Fraser Institute News Release: Ontarians continue to be poorer than neighbours: per-person GDP now more than $19,000 below regional average
TORONTO, Feb. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The average income (as measured by per-person GDP) in Ontario is C$19,219 lower than the average in nearby U.S. states, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan, Canadian public policy think-tank.
"We examine the broadest measures of economic prosperity, which clearly show Ontario is significantly less prosperous than neighbouring U.S. states. What's more, the gap keeps growing," said Ben Eisen, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and co-author of Measuring Ontario's Regional Prosperity Gap?2022 Update.
The study compares Ontario's average income (again, as measured by per-person GDP, a common indicator of living standards) to the average income of eight U.S. states in the Great Lakes region (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin). The analysis also includes Quebec.
According to the study, in 2020 Ontario had the region's second-lowest GDP per person (ahead of only Quebec) at C$58,793, well behind Michigan (over C$6,000 below Michigan), the lowest-ranking U.S. state and $19,219 per person below the regional average of C$78,012.
"Ontario is a wonderful place to live, but it's important for policymakers not to be complacent about the large and growing prosperity gap we face relative to our neighbours. Closing the gap through faster economic growth can help generate higher wage growth for households and a higher standard of living overall," Eisen said.
| Great Lakes State/Province | GDP per person above Ontario |
| New York | C$53,671 |
| Illinois | C$27,188 |
| Minnesota | C$24,503 |
| Pennsylvania | C$17,343 |
| Ohio | C$14,268 |
| Wisconsin | C$14,212 |
| Indiana | C$11,267 |
| Michigan | C$6,375 |
| Quebec | C$-6,419 |
MEDIA CONTACT:
Ben Eisen, Senior Fellow
Fraser Institute
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Drue MacPherson, Fraser Institute
(604) 688-0221 ext. 721
[email protected]
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The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. To protect the Institute's independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit www.fraserinstitute.org.
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