Albertans Feel The Pinch Of Overwhelming Consumer Debt

View of Calgary skyline at sunset

MNP’s Consumer Debt Sentiment survey shows more than half of Albertans are barely making ends meet, with many having to rely on credit to make it from one payment to the next. In fact, 58 per cent of people across the province are left with just $200 / month once their bills are paid. A staggering increase of 18 per cent since February of this year. While consumer debt is at a record high, many are still spending well beyond their means in hopes that the recession will turn itself around in the near future. While optimism is something to be endeared, over spending paired with increased unemployment and an uncertain global economy, the time for conservative spending – is now.

The MNP Consumer Debt Sentiment Survey was conducted on behalf of MNP by Ipsos Reid. CTV News Calgary recently covered the survey in a video originally posted online at CTV News Calgary on September 29, 2016.

Latest Blog Posts

2025-07-14

Nearly half of Albertans are $200 or less away from financial insolvency each month, more than any other province, amid ongoing economic uncertainty

Lindsay Burchill

MNP Consumer Debt Index

Nearly half of Albertans (47%, +2 pts) report they are $200 or less away from financial insolvency each month — more than those in any other province — according to the latest MNP Consumer Debt Index.

Read More

2025-07-14

Nearly half of Quebecers regret their debt as life plans stall and financial anxieties take hold amid ongoing economic uncertainty

Frederic Lachance

MNP Consumer Debt Index

Nearly two-thirds of Quebecers say they desperately need interest rates to go down (63%, -2 pts), according to the latest MNP Consumer Debt Index.

Read More

2025-07-14

MNP Consumer Debt Index holds steady following two interest rate pauses as Canadians brace for ongoing economic uncertainty

Grant Bazian

MNP Consumer Debt Index

Younger adults and lower-income households are most likely to report stress, stalled life plans, and living paycheque to paycheque.

Read More

Consultation icon