Backgrounder: Report Highlights

Introducing the National Advisory Council on Poverty

With the release of the report, Minister Duclos announced the members of the newly created National Advisory Council on Poverty. Chosen from over 800 applications from across Canada, the Advisory Council brings together a committed and diverse group of 10 members, including leaders, experts, academics and practitioners that work in the field of poverty reduction and people with a lived experience of poverty.

An Update on the Market Basket Measure Comprehensive Review

Canada’s Poverty Reduction Strategy has set an official measure of poverty—Canada’s Official Poverty Line—measured by the Market Basket Measure (MBM). As part of the Strategy, a comprehensive review of the MBM is being undertaken to ensure it continues to reflect the reality of what is needed for Canadians to meet their basic needs and achieve a modest standard of living.

During the course of this comprehensive review, Statistics Canada consulted with Canadians, experts and federal, provincial and territorial government officials, and worked jointly with ESDC. The report, An Update on the Market Basket Measure Comprehensive Review, provides a summary of the feedback gathered during the process up to now. The report also outlines the roles and responsibilities of Statistics Canada and ESDC for the comprehensive review and describes next steps.

ESDC and Statistics Canada will continue to work closely together to ensure the contents of the basket of goods and services reflect the true cost of living for Canadians in communities across the country.

Dimensions of Poverty Hub

Canada’s Poverty Reduction Strategy outlined the Government of Canada’s plan to strengthen poverty measurement, identify gaps and gather data to guide its journey to 2030.

As part of this commitment, Statistics Canada released the Dimensions of Poverty Hub. The Hub, sponsored by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), features a dashboard of indicators to help Canadians track progress on many aspects of poverty, from different measures of low income, to Canadians in housing need, to the differences in earnings and life outcomes between low-income Canadians and those in the middle class.

The Hub will allow all Canadians to track Canada’s progress on reducing poverty. The indicators on the dashboard are detailed enough to track progress not just at the national level, but also at the provincial and territorial level, and for various groups of Canadians. Statistics Canada will continue to update the Hub, adding additional data and detail on vulnerable groups, as new data become available.