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If you’ve ever wondered How Canadians are REALLY doing, you’re in the
right place. A newly released report shows that: even in good economic times the
lion’s share of benefits go to the wealthy while the poor stay poor and the
shrinking middle class muddles through; Canadians are living longer but not
healthier – health among teenagers is especially worrying; but crime is down and
social relationships in our communities are stronger. The report also shows that
cuts or lack of improvements to government programs like welfare, Employment
Insurance and publicly funded medical services are hurting Canadians.
Check out the First Report (PDF 4MB) for an easy to read overview of these
and other important findings or download the full research reports for
Living Standards,
Healthy Populations, and
Community Vitality to learn more.
Abstract
This paper, which represents the living standards domain of the new Canadian Index of
Wellbeing, provides a comprehensive overview of trends in a number of indicators of living
standards over the 1981-2008 period in Canada. Part one examines trends in average and
median income and wealth indicators in Canada. Part two looks at the distribution of the
income and wealth of Canadians over time, including trends in poverty. Part three discusses
trends in income fluctuations or volatility. Part four analyzes trends in the economic security of
Canadians, including labour market security, food security, housing security, and the security
provided by the social safety net. The report also presents a synthesis of overall trends in living
standards, discusses living standard measurement issues, and puts forward a set of headline
indicators to capture the essentials of what has been happening to the living standards of
Canadians. Finally, the report comments on the sustainability of current levels of living
standards. [...] [Read More] |
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Last Updated: 21 June 2010 |
Poverty in Canada
Resources
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This fourth section in our Poverty and Homelessness pages presents selected statistics, news and resources on poverty and child poverty in Canada.
This page includes a range of subjects, including the definition of poverty, Low Income Cut Offs (LICOs) and other measures of poverty, minimum wage across Canada, welfare incomes across Canada, legal aid and public
legal education resources, provincial and community anti-poverty strategies, national and provincial Campaign 2000 poverty report cards, etc.
For current news and reports, selected studies
and presentations on poverty in Canada, see
Poverty in Canada: News and Selected Reports.
On this page...
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Poverty expands healthcare costs, policing burdens and diminished educational outcomes. This in turn depresses productivity, labour force flexibility, life spans
and economic expansion and social progress, all of which takes place at huge cost to taxpayers, federal and provincial treasuries and the robust potential of the
Canadian consumer economy. [...]
We believe that eradicating poverty and homelessness is not only the humane and decent priority of a civilized democracy, but absolutely essential to a productive and
expanding economy benefitting from the strengths and abilities of all its people. [...]
In 2008, the 20% of persons with the highest family after-tax income had, on average, 5.4 times the family after-tax income as those in the lowest 20%. This ratio has been
virtually unchanged since 2000.
Just over 3 million Canadians lived in a low-income situation in 2008, virtually unchanged from 2007, using the after-tax low income cut-offs. This represents 9.4% of the population. |
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An Act to Eliminate Poverty in Canada...
On Wednesday, June 16, 2010, the Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie, Tony Martin (NDP), seconded by the Member of Parliament for
Chambly-Borduas, Yves Lessard (Bloc Québécois), rose in the House of
Commons to introduce Bill C-545 – "An Act to Eliminate Poverty in Canada".
This private member’s bill, if passed into law in its current form, would provide a foundation for federal engagement, leadership and accountability for eliminating poverty in Canada.
Key provisions of the bill include the following:
- Recognition of poverty as a "condition of a human being who does not
have the resources, means, choices and power necessary to acquire and maintain
economic self-reliance and to facilitate their integration into and
participation in society"
- Recognition of poverty as a human rights issue and anchoring the
federal response to poverty in a human rights framework;
- Imposing on the federal government "the obligation to eliminate poverty
and promote social inclusion by establishing and implementing a strategy for
poverty elimination in consultation with the provincial, territorial, municipal
and Aboriginal governments and with civil society organizations"
- Requiring the federal strategy to have short, medium and long term targets
to eliminate poverty;
- Establishing the "Office of the Poverty Elimination Commissioner",
independent of government and to help hold the federal government to account for
progress in addressing poverty; and
- Amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to include "social condition" as a prohibited ground of discrimination.
Bill C-545 aligns with the second goal of Dignity for All: The Campaign for a Poverty-free Canada, which calls for "a federal anti-poverty Act
that ensures enduring federal commitment and accountability for results." Over the summer, it is expected that individuals and organizations behind the
campaign and/or with related efforts will be encouraging all Members of Parliament to support the bill and ensure its passage into history-making law.
Canada Without Poverty and the CWP Advocacy Network congratulate Mr. Martin and Mr. Lessard for helping introduce Bill C-545 into the House. We hope
all Members of Parliament and Senators will now work to ensure its passage into law. |
The Social Determinants of Health: The Canadian Facts
The World Health Organization describes the social determinants of health as "the conditions in
which people are born, grow, live, work and age, including the health system." Social determinants of health include, for example, the circumstances of early childhood, parenting, the
availability of adequate nutrition, education, the effects of poverty, working conditions, unemployment, social support, access to medical care, affordable housing, and so on
(Wilkinson and Marmot 2003). A growing body of research makes evident the fact that social inequities and exclusivity have dramatically adverse effects upon human health. Economic and
social disparities are perpetuated and exacerbated by poorly conceived, ideologically based policies which fail to apprehend the significance of these determinants in holistic terms.
The issues are complex, to be sure, and they are not commonly known, but an understanding of the social determinants that affect health and
well-being is of crucial importance in Canadian society. It is something we owe ourselves, and one another.
The following excerpts describe a new report — the only one of its kind in Canada — by Juha Mikkonen and Dennis Raphael. This report explores the key social determinants that affect
Canadians, examines their ramifications, and suggests specific economic and social policy strategies to remediate factors which negatively affect our health and longevity. Written in
plain English, the report is a lucid, well-referenced and finely illustrated quick read that provides invaluable perspective on the Canadian social matrix. Highly recommended.
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TORONTO, April 28, 2010 – A report released today by York University health researchers offers Canadians the opportunity to learn how their living conditions will determine whether they stay healthy or become ill.
Social Determinants of Health: The Canadian Facts shows why these factors are so important for health and documents the state of these living conditions in Canada in an accessible manner for the Canadian public.
"Our key message is that the health of Canadians is much less determined by the health care system than we typically think. Much more important are public policies that influence our living
conditions," says Dennis Raphael, Professor in York’s School of Health Policy & Management and the report’s co-author.
Raphael and visiting scholar Juha Mikkonen explain in everyday language and with compelling graphics how Canadians’ health is shaped by how much income and wealth they have,
whether or not they are employed and if so, the working conditions they experience. They pull together a wide range of research to show how health is powerfully influenced by Canadians’
ability to obtain quality education, food and housing, among other factors.
The report finds these conditions are declining with serious ramifications for the quality and longevity of Canadians’ lives, and outlines specific ways that the situation can be improved. [...]
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The primary factors that shape the health of Canadians are not medical treatments or lifestyle choices but rather the living conditions they
experience. These conditions have come to be known as the social determinants of health. This information – based on decades of research and hundreds of studies
in Canada and elsewhere – is unfamiliar to most Canadians. Canadians are largely unaware that our health is shaped by how income and wealth is distributed,
whether or not we are employed and if so, the working conditions we experience.
Our health is also determined by the health and social services we receive, and our ability to obtain quality education, food and
housing, among other factors. And contrary to the assumption that Canadians have personal control over these factors, in most cases these living conditions are –
for better or worse – imposed upon us by the quality of the communities, housing situations, work settings, health and social service agencies, and educational
institutions with which we interact.
Improving the health of Canadians requires we think about health and its determinants in a more sophisticated manner than has been the case to date.
Social Determinants of Health: The Canadian Facts considers 14 social determinants of health:
- Income and Income Distribution
- Education
- Unemployment and Job Security
- Employment and Working Conditions
- Early Childhood Development
- Food Insecurity
- Housing
- Social Exclusion
- Social Safety Network
- Health Services
- Aboriginal Status
- Gender
- Race
- Disability
The publication outlines why they are important; how Canada is doing in
addressing them; and what can be done to improve their quality. The purpose of
the document is to [...] promote greater awareness of the social determinants
of health and the development and implementation of public policies that improve
their quality. [...] |
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Sobering statistics cited by the report include:
- 15 per cent of Canadian children are living in poverty, putting Canada at a rank of 20th out of 30 of the world’s wealthiest nations as defined by the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD).
- Only 17 percent of Canadian families have access to regulated child care. Canada ranked last among 25 wealthy developed nations in meeting various early childhood development objectives.
- Canada is amongst the lowest in its coverage of total health care costs. Medicare covers only 70 per cent of total health care costs, giving Canada a rank of 22nd of 30 OECD nations for
public coverage of health care costs.
- Canada is among the nations with the greatest gap between men’s and Women’s earnings. Canada ranks 19th of 22 OECD nations in reducing the earnings gap between men and women.
- Over 40 per cent of Canadians with disabilities are not in the labour force, forcing many of them to rely upon social assistance benefits. Canada ranks 27th of 29 in public spending on
disability-related issues.
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Living Wage for Families
First Municipal Living Wage Policy in Canada
A British Columbia city council adopted the first municipal living wage policy in Canada last night – a move that will hopefully become a standard for cities across the country.
The New Westminster City Council voted unanimously yesterday for a living wage bylaw based on a calculation of the hourly wage required to keep a family with two children and two
working parents above the poverty line.
"This is a great example of the important role municipal governments can play in reducing poverty in their communities and across Canada," said Paul Moist, national president of the
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
New Westminster’s living wage policy will apply to both full-time and part-time employees, and will apply to both direct staff and to contractors performing physical work on City properties.
The Hospital Employees Union (HEU), the health care services division of CUPE in BC, has led a living wage campaign
in the province since 2007. The campaign calls on government and health authorities to ensure their private contractors pay a living wage.
To raise awareness in the Vancouver area, the union has partnered with the Metro Vancouver Living Wage for Families Campaign. The New Westminster decision is a great win for the
coalition of community organizations.
"Raising the incomes of poor families creates stronger communities, both socially and economically," said Moist. "New Westminster has set a strong example for cities across the country."
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What is a Living Wage?
At $16.74 per hour for Metro Vancouver — or $30,467 annually for each parent working full-time — the living wage covers only bare bones expenses. The living wage for BC’s Capital Region
is $16.39 per hour, due to minor variations in the expenses based on actual costs of living in the Capital Region.
This living wage calculation does not cover:
- credit card, loan, or other debt/interest payments
- savings for retirement or for children’s future education
- owning a home
- anything beyond minimal recreation, entertainment, or holiday costs
- costs of caring for a disabled, seriously ill, or elderly family member
- much of a cushion for emergencies or tough times
For full details, download the
Working for a Living Wage Summary.
The living wage is about pay, but also about
- non-wage benefits
- value of social supports & programs
The Living wage is different from the minimum wage, which is the legislated minimum set by the provincial government. The living wage calls on employers to meet
a higher standard for both their direct staff and major contractors – it reflects what people need to support their families based on the actual costs of living in a specific community.
If you are interested in becoming a Living Wage Employer or just want to find out more about what is involved, email your contact details to
info@livingwageforfamilies.ca. All queries will be treated in the strictest confidence.
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"No Action, No Progress" for Women and Children in Need
[...]
Canada was asked to report back within one year to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on steps it has taken to implement two
recommendations made by the Committee after its review of Canada in 2008.
The two recommendations of the CEDAW Committee are that the Government of Canada take concrete steps to address:
- women’s poverty and inadequate social assistance rates; and
- police and government failure to prevent, or investigate promptly and thoroughly, violence against Aboriginal women and girls.
The request that Canada report back to the CEDAW Committee in one year, rather than in the usual four years, indicates the seriousness of these issues.
Canada has taken no steps to effectively implement these recommendations in the past year. [...]
Cuts to welfare rates and erosion of the value of benefits through inflation have had a harsh impact on women who are in need. Women who are more likely to
have to turn to welfare, including single mothers and Aboriginal women must now rely on welfare incomes so low that the National Council of Welfare Chairperson
recently called them "shameful and morally unsustainable in a rich country." 7
[...]
The current government of Canada describes its position on federal-provincial relations as "open federalism". It cleaves to a "bright-line" view of the constitutional divisions of
powers between the federal and provincial governments, and treats its own spending power with suspicion. In effect, this position permits the federal government to simply wash its
hands of the problems of poor women, on the grounds that they are the responsibility of the provincial and territorial governments. This policy ignores the long history of the federal
government’s involvement in the development of social policy and programs. It ignores the federal government’s responsibilities under s. 36 of the Constitution to work with the
legislatures and governments of the provinces to provide "essential public services of reasonable quality to all Canadians". Further, it ignores the overarching character of women’s
human rights and the federal government’s leadership role in the implementation of Canada’s international human rights obligations.
In 2007, the National Council of Welfare reviewed anti-poverty strategies in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, New Zealand and other countries and concluded that if Canada
continues to have no long-term vision, no plan, no accountability, and no resources assigned – which is the current situation – the most disadvantaged Canadians will continue
to be mired in poverty for years to come.
On November 24, 2009, the Parliament of Canada passed a resolution referred to it by the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities:
That, with November 24th, 2009 marking the 20th anniversary of the 1989 unanimous resolution of this House to eliminate poverty among Canadian children by the year 2000, and not having achieved
that goal, be it resolved that the Government of Canada, taking into consideration the Committee’s work in this regard, and respecting provincial and territorial jurisdiction, develop an immediate
plan to eliminate poverty in Canada for all. 11
Because the current Government of Canada governs as a minority, this resolution represents the will of the majority of Members of Parliament, but not the will of the Government.
In short, the federal government has not acted during this period to set standards or reconfigure federal-provincial fiscal arrangements in order to give stability, adequacy and consistency
to social assistance rates across the country.
Nor have provincial and territorial governments acted independently to increase rates to make them adequate. [...]
- National Council of Welfare, "Staggering losses in welfare incomes", August 24, 2006. Online at http://www.ncwcnbes.net/...
[Welfare Incomes 2005, Vol.#125, National Council of Welfare, Summer 2006. Revised October 2006.]
- House of Commons resolution, referred by the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, passed November 24, 2009:
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=4236608&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=2
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New Poverty Series by Michael Enright, CBC Sunday Edition
With a timely set of interviews, CBC Sunday Edition host Michael Enright launched a new Poverty Series on 18 October 2009. He spoke with Conservative Senator Hugh Segal, whose take on the issue is both
informed and pragmatic; Segal explores the backward thinking and Victorian attitudes that prevent real progress on this front, and offers real solutions. His approach is truly enlightening.
The second interviews, with Ron Hikel and Evelyn Forget, provide important information with respect to MINCOME, a successful guaranteed annual income experiment conducted in Dauphin, Manitoba,
between 1974 and 1978.
Poverty: Segal Duration: 00:21:47
It's a problem that may never go away. "The poor," or so the Bible tells us, "will be with us always." But the idea that poverty itself is an intractable issue does not excuse governments
from trying to address it. And for decades, politicians and policy makers have tried in many different ways to reduce if not eliminate it.
Over the course of this season at the Sunday Edition, we want to talk about poverty — why does it exist in one of the richest countries on earth, how big a problem is it,
and what can be done about it? But poverty is a problem that's increasingly difficult to define. In this country, we can't even agree on how to measure it.
Statistics Canada can tell us the unemployment rate, the gross domestic product and the consumer price index. But what Stats Canada won't — and can't — enumerate is a poverty rate.
And that's because the politicians haven't agreed on exactly what poverty is. Senator Hugh Segal is expending much of his political capital on keeping poverty on the national agenda.
And he's not only one of the few national figures devoted to this issue — he's one of the even fewer Conservatives to take up the fight. Senator Segal joined us from a studio in Kingston.
Poverty: MINCOME Duration: 00:19:52
That's Senator Hugh Segal. He's one of the politicians that's doing what he can to try to reduce poverty in this country. As the Senator mentioned - back in the 1970s, an ambitious
experiment in social engineering was conducted in the province of Manitoba. It was called MINCOME — as in minimum guaranteed income.
The study involved some residents of the city of Winnipeg - but what made MINCOME so audacious was what happened in a small farming town about 300 kilometers northwest. From 1974 through
1978, Dauphin, Manitoba was a town with no poverty. Every one of the nearly 13,000 residents of Dauphin and the surrounding area was eligible to receive a guaranteed annual income. The
information gathered throughout the project was supposed to help policy makers evaluate the plan to see if the program should be expanded. But when the funding dried up, the project ended.
And the data remained unexamined — in hundreds of boxes which were put into storage. Nearly thirty years went by before anyone started to analyze MINCOME.
Ron Hikel was the Executive Director of MINCOME. He now works for US Congressman Eric Massa and was in our studio in Washington, DC. Evelyn Forget is a professor in the Community Health
Sciences Department at the University of Manitoba. She's the one who tracked down the MINCOME papers, decades after the conclusion of the study. And she's completed her first analysis
of the data. She's was in our Winnipeg studio.
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Measuring Poverty — Definitions and Strategies
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Persistent poverty and growing inequality are the most significant and intractable challenges facing Canada today, diminishing the
lives of thousands of individuals and families. Poverty Reduction Policies and Programs provides the context and insight to understand
and act in the fight against poverty in Canada.
This first collection of reports – Poverty Reduction Policies and Programs – identifies current federal, provincial, and
territorial approaches to poverty reduction, alleviation and eradication, profiles the ideas, interests and institutions that have shaped the evolution of
that work, and identifies critical issues for each jurisdiction moving forward.
The CCSD’s new Social Development Report Series is an essential tool that provides an understanding of how
geography, history and politics have created varying approaches to community building across our country. Watch for the next edition in 2011.
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Housing as a Mechanism in Poverty Reduction
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Solving Poverty: Four cornerstones of a national strategy for Canada
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Vital Signs®
2009 National Vital Signs Report
NEWS RELEASE
Young Canadians face worst job market in decades, says annual report card
Canada’s Vital Signs also highlights trends in aboriginal education, violent crime
OTTAWA (Oct. 6, 2009) – Canada’s youth jobless rate has soared under the economic pressures of the
past year and even the lucrative summer months were a bust, with young people’s hours of work hitting
30-year lows, according to Canada’s Vital Signs 2009, the annual report card on quality of life from
Community Foundations of Canada.
"The report shows us how the impact of the recession has been immediate and severe for vulnerable
groups, such as youth," said Monica Patten, President and CEO of Community Foundations of Canada. "It
also shines a light on inequities that pre-date the recession, such as the disturbing high school completion
rates among the aboriginal population."
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Vital Signs® 2009 — LOCAL REPORTS |
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2008 National Vital Signs Report
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Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) is the membership organization for Canada's vibrant and growing network of 164
community foundations.
Community foundations bring together
people who care about their communities. They are independent, volunteer-driven,
charitable organizations that aim to strengthen their communities by
facilitating philanthropy, by partnering with donors to build permanent endowments and
other funds from which they support community projects, and by providing leadership on issues of broad
community concern. |
Vital Signs® is an annual community check-up conducted by community foundations across Canada that measures
the vitality of our cities, identifies significant trends, and assigns grades in at least ten areas critical to
quality of life. Vital Signs® is based on a project of the Toronto Community Foundation and is coordinated nationally
by Community Foundations of Canada. The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation provided critical support for the national
expansion of the Vital Signs program.
Each city's report card data is a compilation of numerous research sources, much of it local, that help communities
make connections between issues and trends in different areas. The findings are presented in a reader friendly format
to make them as accessible as possible. |
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Vital Signs® 2008 — LOCAL REPORTS |
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CFC offers professional development and training opportunities to its members,
provides communication links and acts as an information clearinghouse,
facilitates partnerships and initiatives with national and regional funders,
reflects member views and concerns on philanthropic issues, promotes sound
public policy [and] is active in global networks that promote philanthropy and a healthy
civil society.
Community foundations build and manage permanent
endowments, using their knowledge of their communities’ needs to connect donors to the causes and organizations that can
help them make a lasting difference. With more than $2.9 billion in assets, the community foundation movement is one of
Canada’s largest grantmakers, providing more than $176 million in grants last year to thousands of charities. | |
Vibrant Communities
Poverty is one of Canada's most serious and persistent social problems. Canadians think significant things can be done about it.
Vibrant Communities was founded on the unique approach of bringing together multisectoral leaders - from business, government,
the voluntary sectors and citizens, including people directly affected by poverty - to compassionately and creatively solve
poverty. The heart beat of Vibrant Communities comes from leaders and national sponsors in communities across Canada.
Since 2002, Vibrant Communities has been learning to tackle poverty in new ways. It is lead by four highly respected national
sponsors including: Tamarack - An Institute for Community Engagement, The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation along with the
Caledon Institute of Social Policy and Human Resources and Social Development Canada. Community-led efforts in Victoria, Surrey, Edmonton,
Calgary, the Niagara Region, Hamilton, St. Michel (Montreal), Trois Rivières and Saint John have been beacons by creating welcoming,
vibrant communities. Some of the significant results to 2007 include more than 1200 local partners in 15 communities that have
collaborated in creative ways to assist over 34,000 individuals in their journey out of poverty. Communities pursue their best
pathways to reduce poverty. These may include: workforce development and employment, education and training, housing supports,
income security, and human resource practices including wage adjustments or policy change. "One of the strengths of Vibrant
Communities…is its single-minded focus on eliminating poverty. Motivating and engaging all sections of the community to attain
this goal has been paramount" (Tim Brodhead, President, The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation).
Although we have demonstrated many successes using the Vibrant Communities approach, we need to learn more about what works
in poverty reduction and why. We are continually striving for better rather than simply replicating "good enough." Vibrant
Communities is growing and we invite Canadians to join together to create durable solutions to poverty.
For more information please contact:
Susan Eckerle Curwood, Community Coordinator: susanc@tamarackcommunity.ca |
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Saskatchewan Justice Minister Don Morgan acknowledged there is a major problem, pointing to poverty as the main contributor.
"We just look at it as we know that we have a significant portion of the population that have a socio-economic gap," said Morgan.
He said the province is attempting to provide supports to low-income children through community schools and is also increasing the number of children put into foster care.
Income was touched on as a likely cause in the report as well.
The report said differences in age, education and employment status could only partially explain the discrepancy between aboriginal and non-aboriginal incarceration.
About 50 out of every 1,000 aboriginal people without any post-secondary diploma or employment were incarcerated as of May 16, 2006, whereas just 4.3 out of every 1,000
aboriginal people with a diploma and employment were incarcerated.
While the gap is narrower for those with education and employment, aboriginal people are still about 14 times more likely than non-aboriginal people to be incarcerated. [...]
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Some other interesting stats from the report: Over 245,000 BC workers
earn less than $10 an hour. The average total income for the richest one
tenth of one percent of families grew by almost a million dollars between 1982
and 2004 to about $2.5 million a year. Meanwhile the average income for
the poorest 10% of taxfilers in 2004 was $6000. The income of the richest
10% grew while the income of the poorest and second poorest 10% fell. [...]
The Report Card says governments should increase minimum wage to almost $11
an hour, end the $6 an hour training wage, raise welfare to about $1300 a month
for a single person, restore welfare earnings exemptions and stop clawing back
child support payments, among other things.
The UN report says that the CEDAW committee is concerned that there is no
federal accountability to ensure that there are minimum standards for social
assistance funding. It calls on the Canadian government to establish those
standards.[...] |
Community Profiles
Source:
Urban Poverty Project 2007
Canadian Council on Social Development
Almost 70% of all poor people - almost 3.3 million - lived in Canada’s 25
largest urban areas in 2000. Responding to these pressing human needs presents
an enormous challenge - and one which requires planning, persistence, and
partnerships.
The Urban Poverty Project (UPP) supports those efforts with
reliable data and analysis. Community Profiles is the first product from the
Urban Poverty Project. It provides 2001 Census data on 13 critical social
indicators in a concise fact sheet format for 111 places in Canada, including
cities, regions and provinces.
Online Tool: Find Your Community
The following drop-down lists contain data sheets about 111 different
communities and geographic levels across Canada. [Please see the glossary for definitions
of the geographic levels (CMAs, CDs, CSDs)].
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If you need data on a community not listed, click
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Poverty and Policy in Canada
Poverty and Policy in Canada provides a unique perspective on poverty and its importance to
the health and quality of life of Canadians. This original volume considers a range of issues t
hat will be of great interest to a variety of audiences. Throughout the book, particular emphasis
has been placed on the lived experiences of poverty.
This new book has three straight-forward goals:
Author Dennis Raphael PhD, Professor and Undergraduate Programme Director at the School of Health Policy and Management at York University, serves as a consultant
to the Canadian Public Health Agency and is an advisor to an upcoming PBS series on social inequalities and health in the USA. |
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UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre
Source:
Child poverty in rich countries 2005
Innocenti Report Cards, 6 (2005:36pp.)
ISBN: 88-89129-39-5
The proportion of children living in poverty has risen in a majority of the world's
developed economies. No matter which of the commonly-used poverty measures is applied, the situation of children
is seen to have deteriorated over the last decade. This publication is the sixth in a series of Innocenti Report
Cards, designed to monitor and compare the performance of the OECD countries in meeting the needs of their children.
It is also the first in what will be an annual Innocenti Report on Child Poverty in Rich Countries.
[Child poverty in rich countries 2005]
 Figure 1: The Child Poverty League
...the percentage of children living in ‘relative’ poverty, defined as households
with income below 50 per cent of the national median income...(p.04)
Table adapted from original figure (bar graph) which does not show numeric "Rank".
Canada: children still waiting
A descriptive overview of the measures of low income produced by the Canadian
statistical agency, Statistics Canada, is offered by M. Skuterud, M. Frenette and
P. Poon, Describing the Distribution of Income: Guidelines for Effective
Analysis, Statistics Canada, 2004, Catalogue No. 75F0002MIE, No.010.
A summary of the first set of findings from the Canadian Market Basket
Measure of Low Income is available at [hrsdc.gc.ca],
while the specifics of the construction of the basket are
presented in M. Hatfield, Constructing the Revised Market Basket Measure,
Ottawa: Human Resources Development Canada 2002. The quotations in the text
are taken from these sources.
The all party resolution committing the government of Canada to "seek to
eliminate child poverty by the year 2000" can be found in Government of Canada,
Hansard, November 24, 1989.
The reference for the government quote "it is not possible to say with certainty
whether the incidence of low income for children using the Market Basket
Measure is higher or lower than in the years prior to 2000." is www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/comm/news2003/030527.shtml (p.35) |
Christmas is quickly approaching and many charities are busily preparing to help the needy during the holidays. Here is a list of organizations
seeking your help and a separate list of organizations selling Christmas items as fundraisers in the coming weeks. Many offer receipts for income tax purposes on request. Not all agencies
could be listed....[Read more]
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