Percentage of families with children under age 6 receiving social assistance, Canada and the provinces/territories, 2005 and 2010
![](https://cichprofile.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2.5.2_final_families_receiving_social_assistance-1.png)
Source: CICH graphic created using a Statistics Canada custom data run of Taxfiler variables relating to families with children under 6 for each province and territory, for 2005 and 2010.
In 2005, 11.3% of families with children under 6 were receiving social assistance. This proportion has been relatively stable since 2005 when it was 11.1%. However, the provinces and territories varied in their rates and changes in rates.1
In both 2005 and 2010 the highest rates were in Nunavut and there was little change.
This was followed by Saskatchewan – where the rate was 21.5% in 2005 and fell to 18.8% in 2010.
The lowest rates were in Alberta and British Columbia – which was the case for both 2005 and 2010.
1Statistics Canada custom data run of Taxfiler variables relating to families with children under 6 for each province and territory, for 2005 and 2010.