Poverty and living standards in British Columbia, Canada: official figures
13.0% of people in British Columbia lived below the Market Basket Measure poverty line, Canada's official poverty line, in 2024; 2nd highest of 13 provinces and territories. The Canadian rate was 11.0%. In 2023 the rate in British Columbia was 12.8%.
How many people live in poverty in British Columbia?
About 720,100 people in British Columbia were living in poverty under the Market Basket Measure in 2024, out of 4,477,500 across Canada; in 2020, the first year of the 2023-base series, the figure was 435,000 (8.6%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat is the child poverty rate in British Columbia?
The child poverty rate in British Columbia, the share of people under 18 below the Market Basket Measure line, was 12.6% in 2024; 6th highest of 12 provinces and territories with data (Canada: 11.5%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat is the poverty rate for seniors in British Columbia?
In 2024, the Market Basket Measure poverty rate in British Columbia was 14.8% of people aged 18 to 64 (Canada: 12.6%) and 7.5% of people aged 65 and over (Canada: 5.4%; 3rd highest of 12 provinces and territories with data).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow far below the poverty line are poor households in British Columbia?
People below the poverty line in British Columbia had incomes on average 36.0% below the Market Basket Measure threshold in 2024 (the average gap ratio); Canada: 34.1%.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow many people in British Columbia are food insecure?
23.2% of people in British Columbia, about 1,281,700, lived in households that were food insecure in 2024, meaning they lacked or worried about lacking enough food because of money; 4th lowest of 13 provinces and territories. The Canadian rate was 24.0%, and the rate in British Columbia in 2023 was 24.5%.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow common is severe food insecurity in British Columbia?
17.4% of people in British Columbia were in moderately or severely food-insecure households in 2024 (4th lowest of 13 provinces and territories; Canada: 18.4%), including 5.8% in severely food-insecure households, where meals were skipped or food intake reduced.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyAre single-parent families in British Columbia food insecure?
Among people in one-parent families in British Columbia, 40.4% lived in food-insecure households in 2024 (Canada: 44.4%), against 28.2% for people in couple families with children.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow British Columbia compares with other provinces
Poverty rate (Market Basket Measure, 2023 base), all persons, 2024 (2024)
British Columbia ranks 2 of 13, highest first. Estimates for smaller provinces and the territories have wide margins of error; Statistics Canada flags several of them for use with caution.
| Rank | Region | Poverty rate (Market Basket Measure, 2023 base), all persons, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nunavut | 31.7% |
| 2 | British Columbia | 13.0% |
| 3 | Ontario | 12.5% |
| 4 | Manitoba | 12.3% |
| 5 | Yukon | 11.8% |
| 6 | Saskatchewan | 11.6% |
| 7 | Alberta | 11.0% |
Child poverty rate (under 18, Market Basket Measure), 2024 (2024)
British Columbia ranks 6 of 12, highest first. Estimates for smaller provinces and the territories have wide margins of error; Statistics Canada flags several of them for use with caution.
| Rank | Region | Child poverty rate (under 18, Market Basket Measure), 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Manitoba | 14.8% |
| 4 | Ontario | 13.2% |
| 5 | Alberta | 12.8% |
| 6 | British Columbia | 12.6% |
| 7 | New Brunswick | 11.7% |
| 8 | Nova Scotia | 11.4% |
| 9 | Newfoundland and Labrador | 11.2% |
Poverty rate, persons 65 and over (Market Basket Measure), 2024 (2024)
British Columbia ranks 3 of 12, highest first. Estimates for smaller provinces and the territories have wide margins of error; Statistics Canada flags several of them for use with caution.
| Rank | Region | Poverty rate, persons 65 and over (Market Basket Measure), 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nunavut | 31.5% |
| 2 | Yukon | 9.6% |
| 3 | British Columbia | 7.5% |
| 4 | Ontario | 6.3% |
| 5 | Manitoba | 5.6% |
| 6 | Nova Scotia | 5.1% |
| 7 | New Brunswick | 4.8% |
Low income rate (low income measure after tax), 2024 (2024)
British Columbia ranks 9 of 13, highest first. Estimates for smaller provinces and the territories have wide margins of error; Statistics Canada flags several of them for use with caution.
| Rank | Region | Low income rate (low income measure after tax), 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Prince Edward Island | 14.7% |
| 7 | Saskatchewan | 14.3% |
| 8 | Ontario | 12.7% |
| 9 | British Columbia | 12.1% |
| 10 | Quebec | 11.6% |
| 11 | Alberta | 11.3% |
| 12 | Yukon | 8.3% |
Share of people in food-insecure households, 2024 (2024)
British Columbia ranks 10 of 13, highest first. Canadian Income Survey; marginal, moderate and severe food insecurity combined.
| Rank | Region | Share of people in food-insecure households, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Newfoundland and Labrador | 25.5% |
| 8 | Ontario | 25.4% |
| 9 | Prince Edward Island | 23.3% |
| 10 | British Columbia | 23.2% |
| 11 | Quebec | 18.0% |
| 12 | Northwest Territories | 16.4% |
| 13 | Yukon | 15.5% |
Share of people in moderately or severely food-insecure households, 2024 (2024)
British Columbia ranks 10 of 13, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of people in moderately or severely food-insecure households, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Saskatchewan | 19.7% |
| 8 | Nova Scotia | 19.7% |
| 9 | Prince Edward Island | 18.9% |
| 10 | British Columbia | 17.4% |
| 11 | Yukon | 13.0% |
| 12 | Northwest Territories | 12.6% |
| 13 | Quebec | 12.1% |
More on British Columbia: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · Canada
Sources
- Statistics Canada: Table 13-10-0834-01: Food insecurity by economic family type (Web Data Service extract), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 50afb8936fa7…)
- Statistics Canada: Table 11-10-0135-01: Low income statistics by age, gender and economic family type (Web Data Service extract), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 078bc29ff3ff…)
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