measure. Alberta was the only jurisdiction in either country where median employment income declined over the period studied.

On labour productivity, all but five U.S. states recorded stronger growth than every Canadian province. By 2024, Prince Edward Island was the only jurisdiction in Canada or the U.S. where productivity had declined. The full report is available on the Fraser Institute website: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/squandering-canadian-century-part-2-comparing-econ-performance-cdn-prov-us-states