In early 2025, Canada, a country with a reputation for fairness and balance, was confronted with an alarming reality: income inequality in the country had reached an all-time high. New data from Statistics Canada has shaken up economists and the general public alike. The income gap between the richest and poorest has grown to a level not seen in the country’s modern history. According to data for the first quarter of 2025, the income gap — the difference in the share of disposable income between the richest 40% and the poorest 40% of households — reached 49.0 percentage points. This jump became a visible marker of the changing social fabric, evidence that economic gains are increasingly concentrated in the hands of a small group of households. The main contributor to the increase in inequality was the change in the income structure. The richest households recorded a 7.7% increase in their disposable income. Both wages and investment income contributed to this increase. Investments, one of the most reliable sources of passive income, significantly strengthened the position of wealthy families. On the other hand, the poorest 20% of households saw only a slight increase in income by 3.2%, while their salaries even fell slightly by 0.7%. They were also hit by losses in investment income - minus 35.3% per quarter on average. While high-income families strengthened their financial positions, the lower segment of the population was forced to spend more than they earned. As a result, the savings rate of the poorest households became negative. They ate through their savings or increased their debt to cope with rising costs of housing, food and energy. For many, this meant reconsidering their consumption habits, cutting social spending and abandoning long-term financial goals. At the same time, social support measures, although strengthened - transfers to the poorest strata increased by 31.2% - were unable to offset the overall trend. The aid offset some of the losses, but it could not match the scale of capital growth at the top. The wealth structure is also particularly troubling. The top 20% of the population owns almost two-thirds (64.7%) of total wealth, while the bottom 40% owns just 3.3%. This is not only a reflection of income, but also access to investment assets, real estate and financial instruments. The Bank of Canada’s rate cut to 2.75% in 2025 also played a dual role: it eased the debt burden, but also reduced the return on savings, especially for those who rely on interest from bank deposits rather than the stock market. These are not just economic statistics – there are real people and lives behind the numbers. Young families are postponing home purchases. Older Canadians are returning to work. Migrants just starting out in a new country are finding it harder to escape low-paying jobs. And in this fragment of the new Canadian landscape, deep social tensions are evident. Canadian incomes are no longer about stability and certainty. They have become a reflection of a new economic reality in which financial vulnerability is no longer a rarity but an everyday reality for millions. Statistics are only a mirror of these changes, but how the country responds to this challenge will determine what kind of tomorrow it will be: a divided society or one in which solidarity will once again become the cornerstone of economic policy.