Poverty in Canada - Measures of Poverty in Canada

Measures of Poverty in Canada

Further information: Measuring poverty

Canada has no official poverty measure because Statistics Canada has stated that unless politicians express a social consensus on the definition of poverty, there will be no measure because they feel that it is not Statistics Canada's role to determine what constitutes a necessity. There is a debate on whether an absolute or relative measure is more useful. An absolute measure of poverty can provide insight on deprivation, or the inability to provide for basic needs, while a relative measure of poverty encompasses the issues of social exclusion and inequality.

Some researchers and governments instead use multiple measures to measure the depth and extent of poverty in Canada.

Read more about this topic:  Poverty In Canada

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