HALIFAX — New data from Statistics Canada shows that Nova Scotia’s rates of poverty and food insecurity in 2022 were the highest of any province.

Data from the Canadian Income Survey, which was released by StatCan on Friday, shows that Nova Scotia’s poverty rate 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 of 9.9 per cent of people falling below the poverty threshold. 

About 29 per cent of Nova Scotia households were considered food insecure in 2022, meaning people had inadequate access to food due to financial constraints.

StatCan found that 7.3 per cent of Nova Scotia households were experiencing “severe” food insecurity, meaning people were reducing their eating or going days 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 essentials for its citizens .… These statistics are from 2022 and we know that things have continued to deteriorate in this province,” Lecker said in a statement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2024.

The Canadian Press