Canada stands at a critical juncture as poverty and food insecurity continue to worsen nationwide. Despite the severity of these issues, most governments are not responding with the necessary urgency, as highlighted in Food Banks Canada’s 2024 Poverty Report Cards.
According to the report, nearly half of Canadians (44%) feel financially worse off than the previous year. One in four Canadians are experiencing food insecurity, and all provinces except one are failing in the affordable housing section of the report. These findings led Food Banks Canada to downgrade the federal government’s grade from D in 2023 to D- in 2024.
The majority of provincial governments in Canada received grades in the D range on the 2024 Poverty Report Cards. Seven out of ten provinces received a D- for their inadequate approach to poverty reduction, indicating that no province is making satisfactory progress in addressing poverty. Only Nova Scotia (D- in 2024, F in 2023) and Prince Edward Island (C- in 2024, D+ in 2023) showed improvement, attributed to enhanced legislative focus on poverty reduction over the past year.
Quebec showed a slight improvement in its poverty reduction efforts (C+), although it dropped from a B- in 2023 due to policy actions that have not kept pace with the increasing cost of living. In the North, housing and living costs are exacerbating community challenges, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated government action.
For more details, the full report is available on Food Banks Canada’s website.