Quebec statistics institute releases regional outlook on labor, income and electric vehicle adoption

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Highlights

Quebec's workforce aged 55-64 sees employment rate rise by over 12 percentage points between 2011 and 2025, reaching approximately 64%.
Quebec job vacancies drop 50% from 2022 to 2025—Outaouais posts a 60% decline—while GDP and per capita disposable income accelerate in nearly all regions in 2024.
Light electric vehicles in Quebec increase from 43,200 in 2019 to 447,400 projected by March 31, 2026, with Lanaudière, Montérégie, Estrie, and Laurentides leading per capita adoption.

Regional indicators across economy and demographics

The Institut de la statistique du Québec said it published the Panorama des régions du Québec on November 2, outlining conditions across 17 administrative regions under nine themes, with a separate chapter on regional county municipalities.

The dataset shows aging in every region, with Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine standing out as one of the oldest populations in Canada, as residents aged 65 and over account for 32% of its population. Bas-Saint-Laurent, Mauricie and Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean also rank among the regions with older age profiles.

Older workers are taking a larger role in the labor market. People aged 55 to 64 now represent a growing share of Quebec's workforce, and their employment rate rises by more than 12 percentage points between 2011 and 2025 to about 64%, with especially large gains in Chaudière-Appalaches and Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean.

At the same time, labor shortages are easing from earlier highs. Between 2022 and 2025, job vacancies across Quebec fall by 50%, including a 60% drop in Outaouais, while Laurentides, Capitale-Nationale and Montréal also post steep declines.

Regional economic performance remains uneven even as output expands broadly. GDP increases in every region and growth in per capita disposable income accelerates in almost all of them in 2024, with Côte-Nord and Centre-du-Québec recording the strongest GDP gains and faster disposable income growth than the provincial average.

Housing, services and electrification shape regional gaps

Property values continue to reflect demographic pressure and regional demand patterns. Over the past decade, the average value of single-family homes in Quebec rises from $264,000 to $499,000, an 89% increase, and values more than double in Estrie, Laurentides and Lanaudière, where population density also grows rapidly.

Access to essential services and amenities remains uneven across the province. About 82% of Quebec residents aged 18 and over are registered with a primary care provider, but the share is lower in Montréal and higher in Lanaudière, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Nord-du-Québec and Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine.

The publication also points to income-based differences in access to urban green spaces. Households with after-tax income of $125,000 or more are more likely to live near an urban green space than households earning under $40,000, with the widest gaps appearing in Lanaudière, Outaouais, Laurentides and Montérégie.

Electric transportation remains one of the clearest structural growth areas in the regional profile. As of March 31, 2026, Quebec has 447,400 light electric vehicles, up from 43,200 in 2019, and although adoption slows over the last year, every region continues to add vehicles, with Lanaudière, Montérégie, Estrie and Laurentides leading on a per capita basis.

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