Child poverty rate increasing in Canada, marginalized groups affected most

For the third year in a row, child poverty is on the rise in Canada. Hannah Lepine has details.

Child poverty in Canada rose for the third straight year, according to the latest Child and Family Poverty Report Card.

In 2025, 30,000 more children fell below the poverty line in Canada.

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Numbers are now approaching levels last seen in 2017, signaling an erosion of gains made after the introduction of the Canada Child Benefit in 2016.

While the benefit prevented hundreds of thousands of children from falling into poverty, report authors say its impact has weakened over time, as housing and food costs increase.

“It reaches about 95 per cent of families but it is not robust enough to lift those who are in poverty,” said Leila Sarangi, the National Director of Campaign 2000.

Poverty continues to disproportionately affect marginalized groups, with the highest rates for First Nations families living on reserve and in communities and provinces such as Nunavut, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Nearly one-in-six children in Alberta live in poverty.

Not only is poverty affecting more families, but according to the report, it’s also deepening, with low-income families falling further below the poverty line, than before the pandemic.

Food insecurity is also worsening, with 2.5 million children living in food-insecure households across Canada and severe food insecurity doubling since 2019.

The report reinforces that poverty is not inevitable and can be reduced when governments invest in solutions.

It calls on the federal government to strengthen its poverty reduction strategy, and invest in income supports and public services, such as child care, housing and health care.

“We have 56 recommendations at the federal level, we have a number of provincial territorial and some municipal report cards as well because every level of government is responsible for eradicating poverty, which is possible,” said Sarangi.

The report says if more isn’t done, at this current pace, ending child poverty in Canada would take nearly 400 years.

“We were supposed to have eradicated poverty 25 years ago; we have missed a generation who have grown up with those harms.” adds Sarangi.

“If we continue down that path we are not going to build a society that is strong enough, robust enough, connected enough to withstand the major challenges we’re facing in Canada and across the globe.”