Getting a fuller picture of poverty in Canada: why the government’s official poverty measure is insufficient
Getting a fuller picture of poverty in Canada: why the government’s official poverty measure is insufficient
By Geranda Notten
Associate Professor, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, L’Université d’Ottawa/
University of Ottawa
Canada’s inflation rate has started to ease up after peaking at 8.1 per cent last summer, but food and shelter prices are showing little sign of slowing down.
Increases in wages and earnings only partially make up for lost purchasing power. Those working in lower paying industries are less likely to see their wages rise.
Many Canadians are struggling and those on tighter budgets with less financial leeway are being hit especially hard. During fall 2022, one in four Canadians indicated they were finding it difficult to meet food, shelter and other necessary expenses, up from about one in five Canadians in summer 2021.
But these statistics are only part of the picture — Canada’s official poverty measure only focuses on income and ignores other important factors. This means millions of Canadians living in poverty are potentially going unseen and unheard.
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