A new study suggests that Quebec has enough wealth to eliminate poverty.
Researchers for The Institute for Socioeconomic Research and Information (IRIS) looked at the effect of economic growth in the province for individuals with limited resources. The study sampled 750,000 people in Quebec, each living below a threshold that measures poverty, or whether they can afford their basic needs.
Researchers found that a growing number of low-income Quebecers are better able to cover their basic needs, based on a 10-year period.
Yet upward mobility within this population, the researchers found, was tied to how well they were doing financially at the start of the period. Those on the lowest end of the economic spectrum experienced no upward mobility.
The study claims that the political and fiscal decisions of successive governments in Quebec have not supported a more equitable distribution of wealth during periods of financial growth.
Based on their analysis, researchers argue that better economic policies could virtually eliminate poverty in the province, without penalizing the prosperity of the rest of the population.
— With files from Global News’ Travis Todd
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