Experts estimate 25% of Canadians are living
at a poverty level living standard, compared to the official
poverty rate of 10%
30% of 18-30 year olds, 44.5% single parent
households and 42% of renters can't afford two or more household
essentials
TORONTO, June 18,
2024 /CNW/ - Canada's official poverty rate doesn't tell
the full story of hunger and food insecurity in Canada, according to a new landmark report:
Measuring Poverty with a Material Deprivation Index (MDI): An
Updated Index for Canada,
published today by Food Banks Canada with the support of the Maple
Leaf Centre for Food Security and Maytree.
The new report, prepared by Michael
Mendelson, Maytree Fellow and a former Deputy Minister in
Ontario and Manitoba, with Geranda
Notten, Professor of Comparative Public Policy at the
University of Ottawa's Graduate School
of Public and International Affairs, introduces a Material
Deprivation Index (MDI) – a poverty metric that's widely used in
Europe to measure a poverty level
standard of living – with Canadian data. The MDI illuminates hidden
poverty by showing that an estimated 25% of Canadians are living in
poverty because they cannot afford two or more household
essentials. That's nearly 6 million more Canadians than is
reflected in StatsCan's most recent poverty rate data.
According to the MDI metrics utilized in the new Food Banks
Canada report, 30% of Canadians aged 18-30 years old, 44.5% of
single-parent families – and 42% of renters experience a poverty
level standard of living, meaning they cannot afford two or more
household essentials.
Assessing Poverty Goes Beyond Income
"A better understanding of poverty is critical to accurately
track our progress in reducing economic distress among households
in Canada," says Kirstin Beardsley, CEO of Food Banks Canada.
"Adopting an MDI in Canada could
improve our understanding of the extent and nature of poverty and
help explain the gaps we're seeing between real life demand at food
banks and the current official poverty rate. We ask that the
Canadian government incorporate an MDI into their official poverty
reduction strategy as part of the indicator portfolio to assess
levels of poverty in Canada."
"A Material Deprivation Index is widely used in other
industrialized countries to measure the impact households
experience because of not having enough money," says Sarah Stern, Executive Director, Maple Leaf
Centre for Food Security. "Developing and maintaining an MDI
alongside existing income-based poverty measures could provide the
government with deeper insights to enhance programs to reach more
of those experiencing food insecurity."
According to the MDI results, other demographics experiencing
high rates of a poverty standard of living include respondents:
- Who are unemployed and looking for work: 55.5%
- Receiving government transfers as their main source of income:
55.4%
- Identifying as Black: 34.4%
- Identifying as Indigenous: 37.4%
- With a disability: 37%
About the project
The project lead for "Measuring Poverty with a Material
Deprivation Index (MDI): An Updated Index for Canada" was Michael
Mendelson, Maytree Fellow, and a former Deputy Minister in
Ontario and Manitoba. Academic leadership for the project
was from Geranda Notten, Professor
of Comparative Public Policy at the University
of Ottawa's Graduate School of Public and International
Affairs. The Environics Institute for Survey Research facilitated
our surveys and analysis. The report can be accessed at
https://foodbankscanada.ca/hunger-in-canada/
About Food Banks Canada
Food Banks Canada provides national leadership to relieve hunger
today and prevent hunger tomorrow in collaboration with the food
bank network from coast to coast to coast. For 40 years, food banks
have been dedicated to helping people living with food insecurity.
Over 5,100 food banks and community organizations come together to
serve our most vulnerable neighbours who this year made 1.9 million
visits to these organizations in one month alone, according to our
HungerCount report. Over the past 10 years, as a system we've
sourced and shared over 1.4 billion pounds of food and Food Banks
Canada shared nearly $168 million in
funding to help maximize collective impact and strengthen local
capacity – while advocating for reducing the need for food banks.
Our vision is clear: create a Canada where no one goes hungry. Visit
http://www.foodbankscanada.ca/ to learn more.
About the Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security
Launched in 2016, the Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security ("the
Centre") is a registered charity committed to working
collaboratively to reduce food insecurity in Canada by 50% by 2030. The Centre advocates
for critical public policies and invests in knowledge building and
programs that advance the capacity of people and communities to
achieve sustainable food security. The Centre has directly funded
more than thirty projects across the country, committing more than
$13 million to increase access to
good food and reduce food insecurity.
About Maytree
Maytree is a human rights organization committed to advancing
systemic solutions to poverty and strengthening civic communities.
We believe the most enduring way to fix the systems that create
poverty is to ensure that economic and social rights are respected,
protected, and fulfilled for all people living in Canada. Through our work, we support
non-profit organizations, their leaders, and people they work with.
https://maytree.com
SOURCE Food Banks Canada