Many Canadians assume that poverty among seniors is a minor issue. That the income security system provides enough for the elderly to live with dignity. But this new report reveals a different reality: 430,000 seniors in Canada live below the Official Poverty Line.  Why does seniors’ poverty...

This article analyses results from the Canadian Housing Survey, 2022 , using new variables on homelessness and factors contributing to regaining and maintaining housing. The paper provides a descriptive overview of different types of homelessness experiences in Canada, highlighting select...

A poverty reduction strategy lays a foundation to build a community of best practices; it identifies gaps and leverages local knowledge. This case study unpacks the conditions that have led to the success of Niagara Region’s Poverty Reduction Strategy – specifically around its community...

The COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic recovery were “feast and famine” for the budgets of low-income families and individuals across Canada. Because of the income support programs put in place to help Canadians affected by workplace shutdowns, the poverty rate fell to 6.4% in 2020, down by...

This year marks the 35th anniversary since the passing of the unanimous all-party federal resolution to end child poverty in Canada by the year 2000. Using tax filer data from 2022, the latest available, this year’s report card found a troubling trend: child poverty increased at record rates two...

In this 8th episode of the "What the Food?!" webinar series, we hear from Randy Hatfield, Executive Director at the Saint John Human Development Council about affording food in today's economy - the living wage vs minimum wage, the Consumer Price Index, rental rates and the salary requirements to...

In partnership, Daily Bread Food Bank and North York Harvest Food Bank have released Who’s Hungry 2024 – an annual profile of poverty and food insecurity in the City of Toronto.   In the last year, there were 3.49 million client visits to Toronto food banks – nearly 1 million more visits...

The executive summary on the progress of Opportunity for All- Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy identifies the availability and affordability of safe and suitable housing, the ever-increasing cost of feeding one's family, the long hours and low wages of work to barely keep your head above...

In 2023, 22.9% of people in the ten provinces lived in a food-insecure household. That amounts to 8.7 million people, including 2.1 million children, living in households that struggled to afford the food they need. With another year of rising food insecurity, the percentage of people affected is...

How can we ensure anti-poverty programs are doing the most good for those who need them? One important step is to invest in scaling successful innovations within these programs. With government-led poverty alleviation programs reaching millions of people worldwide, these programs can model how...

Working poverty is pervasive, racialized, and until the pandemic, was increasing in Toronto and across Canada. Until the pandemic, this increase was counterintuitive, during 2006 to 2016, as most of this ten-year period had been characterized by one of the most prolonged economic recoveries in...

This is the 2023 report on the progress of Opportunity for All – Canada’s First Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS). While COVID-19 still threatens communities in Canada and around the world, the public health measures have largely been lifted. Temporary economic measures have also ended. At the...

Food insecurity is a significant public health problem for Indigenous peoples in Canada. A comprehensive literature review is needed to organize the evidence according to the 4 pillars of food security (i.e., availability, access, utilization, and stability) and identify gaps in the published...

Two articles released in Economic and Social Reports provide insights on the poverty rates and changing demographics of racialized population groups in Canada. The article "Poverty among racialized groups across generations," shows that most racialized groups had higher poverty rates...

This discussion paper begins by explaining what is commonly understood as child care and how child care expenses currently enter the market basket measure (MBM) methodology. It then describes an alternative approach to account for child care expenses by incorporating them as a separate component...

Charitable food programs have been the primary response to household food insecurity in Canada since the 1980s. Yet, for as long as there has been systematic monitoring, there has been no meaningful decline in the prevalence of household food insecurity. Based on the most recent data from...

Drawing on survey and interview data, as well as data from Daily Bread and North York Harvest’s member agencies, the 2022 Who’s Hungry report examines trends in food bank use and food insecurity over the past year in relation to three core areas: income and employment, housing, and the cost of...

Food insecurity—the inadequate access to food due to financial constraints—affects 1 in 6 households in Canada, with serious health implications. Family benefit programs supplementing income have shown potential in mitigating the risk of food insecurity, but there is little understanding of...

A research collaboration between PROOF (Food Insecurity and Policy Research) and FoodShare reveals that Black households are 3.56 times more likely to be food insecure than white households.  Learn more about the relationship between food banks and food insecurity in Canada in this 2019...

Drawing on data for 54,000 households from Statistics Canada's Canadian Income Survey conducted in 2021, a disturbingly high rate of household food insecurity was identified. Food insecurity consists of inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints.  The prevalence of...

Building the Case provides evidence for the federal government to urgently step up to support single, working-age adults in Canada. This group experiences Canada’s highest and deepest rates of poverty and some of the country’s highest rates of food insecurity.  By analyzing publicly...

About this resource This backgrounder provides an overview of some of the latest research on poverty and food insecurity in Canada.  Current context Nearly five million people in Canada (14% the population) are living below the poverty line. Food insecurity, largely a result of poverty, affects...

This study uses the 2022 Portrait of Canadian Society Survey to examine the impact of rising inflation on the lowest income Canadians. Using multiple pre-pandemic data sources, the study takes a closer look at people living in the bottom family income quintile, examining their family income, debt...

A good deal of attention has been paid to the question of what these high rates of inflation in housing and food costs mean for Canadians. Much of the concern has focused on the implications for middle-income Canadians hoping to purchase a home, while squeezing their household budgets. But what do...

In 2022, The Communities Ending Poverty network raised the following question: How can we engage youth as leaders in poverty reduction efforts? At Tamarack Institute events in July 2022, local and national youth leaders shared experiences and advice on how collaboratives could keep improving their...