Pillar I: Basic Needs and Wellbeing
Dashboard
Food Security
Food insecurity, as defined by the PROOF research project at the University of Toronto, refers to a “compromise in quality and/or quantity of food due to a lack of money for food”.
Children have the highest rate of food insecurity among all age groups in Canada – 24.3% in 2022, which translates to almost 1.8 million children. This is an increase from 1.4 million children in 2021, co-occurring with the rise in child poverty.
Nearly 9 million people (23%) are living in food-insecure households in Canada.
Provincial Funding for School Food Programs
Provincial funding for school food programs started in 2021, with an annual investment of $2 million since 2023 alongside $11 million in new funding from the federal government.
Food Banks
In 2024, NB food banks saw 32,167 visits, including 11,722 made by families with children. This marks a 7.77% increase from the previous year and a 44.5 increase since 2019.
39% of food bank users rely on social assistance.
17% of food bank users report employment as their main source of income.
The proportion of users with job income has increased by 3.5% year over year.
Transportation
Coming soon
Child Care
Coming soon
Core Housing Need
Coming soon
Youth not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEET)
We measure the proportion of youth who are not in employment, education, or training (NEET) because youth who are not engaged in one of these areas may be experiencing difficulties transitioning from school to the labour market, thus increasing their risk of low income and social exclusion. The indicator has been used in Canada since 2009 but has been used by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) since the late 1990s.
Life Satisfaction
Coming soon
Definitions
Food Insecurity
Refers to people who live in households that experience marginal, moderate, or severe food insecurity.
Economic Family
Means a group of two (2) or more people who live in the same house and are related by birth, marriage, living together as a couple, adoption, or foster care.
Racialized Person/Family
This term comes from “visible minority”. A visible minority means someone who is clearly part of a racial group that is not white, according to the Employment Equity Act. The Act says visible minorities are people who are not Indigenous and who are either not white or not of European background.
Senior Family
Refers to a family where the highest-income earner is 65 years or older.
Non-Senior Family
Refers to a family where the highest-income earner is younger than 65 years.
Housing Insecurity
Housing is a human need that provides shelter, a place to share with others, as well as an important determinant of health. People who experience housing insecurity are lacking proper shelter.
Core Housing Need
Households in core housing need live in an unsuitable, inadequate, or unaffordable dwelling and cannot afford alternative housing in their community.
NEET
The number of people who are not attending high school, college, CEGEP, university, or equivalent and are not employed, as a percentage of the population aged 15 to 29 years.
Living Wage
The hourly wage a worker needs to earn to cover their basic expenses and participate in their community.