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Friday, Dec. 13, 2024

Is the wealthiest province in Canada worse off economically than the poorest U.S. state?

Carmela Guaglianone, Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
no

Judging by its per capita gross domestic product—an indicator economists use to gauge prosperity—Alberta is the wealthiest Canadian province, with a per capita GDP of about $73,000 in Canadian dollars, or just over $50,000 in U.S. dollars as of 2023.  Mississippi, the poorest U.S. state by the same measure, had a per capita GDP of just over $39,000 USD. 

Nationally, however, the U.S. is better off, with a per capita GDP roughly $30,000 USD higher than Canada’s.  Until recently, rates of economic growth had been comparable in the neighboring countries. But as both nations confronted inflation and high interest rates, growth in Canada slowed more than in the United States. 

Canada’s GDP increased by about 1.5% from late 2023 to late 2024, while the U.S.’s grew by about 2.8% over the same period.

See a full discussion of this at Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting

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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is the state’s only independent, nonpartisan and collaborative nonprofit newsroom dedicated to statewide, data-driven investigative reporting. AZCIR's mission is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable by exposing injustice and systemic inequities through investigative journalism.

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