A new report from the Human Development Council says people with disabilities in New Brunswick are much more likely to live in poverty than those without.
The 2025 New Brunswick Disability & Poverty Report says 35.3 per cent of the province’s population has a disability.
That’s the second-highest rate in Canada. The national average is 27 per cent.
The report found that 12.3 per cent of people with disabilities in New Brunswick live in poverty, compared to 8.3 per cent of people without disabilities.
When measured using the Low Income Measure after tax, the gap widens to 19.9 per cent compared to 12.6 per cent.
The Council also identified major differences in earnings. Median after-tax income for people with disabilities is $30,130.
For those with very severe disabilities, it drops to $24,180. People without disabilities earn a median income of $36,220.
Those living alone are especially affected. The poverty rate for people with disabilities who are not part of an economic family is 27.7 per cent.
That’s more than triple the rate of 7.9 per cent for those in a family setting.
The Human Development Council recommends increasing income supports and protecting disability benefits from clawbacks.
It also suggests involving people with lived experience in designing and reviewing policies.
The Council used data from the Canadian Survey on Disability, the Canadian Income Survey, and the Census.
