Advertisement

British Columbians less concerned about their finances than last year

Ten per cent less of province are worried and more are confident in BC’s economy

Reading Time:1 minute
Why you can trust SCMP
Photo: Insights West

By Emma Crawford Hampel

Advertisement

Confidence in the British Columbia provincial economy has grown over the past year, according to the results of a survey by BC market research firm, and this has translated into residents feeling less concerned about their own finances.

The poll found 38 per cent of British Columbians have worried about their finances in the past couple months, down from 47 per cent last year.

Overall, 61 per cent said economic conditions in B.C. were “good” or “very good.” This is 15 percentage points higher than last year’s survey (46 per cent). One-in-five respondents (22 per cent) say they believe the province’s economy will decline over the next six months, down from two-in-five (41 per cent) last year.

Fewer B.C. residents say they worry about their investments “frequently or occasionally” (38 per cent, compared with 47 per cent last year).

Advertisement

Despite this optimism, the vast majority of those polled—81 per cent—said they expect the price of gasoline to increase this year, compared with 39 per cent last year.

Advertisement