Achi news desk-
HALIFAX –
New data from Statistics Canada shows Nova Scotia’s rates of poverty and food insecurity in 2022 were the highest of any province.
Data from the Canadian Income Survey, released by StatCan on Friday, shows Nova Scotia’s poverty rate has increased to 13.1 per cent in 2022 from 8.6 per cent a year earlier – the highest rate among all provinces.
This is well above the national average in 2022, which is 9.9 per cent of people falling below the poverty line.
About 29 percent of Nova Scotia households were considered food insecure in 2022, meaning people did not have adequate access to food due to financial constraints.
StatCan found that 7.3 per cent of Nova Scotia households experience “severe” food insecurity, meaning people are cutting back on their eating days or going without food.
Sheri Lecker, executive director of Adsum House for Women and Children, says the data confirms what the organization has been seeing in terms of community needs.
“Nova Scotia is doing the worst job providing the bare basics to its citizens. These statistics are from 2022 and we know things have continued to decline in this province,” Lecker said in a statement.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on April 30, 2024.
For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
