Percentage of Canadian children and youth aged 12 to 17 years living with moderate or severe food insecurity, by household income and Indigenous Identity, Canada, 2009-2012 – The Health of Canada’s Children and Youth

2.4.5 Percentage of Canadian children and youth aged 12 to 17 years living with moderate or severe food insecurity, by household income and Indigenous Identity, Canada, 2009-2012

Notes:
*Interpret with caution
Food insecurity, moderate or severe is derived from reported income-related difficulties accessing or utilizing food that influence the quantity or quality of food consumed, CCHS (2009-2012)

Source: CICH graphic created using data adapted from Towards a Healthier Canada – Health Inequalities Data Table, Health Inequalities Data Tool, A joint initiative of the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Pan-Canadian Public Health Network, Statistics Canada and the Canadian Institute of Health Information. Data: Canadian Community Health Survey, 2009-2012.

Children and youth living in the lowest income families are dramatically more likely to live with food insecurity – 27%, than are those living in the highest income households – 1%.

Indigenous children and youth are more likely to live with food insecurity than are non-Indigenous children and youth.

In 2009-2012, 27% of First Nations children and youth aged 12 to 17 years lived with moderate or severe food insecurity as did 34% of Inuit children and youth and 14% of Métis children and youth.

That proportion was 10% for non-Indigenous children and youth in the same age group.