Just The Facts: Canada Experiences The Largest Annual Increase In Child Poverty On Record

November 19, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ottawa, ON – Today, Campaign 2000 published their National Report Card, which revealed the shocking facts about the growth in child poverty under Justin Trudeau. This report stated that between 2021 and 2022, child poverty jumped by 2.5 percentage points. This is the largest annual increase in child poverty on record.

On top of this, child poverty increased at record rates for two years in a row. Meanwhile, the cost of food also increased by 35% since 2015. No wonder that in the last two years, Canada saw 358,520 more children living in poverty than during the height of the pandemic in 2020.

Across Canada, nearly one in five children were living in poverty, representing nearly 1.4 million children. Nowhere in Canada was spared, with child poverty increasing in every single province and territory. The highest increase was seen in Nunavut, where child poverty increased by 6 percent, while Ontario also saw a spike of 3.5 percent. The percentage of children living in food insecure households also rose in 2023 from 24.3 percent to 28.5 percent.

Worse still, the depth of poverty for families – which means the gap between the poverty line and the median income of low-income families – increased by 42 percent from 2015. As a result of this, families that were $10,050 below the poverty line in 2015 are now $14,276 below the poverty line.

Justin Trudeau is not worth the cost. Only Common Sense Conservatives will axe the tax and cap the spending to bring home lower prices for all Canadians.