Poverty and living standards in Ontario, Canada: official figures
12.5% of people in Ontario lived below the Market Basket Measure poverty line, Canada's official poverty line, in 2024; 3rd highest of 13 provinces and territories. The Canadian rate was 11.0%. In 2023 the rate in Ontario was 12.5%.
How many people live in poverty in Ontario?
About 1,992,500 people in Ontario 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 1,102,200 (7.6%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat is the child poverty rate in Ontario?
The child poverty rate in Ontario, the share of people under 18 below the Market Basket Measure line, was 13.2% in 2024; 4th highest of 12 provinces and territories with data (Canada: 11.5%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat is the poverty rate for seniors in Ontario?
In 2024, the Market Basket Measure poverty rate in Ontario was 14.0% of people aged 18 to 64 (Canada: 12.6%) and 6.3% of people aged 65 and over (Canada: 5.4%; 4th highest of 12 provinces and territories with data).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow far below the poverty line are poor households in Ontario?
People below the poverty line in Ontario had incomes on average 34.2% below the Market Basket Measure threshold in 2024 (the average gap ratio); Canada: 34.1%.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow many people in Ontario are food insecure?
25.4% of people in Ontario, about 4,055,900, lived in households that were food insecure in 2024, meaning they lacked or worried about lacking enough food because of money; 6th lowest of 13 provinces and territories. The Canadian rate was 24.0%, and the rate in Ontario in 2023 was 26.5%.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow common is severe food insecurity in Ontario?
20.2% of people in Ontario were in moderately or severely food-insecure households in 2024 (6th highest of 13 provinces and territories; Canada: 18.4%), including 7.1% in severely food-insecure households, where meals were skipped or food intake reduced.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyAre single-parent families in Ontario food insecure?
Among people in one-parent families in Ontario, 50.1% lived in food-insecure households in 2024 (Canada: 44.4%), against 28.6% for people in couple families with children.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow Ontario compares with other provinces
Poverty rate (Market Basket Measure, 2023 base), all persons, 2024 (2024)
Ontario ranks 3 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)
Ontario ranks 4 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nunavut | 37.7% |
| 2 | Saskatchewan | 15.1% |
| 3 | Manitoba | 14.8% |
| 4 | Ontario | 13.2% |
| 5 | Alberta | 12.8% |
| 6 | British Columbia | 12.6% |
| 7 | New Brunswick | 11.7% |
Poverty rate, persons 65 and over (Market Basket Measure), 2024 (2024)
Ontario ranks 4 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)
Ontario ranks 8 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Newfoundland and Labrador | 15.1% |
| 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% |
Share of people in food-insecure households, 2024 (2024)
Ontario ranks 8 of 13, highest first. Canadian Income Survey; marginal, moderate and severe food insecurity combined.
| Rank | Region | Share of people in food-insecure households, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Saskatchewan | 26.7% |
| 6 | Nova Scotia | 26.2% |
| 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% |
Share of people in moderately or severely food-insecure households, 2024 (2024)
Ontario ranks 6 of 13, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of people in moderately or severely food-insecure households, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Manitoba | 22.3% |
| 4 | New Brunswick | 20.9% |
| 5 | Newfoundland and Labrador | 20.4% |
| 6 | Ontario | 20.2% |
| 7 | Saskatchewan | 19.7% |
| 8 | Nova Scotia | 19.7% |
| 9 | Prince Edward Island | 18.9% |
More on Ontario: 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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