Study finds a fifth of children in N.B. lived in poverty in 2023

New Brunswick's provincial flag flies on a flagpole in Ottawa on July 6, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

A study in New Brunswick found around a fifth of children in the province lived in poverty in 2023.

The annual Child and Family Poverty Report conducted by the Human Development Council (HDC) shows an estimated 32,140 children – around 21.9 per cent – lived in poverty in 2023, which is unchanged from the previous year.

While those rates have not worsened, the HDC says affordability pressures are rising sharply due to housing costs, food and energy. According to the study, housing costs have increased 44 per cent since 2020.

“Child poverty remains unacceptably high in New Brunswick,” said Liam Fisher, data analyst and research coordinator with the HDC. “Families are facing unprecedented affordability pressures that demand action. The data paints a picture of rising costs, highly concentrated poverty, and unequal access to opportunity.”

The study also found the highest-income families hold 22.9 per cent of total income, compared to just 1.6 for the lowest decile.

According to the study, nearly one-in-four children under six years old live in poverty. Children in one-parent families were also found to be disproportionately affected, with 47.8 per cent living in poverty, compared to 11.3 per cent in couple families.

Poverty was also uneven depending on the area, with rates exceeding 40 per cent in Campbellton, over 30 per cent in Saint John and Bathurst, but as low as 15 per cent in Dieppe and 7.8 per cent in Quispamsis.

“The evidence is clear: child poverty persists because of systemic barriers and income inadequacy,” said Heather Atcheson, social researcher at HDC and co-author of the report. “Solutions exist, from targeted supports to policies like a Guaranteed Basic Income, but action is needed now to ensure every child can grow up with stability and opportunity.”

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