VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Canadians are often known for being generous and kind, but it turns out the amount we donate to charity has dropped to a 20 year low.
According to a new study from the Fraser Institute, Canadians donated a little more than half a per cent of their income in 2017.
“Canadians are actually donating the lowest percentage of their income since 2000,” Fraser Institute economist Jake Fuss says.
In the U.S., Americans have donated a little more than one and a half per cent of their income, nearly three times what Canadians claimed two years ago.
“This generosity gap undoubtedly limits the ability of Canadian charities to improve the quality of life in their communities and beyond,” the study reads.
“Everything is so costly now, so I guess people are giving less away and saving more for themselves,” one woman tells CityNews Vancouver.
Fraser Institute research finds Manitoba to be the most generous province, with 23.4 per cent of tax filers claiming their charitable donations. Ontario is in second, donating 21 per cent, and B.C., Alberta and Quebec trail behind, giving less than 20 per cent. Nunavut ranked the lowest in the country with only seven per cent.
