Financial Anxiety in the Maritimes

Fall is naturally a time for thinking about family, holiday gatherings, and celebration. It’s also a time when we see more concern expressed for those who might be struggling to meet their most basic of needs. That can certainly amp up anxiety – and the United Way Centraide movement across Canada wanted to learn just how Canadians are ranking their level of financial anxiety.  

The survey findings from Léger and @United Way Centraide Canada reveal that financial stress is leaving people living in Atlantic Canada vulnerable far beyond their wallets. For too many, just one unexpected event could trigger a crisis. 

According to the United Way Centraide Financial Anxiety Survey conducted by Léger, more than 3 out of every 5 people (64%) living in Atlantic Canada feel anxious about their personal finances. More than half (52%) report physical stress symptoms when talking about money, and almost the same percentage (51%) say they would only be able to cover their basic expenses for less than one month if they lost their main source of income. 

That’s a highly precarious position for so many in our region! And it’s something that is most definitely on our minds at United Way Maritimes.  We dream about a day when everyone in our region has what they need — not just to survive, but to thrive. 

Powered by the commitment and generosity of our donors, we focus on initiatives and organizations that help people realize their full potential by keeping them safer and healthier, included and welcome, housed, fed, and ready to successfully work and learn. 

The programs we support and those we deliver are guided by lived experience and community voices, backed by data and measured to provide evidence of their impact on those we serve and our communities overall. 

In the last year United Way Maritimes invested almost $10 million into the communities we serve across the Maritime provinces – reaching more than 220,000 people with critical community-based supports and services.  

Financial stress hits home and is hardest for lower-income people living in Atlantic Canada  

The survey shows how financial strain disrupts daily life. More than one-third (39%) of people living in Atlantic Canada report trouble sleeping, more than one in five (28%) experience family conflict or tension, and almost as many (26%) say money-related worries make it difficult to focus at work or school. 

We also know, according to a 2024 CanadaHelps report on annual giving that 57% of charities are unable to meet current demand levels, demonstrating the gaps between increased challenges and the ability of charities to provide support. So – it costs the sector more to deliver the services, the needs continue to grow in community, the levels of anxiety deepen, and our nonprofit social sector struggles to keep up.  

So back to our dream…the one where everyone has what they need in order to survive and thrive. 

It’s a dream that can only be realized through sustainable and diversified revenue, coordinated regional thought and action, and trusted partnerships. Donors are critical to achieving this dream, Giving to United Way Maritimes helps power over 150 programs across seven communities, helping people access affordable housing, food, education and employment, safety and wellbeing and inclusive and accessible spaces.   

All donations are used to strengthen the social infrastructure that supports and uplifts our community so that everyone has access to the skills, resources, and opportunities they need to thrive: economically, socially, and inclusively. 

If you can afford to make a donation, please do – you’ll help fill gaps in your local community, ensuring people can thrive.