Fifty Seven Percent Of Canadians Struggling To Feed Their Household: Poll

A poll published by Angus Reid Friday has found that low-income Canadians are struggling to cover basic expenses amid stagnant wages and increasing costs of living.

• A majority of respondents, 57 percent, said they are currently finding it difficult to feed their household – almost a 20 percent increase from 2019, and a 12 percent increase from October 2021.

According to the poll, 39 percent said they are worse off now than they were last year: “This segment of the population is comprised largely of those who have lower incomes, more precarious housing situations, and difficulty keeping up with inflationary trends while relying on stagnant wages,” Angus Reid noted.

• Forty one percent of those earning less than $25,000 per year and 35 percent of those earning between $25,000 and $49,000 per year are struggling financially, the poll found.

Data published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives last November found that living wages – the amount needed to live and work in a community – are on the rise in cities across Canada.

• “In most communities across Canada the living wage is significantly higher than the minimum wage,” a group of living wage advocates from across the country wrote in a CCPA article.

Despite struggles experienced by those on lower incomes, the Angus Reid polling data told a different story for wealthier Canadians. Two thirds of those earning more than $200,000 per year are “comfortable” or “thriving.”