GTA Residents Losing Sleep Over Financial Stress
A new poll shows 44 per cent of GTA residents lose sleep due to money worries—above the national average of 40 per cent.
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Almost half of Greater Toronto Area residents are losing sleep over financial stress, according to a new poll from the United Way released Tuesday.
The Financial Anxiety Index found that 63 per cent of GTA respondents feel anxious about their finances, with 44 per cent reporting they lose sleep due to money worries. That's higher than the national average of 40 per cent. The numbers paint a stark picture of personal hardship across the region.
Also concerning: 42 per cent of GTA residents say they're struggling with food insecurity—again above the national average of 38 per cent. The poll was conducted by Léger for the United Way in February and March.
"The story behind the data is people having to make difficult choices, losing sleep over bills, increased family stress, struggling to focus at work, or going without food," said Dan Clement, president and CEO of United Way Centraide Canada, in a statement. "This is not a crisis on the horizon. It is happening now, in communities across the country."
For GTA residents, the gap between local anxiety and the national baseline suggests the region's cost of living—particularly housing and food—is hitting harder than elsewhere in Canada.