Shameful Neglect: Indigenous Child Poverty

This publication examines child poverty in Canada of First Nation children, which is staggering in proportions. Overall, Canada’s child poverty rate of 18% is among the worst in the OECD, putting it in 27^th place out of 34 countries. That is more than three times higher than the Nordic countries, where child poverty rates average 5%.

Current statistics reports from Canada do not include people who live on a reserve or people living in the territories, where the majority of Canada’s First Nation peoples live. Official poverty rates are therefore lower than they actually are. This report takes a closer look at child poverty among First Nation children in Canada, breaking down the different manifestations of poverty and the efficacy of current programming methods.