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British Columbia 2026 Poverty Report Card

Overall Grade:

D
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Experience of Poverty

Experience of Poverty

Indicator Data
2026 Grade
People Feeling Worse off Compared to Last Year
42%
C-
People Feeling Worse off Compared to Last Year
Data:42%
2026 GradeC-
People Paying More than 30% of Income on Housing
49%
F
People Paying More than 30% of Income on Housing
Data:49%
2026 GradeF
People Having Trouble Accessing Healthcare
24%
F
People Having Trouble Accessing Healthcare
Data:24%
2026 GradeF
Government Support Recipients Who Say Rates are Insufficient to Keep up with Cost of Living
68%
F
Government Support Recipients Who Say Rates are Insufficient to Keep up with Cost of Living
Data:68%
2026 GradeF
Percent of Income Spent on Fixed Costs beyond Housing
54.9%
C+
Percent of Income Spent on Fixed Costs beyond Housing
Data:54.9%
2026 GradeC+
Overall Grade D
Overall Grade: D

British Columbia received a D− grade in 2026, reflecting a persistently weak performance across affordability, access, and income pressure indicators.  

  • Housing affordability: With 49% of residents spending 30% or more of their income on housing — the highest share in the country — BC received a failing grade for this indicator. Housing stress increased steadily from 2023 to 2026, which indicates worsening affordability over time.  
  • Income spent on fixed costs outside of housing: BC earned a C+, with people spending 54.9% of their income on fixed costs. This is lower than the national average and slightly lower than in Ontario, but higher than in Quebec. Fixed cost pressure has been consistently high across all years.  
  • Access to health care: BC received a failing grade for this indicator, with 24% of people reporting difficulty accessing care. Conditions worsened sharply after 2023 and have only partially improved.  
  • Worse off than last year: The share of residents who feel worse off than they did last year was 42%. Earlier declines suggested hardship was easing slightly, but the 2026 increase signals renewed strain.  
  • Adequacy of government support: BC received an F for this indicator, with 68% of people who receive government support saying it is inadequate. This is one of the highest rates nationally. The upward trend since 2023 points to growing unmet need.  
Key Findings

Poverty Measures

Poverty Measures

Indicator Data
2026 Grade
Poverty Rate (MBM)
13%
F
Poverty Rate (MBM)
Data:13%
2026 GradeF
Provincial Welfare as a Percent of the Poverty Line (Singles)
46.1%
D
Provincial Welfare as a Percent of the Poverty Line (Singles)
Data:46.1%
2026 GradeD
Provincial Disability Welfare as a Percent of the Poverty Line
65.1%
C-
Provincial Disability Welfare as a Percent of the Poverty Line
Data:65.1%
2026 GradeC-
Unemployment Rate
6.7%
F
Unemployment Rate
Data:6.7%
2026 GradeF
Food Insecurity Rate
23.2%
F
Food Insecurity Rate
Data:23.2%
2026 GradeF
Overall Grade D-
Overall Grade: D-

British Columbia received an overall grade of D− in the poverty measures section. Quebec received the highest grade (C), while most other provinces received a D− or F, indicating that poverty remains widespread and that progress has been limited across the country. 

  • Poverty rate: The most recent available data (from 2024) show the poverty rate in BC is 13%, the highest rate among the provinces. Quebec reports the lowest poverty rate among provinces at 7%. 
  • Social assistance as a percentage of the poverty line: In BC, social assistance provides just 46.1% of the income needed to reach the poverty line. Prince Edward Island performs strongest on this measure among the provinces, with benefits covering 64.4% of the poverty line. 
  • Disability assistance as a percentage of the poverty line: Disability assistance in BC reaches 65.1% of the poverty line, falling short of what is required. Newfoundland and Labrador provides the most support at 74.1% of the poverty line. 
  • Unemployment rate: BC's unemployment rate is 6.7%, the same as the national rate. Saskatchewan has the lowest provincial unemployment rate at 5%. 
  • Food insecurity: The most recent available data (from 2025) show that 23.2% of people in BC live in households experiencing food insecurity. This is slightly below the national average of 24%, yet remains high when compared with Quebec, where approximately 1 in 5 people experience food insecurity. 
Key Findings

Material Deprivation

Material Deprivation

Indicator Data
2026 Grade
Inadequate Standard of Living
30%
C
Inadequate Standard of Living
Data:30%
2026 GradeC
Severely Inadequate Standard of Living
21%
C
Severely Inadequate Standard of Living
Data:21%
2026 GradeC
Overall Grade C
Overall Grade: C

British Columbia received a C grade for material deprivation in 2026, placing it in the middle of all the provinces on this indicator.  


This grade represents a decline from the B it received in 2025 and contrasts with the national trend of overall improvement.  


Material deprivation remains widespread in the province: 21% of residents are severely deprived, lacking several basic items, and 30% experience inadequate living standards. After falling sharply between 2024 and 2025, both forms of deprivation increased in 2026.  


The rise in moderate deprivation is particularly notable, suggesting that while the rate of the most severe hardship is lower than in earlier years, more households are experiencing moderate deprivation. This pattern aligns with BC’s worsening results on housing affordability and income pressure indicators.

Overall, BC's material deprivation results suggest that earlier improvements have stalled, leaving a significant share of residents unable to afford a basic standard of living in 2026.  


Key Findings

Legislative Progress

Legislative Progress

Indicator Data
2026 Grade
Legislative Progress
D
Legislative Progress
Data:
2026 GradeD
Overall Grade D
Overall Grade: D

Housing and Affordability  

  • Passed the Housing Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, to accelerate housing supply, including measures to restrict local zoning barriers, increase density, and amend regulation to better enable the addition of secondary suites.  
  • Continued the Speculation and Vacancy Tax to discourage people from leaving properties unoccupied and increase housing availability.  

 

Income Security  

  • Amended social assistance regulations so that if both members of a couple receive disability assistance, they each receive the same support allowance as a single person. However, social assistance rates have not increased since 2023 and rates are not indexed to inflation.  
  • Committed $121 million over three years in Budget 2026 to income, disability, and supplementary assistance.  
  • Raised the annual earnings exemption for families with one person on disability assistance from $19,440 to $23,400.  
  • Continued the implementation of the 10-year poverty reduction strategy, with targets to reduce overall poverty by 60% and child poverty by 75% by 2034.  

 

Labour Market Supports  

 

BC received a D for legislative progress this year. The province has continued to advance structural housing reforms, including measures to increase density and strengthen renter protections, and made targeted adjustments to income supports, such as raising the annual earnings exemption and effectively increasing payments for couples on disability assistance. However, these changes are incremental. Social assistance rates have not increased since 2023 and remain unindexed to inflation, so their value has eroded over time.  

 

Despite maintaining its ambitious poverty reduction strategy, it adapted few new actions to support its targets. Budget 2026 included no significant new investments, and the Government did not follow through on its commitment to introduce a groceries benefit. With fiscal constraints limiting new spending, current measures are unlikely to meaningfully reduce poverty.  

Key Findings

Political And Policy Landscape

During the most recent 2024 provincial election, the BC NDP narrowly won a second consecutive majority, but with fewer seats.  


The Provincial government has ambitious poverty reduction targets. Its 2024 Poverty Reduction Strategy states that it aims to reduce overall poverty by 60%, child poverty by 75%, and senior poverty by 50%.  


However, spending on health care and education over past years has led to concern about BC’s fiscal position. RBC noted that the province has large deficits, an increasing debt-to-GDP ratio, and no path to balance. Two major rating agencies downgraded BC’s credit rating after the 2025 Budget.  


The latest budget included no significant new spending announcements despite new tax increases but referenced aims to cut 15,000 public service jobs and freeze the number of new providers for its $10/day childcare program. Several 2024 campaign commitments have apparently gone by the wayside.  


Shannon Salter, Deputy Minister to the Premier, David Eby, described the current fiscal trajectory as “unsustainable.”  


The Eby administration has not honoured its campaign commitment to introduce a groceries benefit. It previously described this proposed benefit as “an immediate $1,000 cheque for most families to help address cost-of-living challenges, specifically the cost of groceries. After the first year, the rebate would have become an income tax cut.”  


Neither has it honoured its commitment to increase income, disability, and supplementary assistance spending. Budget 2026 adds only $121 million over three years — which translates to a negligible increase — rather than the $3 billion over three years mentioned previously.  


Premier Eby defended the changes by pointing to a more challenging economic outlook because of the U.S. tariffs and associated uncertainty. However, critics say the government should have responded to low economic growth projections prior to the introduction of tariffs by establishing a sustainable fiscal position from the outset of its tenure. 

Policy Recommendations

Affordability


Fulfill the BC NDP’s commitment to introduce a groceries rebate. 
The BC NDP’s primary campaign commitment was a “grocery rebate”—an immediate $1,000 payment for most families (or $500 for most individuals) to help address cost-of-living pressures, particularly rising food costs. After the first year, the rebate would transition into an income tax reduction. Implementing this commitment would provide timely relief to households struggling to cope with rising grocery prices. 


Maintain BC Housing’s capital budget at a minimum of $1.2 billion per year. 
While BC has increased investments in affordable housing, a significant share has gone toward subsidies and operating funding rather than capital construction. With housing construction lagging behind population growth, the province cannot afford to reduce its investment in new builds. Food Banks Canada recommends maintaining a capital plan of at least $1.2 billion per year, indexed to inflation, through 2030. This level of investment would support the construction of approximately 750 additional units annually. 


Income Security 


Restore BC's social assistance commitment: index all benefits and increase rates for single adults.  

Budget 2026 includes $121 million over three years for income, disability, and supplementary assistance – far below the previously announced $3 billion commitment. The province should restore this investment level, beginning with immediate CPI indexation for all benefit rates. Single adults, who represent a high proportion of people living in poverty, have been largely overlooked by poverty reduction efforts focused on children and families. The province should provide a targeted rate increase of at least 10% for single individuals to prevent further erosion of benefit adequacy and align with broader poverty reduction goals. 


Labour Market Reform 


Reduce clawbacks for workers who have low incomes and introduce a provincial earnings supplement. 
Despite recent increases to earnings exemptions for people who receive income assistance, workers with low incomes continue to face high clawback rates. BC should analyze the feasibility of creating a provincial earnings supplement modelled on Ontario’s Low-Income Individuals and Families Tax Credit (LIFT) or the federal Canada Workers Benefit (CWB), both of which support workers with low incomes and strengthen work incentives. 


Addressing Inequities 


Ensure that BC is on track to meet the Poverty Reduction Strategy targets. 
The province is in the third year of its 2024 Poverty Reduction Strategy, which aims for a 60% reduction in overall poverty and a 75% reduction in child poverty by 2034. Annual progress reports are needed to help provide ongoing accountability for the plan, and the government should move to adopt interim targets to help better measure progress over the decade.