N.B. sees setback in poverty reduction as cost of living soars

New Brunswick lost years of progress reducing poverty as pandemic supports ended, housing costs soared and inflation ticked up, a new report shows. 

The Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation, a provincial Crown corporation, released its 2025-30 poverty reduction plan on Wednesday. 

The document shows the province recorded years of declines, from a peak of 126,000 in 2015, to 51,000 in 2021.

Stéphane Leclair, CEO of the Crown corporation, said they had met a goal to cut poverty in half. But the number shot up to 85,000 in 2022, the most recent figure available. 

"We reached the goal, but since then the numbers went backwards because of the economic crisis that we're in," Leclair said during an event in Campbellton unveiling the new plan. 

The document says the province's population growth also "added pressure to existing systems that were already struggling to function properly."

The new plan keeps the same goal as the previous one: a 50 per cent reduction in poverty levels by 2030. 

The report was released at a time of even more economic uncertainty over a potential trade war started by the United States. 

Cindy Miles, the province's Social Development minister, said tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump could affect the goal. 

 "It's a concern for everything, it's a concern for every sector," Miles said about tariffs. 

Premier Susan Holt previously said a universal 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods going to the U.S. would cost the province 4,000-6,000 jobs.

Miles said the province doesn't have a choice but to continue toward its poverty reduction goal. 

"People are depending on us to do this, and as a community we can do this and we will do this," Miles said. 

The plan released Wednesday was the fourth by the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation, which is mandated to develop, oversee, co-ordinate, and implement strategic initiatives and plans to reduce poverty in the province.