MONTREAL - Quebecers have once again earned the title of the stingiest Canadians when it comes to donating to registered charities, according to a new Fraser Institute study.
It’s the 14th straight year that Quebec has come in last.
The study, based 2010 tax reports, shows that Quebecers spent a measly 0.31 percent to their total incomes on donations to registered charities.
Only 21.9 of Quebecers percent claimed a charitable deduction, which nonetheless landed Quebec ahead of New Brunswick, where only 21.3 percent claimed charitable deductions and Newfoundland and Labrador where only 21.1 percent did so.
Canada’s most generous province was Manitoba, followed by Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan, with Ontario and Alberta coming in tied for fourth place.
Manitobans gave the largest percentage of their total income, handing over 0.92 percent of their earnings, while Quebecers gave 0.31 percent, less than half the national average of 0.66 percent.
Quebecers gave $641 on average, while the national average was $1, 469.
Quebec ranked 59 of 64, when all U.S. states and Canadian provinces and territories were considered.
Utah is the most generous of those 64 states, provinces and territories, as 34 percent of residents donated an average of 3.17 percent of their total income, about 10 times the rate of Quebec.
Quebec’s average donation of 0.31 percent of total income came in dead last of the 64 places.
The results of the study, called Generosity in Canada and the United States: The 2012 Generosity Index, were released Thursday.
