Prairie Households Hit Hardest by Tariff Impacts, Salvation Army Report Finds
Salvation Army report finds financial stability under strain, with inflation easing but debt, cost pressures and giving fatigue on the rise
REGINA, SK, Nov. 4, 2025 /CNW/ - A new regional report from The Salvation Army's 2025 Canadian Poverty and Socioeconomic Analysis reveals that while financial optimism in Saskatchewan and Manitoba has remained steady year over year, Prairie households are grappling with growing debt stress, cost-of-living pressures, and shrinking financial flexibility.
In Saskatchewan and Manitoba, 46% of residents say they feel optimistic about their financial future, a stable figure year-over-year. However, financial strain is growing in other ways. Interest rate concern has risen 7 points, the highest increase in the country, and 67% report difficulty managing limited resources, a 7-point increase from 2024. Tariff-related concern in Saskatchewan and Manitoba is 57%, matching Alberta. However, 69% of Prairie households say they have been directly impacted, the highest rate of any region in the country.
"For families across the Prairies, global issues like trade and tariffs are showing up in very local ways," says Bernadette DeSantis, divisional secretary for public relations. "Many households are telling us that groceries, fuel, and everyday essentials all feel more expensive, and that matches what we're seeing in the growing demand for food assistance."
"The people we serve aren't imagining it; their costs really are rising, and it's getting harder to plan ahead or build any kind of cushion. The Salvation Army's front-line teams see that strain every day. The cost-of-living crisis hasn't disappeared, it's just changed shape, and families are doing their best to adapt to a new kind of financial pressure," says DeSantis.
Saskatchewan and Manitoba residents remain highly concerned about the cost of living and inflation, with 81% naming it their top concern. This is a 5-point drop from last year, suggesting slight relief from peak inflation fears. At the same time, Prairie provinces show meaningful signs of emotional and health-related recovery. Concerns about healthcare access (–8 pts), health challenges (–11 pts), and mental well-being (–7 pts) have all eased, painting a picture of communities that are resilient, if financially stretched.
Still, the report shows that residents are adapting to continued economic uncertainty with fewer financial tools at their disposal. Support organizations like The Salvation Army are widely trusted (77%) as critical sources of help and stability in navigating these rising costs.
Charitable participation across Saskatchewan and Manitoba has declined across all major areas:
- Large donations: –13 pts
- Volunteering: –9 pts
- Direct giving: –16 pts
The only area of growth was in small-scale donations, which rose 9 points, suggesting a shift in how Prairie residents are choosing to give during tighter financial times. Even amid those declines, 80% of those who accessed support services said their family's well-being improved as a result.
"People in Saskatchewan and Manitoba are doing their best with less," says DeSantis. "They haven't lost their generosity, but the way they give is changing. That's something all support organizations will need to pay attention to."
The Salvation Army surveyed more than 1,500 Canadians to produce the 2025 Canadian Poverty and Socioeconomic Analysis to better understand their attitudes, behaviours, and experiences on issues such as the availability of housing and food, general affordability and related health outcomes. As the largest non-governmental direct provider of social services in Canada, this data helps The Salvation Army to quantify the demand for ongoing social services provided and allows the organization to better serve those in need.
About the Report:
The Canadian Poverty and Socioeconomic Analysis is an annual national survey commissioned by The Salvation Army to better understand the financial, social and structural challenges Canadians are facing. The 2025 edition was conducted from September 12–16, 2025, with a nationally representative sample of 1,521 Canadians who are members of the online Angus Reid Forum, balanced and weighted by age, gender, and region. Alberta-specific findings are based on regional cuts of the national dataset. Canadians living in Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut were not included in the survey.
About The Salvation Army:
The Salvation Army is an international Christian organization that began its work in Canada in 1882. Today, it is the largest non-governmental direct provider of social services in the country, offering hope and support to vulnerable people in 400 communities across Canada and in more than 130 countries around the world.
We believe in the transformative power of a helping hand--empowering people to move forward, no matter where they're starting from. With open doors, open minds, and open hearts, The Salvation Army provides practical, personalized support to those facing poverty, homelessness, addiction, food insecurity, and other complex challenges.
Our services include hunger relief through food banks and meal programs; shelter and housing support; addiction rehabilitation; long-term and palliative care; and life-skills development such as budgeting and cooking. We also offer children and youth programming, including after-school activities, camps, school nutrition, and Christmas assistance such as food hampers and toys.
Supported by generous donors, volunteers, and community partners, The Salvation Army meets people in their moment of need--and stays with them for the journey ahead. When you give to The Salvation Army, you're investing in renewed hope, restored dignity, and a stronger future for overlooked individuals and families in your community.
News releases, articles and updated information can be found at www.SalvationArmy.ca.
SOURCE The Salvation Army Prairie Division
For media inquiries, please contact: Bernadette DeSantis, Divisional Secretary for Public Relations, 780-220-6007
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