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Montreal study: 26% of adults experienced poverty over eight years, persistent poverty worse than thought
A Centraide–INRS study tracking 2016–2023 finds 26% of adults in the Montreal CMA spent at least one year below the poverty line, 14% persistently; women, seniors 65+ and immigrants are hit hardest.
Why it matters
Centraide of Greater Montreal and the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) released a joint study this week tracking poverty among adults in the Montreal census metropolitan area (CMA) from 2016 to 2023. It found 26% of adults spent at least one year below the poverty line — more than double the annual figures (10% to 12%) seen from 2020 onward, revealing poverty's true scale.
Key findings
Of the 26%, 14% experienced persistent poverty (three to eight years below the line) and 12% temporary poverty (one to two years); 8% were moderately persistent (3–6 years) and 6% highly persistent (7–8 years). More than 70% of those below the poverty line in 2022 were still there in 2023, showing how hard it is to escape once below it.
Hardest-hit groups
Women, seniors aged 65 and older, and immigrants are more likely to experience persistent poverty. Among seniors, highly persistent poverty rose from 1% between 1992 and 1999 to 11% between 2016 and 2023, pointing to growing economic vulnerability in the older population.
Reaction
Centraide president Tasha Lackman called the results "deeply troubling," noting that Montreal not only carries a higher risk of falling into poverty than other Quebec cities but also makes it harder to climb out. She pointed to evidence that neighbourhoods with more public housing see lower poverty risk, and urged multi-front action to keep people from falling into poverty and to address the conditions that make it persist.
Sources
Centraide of Greater Montreal study page; CNW press release; La Presse Canadienne via CityNews (2026-10-15/17).
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