10 Hard-to-believe Facts about Poverty in Canada

Have you seen The Salvation Army’s campaign, It’s Time to End Poverty? With one in 10 Canadians living in poverty, it’s more important than ever to raise awareness about the issue.

Did you know…

• one in five households spend over 50 percent of their income on rent, which puts them at risk of homelessness?
• 42 percent of Canadians say they would be in financial difficulty if their pay was delayed one week?
• one in 10 Canadians can’t afford to fill their medical prescriptions?
• as of 2015 there is no national plan to reduce poverty?
• as many as 1.3 million Canadians have experienced homelessness over the last five years?
• one in eight Canadian households struggle to put food on the table?
• child poverty in Canada is three to five times higher than countries that make it a priority to eliminate it?
• one in seven Canadian children live in poverty?
• minimum-wage increases do not reduce poverty. Most workers who benefit from a minimum wage hike are not members of a poor household?
• 200,000 people are homeless in a year, costing the Canadian economy $7 billion annually?

Poverty is a significant issue and, regardless of circumstances, The Salvation Army helps people who have experienced major setbacks in their lives.

From meeting immediate needs such as food, clothing and shelter to building life skills such as cooking, budgeting, parenting and stress management, The Salvation Army is helping people get back on their feet and have better economic security.