Québec, June 1, 2026. – According to preliminary data, per capita disposable income in current dollars, posted stronger growth in 2024 than in 2023 in Québec’s administrative regions, except in Nord-du-Québec where growth has slowed. The largest gains were recorded in the regions of Outaouais, Laurentides and Chaudière-Appalaches, and were mostly driven by an increase in compensation of employees—the main component of disposable income.
These findings come from the most recent data on disposable income in Québec’s administrative regions and RCMs, which was released today by the Institut de la statistique du Québec.
Per capita disposable income is the average amount available to individuals for final consumption of goods and services and for savings.
The Laurentides region comes in first place
In 2024, the Laurentides region had the highest per capita disposable income ($40,100). This is partly due to significantly higher net property income and rental income than elsewhere in the province.
The Montérégie region, which ranked first from 2016 to 2022, comes in second with a disposable income of $39,800. It is followed by the regions of Capitale-Nationale, Côte-Nord, Montréal and Abitibi-Témiscamingue, where disposable income is above the provincial average of $38,400 per capita. In contrast, the lowest disposable income levels were once again observed in the regions of Bas-Saint-Laurent and Mauricie.
Disposable income up in virtually all RCMs
In 2024, the RCMs of L’Île-d’Orléans, Les Pays-d’en-Haut and Laurentides recorded the strongest increases in per capita disposable income. Only the Minganie RCM in the Côte-Nord region posted a decline in 2024, but this drop followed one of the strongest increases observed in the previous year.
Among the 104 RCMs in the province, Les Pays-d’en-Haut had the highest per capita disposable income ($51,900). Net property income, which includes investment income, was significantly higher on average for people living in this RCM located in the Laurentides region than in Québec overall.
A look at per capita disposable income in Québec as a whole
According to preliminary data released in November by Statistics Canada, per capita disposable income in Québec rose by 4.9% in 2024 and reached $38,400. The growth rate was therefore higher than in 2023 (+2.2%). This acceleration was mainly due to faster growth in compensation of employees, as well as to a marked increase in net rental income and net property income.
At the same time, growth in inflation continued to slow down in Québec in 2024. The implicit price index for household final consumption expenditure rose by 2.6%, following more substantial increases in the two previous years. As a result, in real terms—meaning when price variations are excluded—per capita disposable income increased by 2.2% in the province in 2024.
How is per capita disposable income calculated?
To calculate per capita disposable income, we start by adding up the income of all individuals living in a given area, such as compensation of employees, net income of unincorporated businesses, net property income, and social benefits. Then, we subtract transfers paid by these individuals to institutional sectors, including personal income tax, contributions to social insurance plans, and contributions paid by employees to defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans. Lastly, we divide the amount obtained by the number of people of all ages living in the area.
Read the highlights (maps and interactive charts) (in French only)
The Institut de la statistique du Québec is the public body responsible for providing reliable, objective statistics about Québec society. The relevance of its work makes it a strategic ally for decision makers and an essential source of information for all those wishing to learn more about Québec.