One-quarter of Montréalers lived below poverty line between 2016 and 2023, study finds

Nearly one in four Montréalers lived below the poverty line for at least one year between 2016 and 2023, according to research commissioned by Centraide of Greater Montreal and conducted by the Institut national de la recherche scientifique.

The study, released Thursday, found that 26 per cent of adults dipped into poverty during that eight-year span. While annual poverty rates fluctuated between 10 and 12 per cent starting in 2020, deeper patterns emerged: 14 per cent lived in poverty for at least three consecutive years, and 12 per cent experienced one to two years of hardship.

The impact falls unevenly. Recent immigrants face persistent poverty at twice the rate of those in Canada more than ten years—22 per cent versus 20 per cent. Most starkly, severe persistent poverty among seniors skyrocketed from 1 per cent in the 1990s to 11 per cent between 2016 and 2023. Study author Xavier St-Denis, an INRS professor, notes that senior renters, lacking home equity as a financial buffer, face particular vulnerability.

Single adults under 65 without health limitations are especially disadvantaged. Social assistance provides just $845 monthly to this group, compared to greater government support for seniors and families. "Breaking free from poverty isn't easy when you're living with its consequences," said Tasha Lackman, Centraide's president and CEO. She pointed to the hidden cost of poverty: "For those who may have fewer difficulties, it's hard to realize just how difficult it can be to pay for a bus ticket—even just to go to a job interview."

The cost of living has been crushing renters across the city.