Canada's 'freest' provinces were ranked and Quebec didn't score so well
If you've been feeling like your paycheque doesn't go as far as it should or that starting a business in Quebec comes with way too much red tape, a new report might explain why.
The newly released 2025 Economic Freedom of North America report from the Fraser Institute ranked all 10 Canadian provinces on the level of economic freedom people actually have, and Quebec didn't fare too well.
What does 'economic freedom' even mean?
According to the report, economic freedom measures how much control you have over your own financial decisions. This includes things like where you work, what you buy and how you run a business, without being weighed down by heavy taxes, government spending or strict regulations.
The Fraser Institute looked at factors like government spending levels, tax rates and how strictly provinces regulate businesses and labour markets. Each region got a score from 0 to 10. As per the results, people living in places with more economic freedom tend to be wealthier, healthier and more satisfied with their lives. Incomes in the freest regions were 19 times higher than those in the least free areas.
Between 2014 and 2023, incomes in the freest U.S. states grew nine times faster than in the least free ones.
How did Quebec rank?
Quebec landed in 6th place out of 10 provinces, with a score of 7.66 in the all-government index.
When you zoom out and compare Canadian provinces to U.S. states, Quebec ranked 56th out of 60 regions in North America. That means 50 out of 50 U.S. states ranked higher than Quebec, along with five other Canadian provinces.
When looking at provincial policies (without federal factors), Quebec scored 3.10 out of 10, the lowest among all Canadian provinces in that category.
Alberta dominated, but still couldn't beat most U.S. states
Alberta came out on top among Canadian provinces with a score of 7.94, but even that only landed it in 30th place overall when compared to American states.
The top spot went to New Hampshire, followed by South Dakota and Idaho. All three scored above 8 out of 10.
British Columbia came in 47th and Ontario 49th. Meanwhile, the rest of Canada's provinces and parts of Mexico filled out the bottom half of the rankings.
Why Quebec scored low
The main culprits are high taxes, heavy government spending and strict regulations that make it harder for businesses to grow and create jobs.
"High taxes, high levels of government spending and overly-burdensome regulations continue to depress economic freedom across much of Canada," explained Matthew Mitchell, a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and co-author of the report.
Here's how all the Canadian provinces ranked:
- Alberta (30th overall, 7.94/10)
- British Columbia (47th, 7.81)
- Ontario (49th, 7.77)
- Manitoba (54th, 7.69)
- Saskatchewan (55th, 7.68)
- Quebec (56th, 7.66)
- New Brunswick (57th, 7.61)
- Nova Scotia (tied for 58th, 7.59)
- Prince Edward Island (tied for 58th, 7.59)
- Newfoundland and Labrador (60th, 7.58)
Seven out of 10 Canadian provinces scored worse than every single U.S. state, and none made it into the top 25 in North America.
So, whether you're trying to start a business, grow your career or just make your paycheque stretch a little further, where you live can make a real difference in how much freedom you have to make your own economic choices.
You can read the entire Fraser Institute report here.
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