A new poll suggests that one in four Canadians are extremely concerned about not having enough income to cover their basic needs, with single-parent families struggling the most in this regard.
The Salvation Army released the data Monday as part of its annual report on Canadians’ attitudes and experiences with poverty and related socio-economic issues.
Among single-parent families, almost half (40%) say they worry about not having enough income to meet their basic needs, while the figures are 31% for single-person households and 31%. for natural caregivers.
The study by Edelman Data and Intelligence suggests that one in five Canadians are eating less so their children or other family members can eat, and one in five have also skipped or reduced their size by at least a meal over the past year because he couldn’t afford groceries. These figures further rise to almost half in the case of single-parent heads.
The study was conducted from October 12 to 19 among a nationally representative sample of 1,515 Canadians, but did not include residents of the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
The territorial communications secretary of the Salvation Army in Canada, Lieutenant-Colonel John Murray, says the results are disturbing. However, they match the organization’s internal data and the needs of shelters, food banks and churches in the communities it serves.
“The figures taken from our research […] show that Canadians are struggling to make ends meet in every part of the country and are worried about their families’ future, with nearly 60% extremely concerned about the rising cost of life and inflation,” he said in a statement.
Housing security remains a top concern for Canadians, with one in ten saying they are extremely concerned about basic needs such as food and shelter, or being affected by an emergency or natural disaster.
The frequency of use of food banks has also increased, with 22% of those who used them in the past year reporting going once a week or more often, compared to 18% in 2022. Among those who have used a food bank in 2023, almost half did so for the first time.
“One of the things we discovered this year that still doesn’t surprise us, but I think is more disturbing to us as an organization, is that children make up 34% of all people who speak to to organizations such as the Salvation Army for assistance,” said Murray.
The report suggests that the proportion of Canadians facing problems with food security and housing, as well as problems with health and managing limited resources, is not expected to improve significantly over the next six months.
And although large numbers of Canadians are struggling, donation levels to support those in need are actually down slightly, by 0.2 to 1 percentage point, compared to 2022.
“It’s a reminder for Canadians, for those who have the ability to stop and think of others, to donate, to invest in the lives of their friends and perhaps their families in communities where they live,” argued Mr. Murray.