Quebec society has developed positively in many aspects, according to the Quebec Statistical Institute (ISQ), which published on Monday, for the first time, a study on Quebec’s development that considered 15 key indicators, supplementing of gross domestic product (GDP).
As people’s employment and income rates have risen over the past 16 years, and the poverty and severity of reported crimes have dropped, the mental health of Quebecers is declining. In addition, emissions from GHG increase, forming two unfavorable development trends, according to‘ISQ.
The GDP not all measures of development are measured; therefore, the main purpose of this review is to offer supplements to GDP considering what is most important for the population. For example, health, education, environment, we also trust othersexplanation by economist Stéphanie Uhde, who participated in the study.
” We did the comparison with the rest of Canada and found that Quebec had better results than the rest of Canada for some dimensions. “
For example, low income decreases; this was 13.7% in 2015, compared to 8.7% in 2019 in Quebec. In the rest of Canada, it was 10.5% in 2019.
This rate is calculated using the Market Basket Measure (MBM), which includes five components: food, housing, clothing and footwear, transportation and other necessities.
Conversely, personal income and economic capital are higher in other parts of Canada.
While the researchers analyzed economic data up to 2018, the analysis did not include the consequences of recent commodity price increases.
The graduation rate and life expectancy have increased
The proportion of people aged 24 to 35 with a post-secondary degree has risen from 72% in 2006 to 80% in 2021. In other parts of Canada, this proportion will be 74% in 2021.
Life expectancy has risen since 2003, but dropped by nearly a year in 2020 nationwide.
In Quebec, for example, life expectancy was 83 years before the pandemic; it was lowered to 82 years in 2020, to go back to 83 years in 2021. Data for the rest of Canada is not available for the year 2021, but the trend for recent years shows that life expectancy is slightly higher in Quebec than elsewhere in the country.
Crime has dropped
The severity of police-reported crime has dropped over the past 16 years, indicating an improvement in people’s safety, according to the study’s authors.
The Crime Severity Index, which takes into account both the volume and severity of reported crimes, was 52 in Quebec in 2020, compared to 79 in the rest of the country.
Mental health is more fragile
In 2019, so before the pandemic, 72% of Quebecers aged 12 and over were found to be in very good or excellent mental health. In 2015, 75% of the population was considered to have good mental health.
This downward trend is also noticeable across the country. The authors of the study have no mandate to determine why the well-being of citizens is declining.
GHGs are rising, but air quality is improving
The Statistical Institute of Quebec states that the scale of temperature anomalies has increased over the past 100 years and, since 1998, we have observed an uninterrupted series of warmer than usual years from 20e century.
The ISQ also points out that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Quebec fluctuate between 2009 and 2019, but since 2016, they have increased, contrary to expectations contained in climate change.
The report points out that the emissions of GHG forms a measure of economic pressure on the environment.
If these two trends are not in favor of development, the Statistical Institute of Quebec stressed however that air quality is improving.
Quebec experienced 96 days in 2020 in which the concentration of fine particles in the air was above the international threshold. In 2009, the province recorded 254 days of poor air quality. The good results of 2020 does not seem to be explained by the pandemic, as this downward trend has been observed for several years.
The number of days when the threshold for the concentration of fine particles in the air in Québec was exceeded decreased by an average of 7.8% between 2009 and 2020.
Elsewhere in Canada, the study authors note that no significant trend is emerging between 2009 and 2020 regarding the concentration of fine particles in the air.
Increases trust in others
ISQ observed that by 2020, nearly 45% of Quebec’s population said they trust most people. This proportion represents an increase from what was observed in 2003, when it was approximately 35%.
The authors point that out the overall trust level is lower in Quebec than in the rest of Canada, where nearly six out of ten people trusted the most people in 2020.
The report also indicates that women’s representation in politics has increased since 2006, although they will remain unrepresented among elected officials in 2021.
The Institut de la statistic du Québec aims to update its review every year, adding new measures as needed.
Source: Radio-Canada
