N.S. had highest poverty rate in Canada in 2022; Manitoba had most deep poverty

A sweeping new report from Statistics Canada shows Nova Scotia had the highest rate of poverty among the provinces in 2022, while Manitoba had the highest rate of deep poverty. Statistics Canada signage is shown in Ottawa on Friday, March 8, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — A new report from Statistics Canada says Nova Scotia had the highest rate of poverty among the provinces in 2022, and Manitoba had the highest rate of deep poverty.

The report released today says 12.5 per cent of Nova Scotians lived below the poverty line in 2022, compared with a Canadian average of 9.9 per cent.

British Columbia had the second-highest poverty rate at 12.2 per cent, followed by Manitoba, where 11.9 per cent of residents lived in poverty and 6.9 per cent lived in deep poverty.

The statistics agency says someone lives in poverty if they can’t afford the cost of a basket of goods and services that represents a basic standard of living.

A person is in deep poverty if their income falls below 75 per cent of that threshold.

One in five people who immigrated to Canada between 2017 and 2022 lived below the poverty line, and more than half of those lived in deep poverty.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 6, 2025.

The Canadian Press