Leaving No Canadian Behind: Measuring the well-being of vulnerable Canadians for effective SDG implementation

The report argues that effective implementation of the SDGs in Canada requires a multi-tiered measurement approach that moves beyond national averages to identify and monitor vulnerable groups. It identifies key marginalized populations—including Indigenous Peoples, recent immigrants, and people with disabilities—and highlights the systemic data gaps that hinder targeted interventions. The authors advocate for the use of complementary community-driven data sources and investments in data interoperability, specifically through mission-oriented data ecosystems, to ensure that those 'furthest behind' are accurately captured and supported.

• Despite a high general standard of living, approximately 15% of Canadian households experience low income, and several diverse groups are being left behind, including Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit), recent and elderly immigrants, people with disabilities, lone-parent households, and the LGBTQ+ community.
• Vulnerable groups face a complex intersection of risk factors, such as discrimination, geographic isolation, and socio-economic disadvantages. For example, recent immigrants are more than three times more likely than average Canadians to suffer from low income and are twice as likely to face core housing needs.
• Indigenous populations in Canada experience severe disparities in income, health, and food security. The prevalence of low income for the Indigenous population is 23.6%, with those living on reserve having an average after-tax income of CAD 22,450 compared to CAD 39,313 for non-Indigenous people.
• People with disabilities are nearly three times more likely to live in poverty than average Canadians. In 2017, 28% of persons with severe disabilities aged 25 to 64 lived in poverty, compared to 10% of those without disabilities.
• Standard national data collection often fails to capture the most vulnerable due to 'data marginalization,' including 'hidden homelessness' or groups that are unknown, silent, muted, unheard, or ignored. This is often exacerbated by the high cost of collecting data on hard-to-reach populations.
• There is a significant gap between official metrics and the lived perceptions of poverty. For instance, while official data focuses on disposable income, some First Nations communities define poverty by a lack of access to land and natural resources, meaning income-based interventions may be ineffective.
• Canada can currently report at the national level on 43 of the 75 indicators from SDGs 18 that are relevant to vulnerable groups. Data is well-covered for health (SDG 3), education (SDG 4), and decent work (SDG 8), but severely lacking for food security (SDG 2) and water (SDG 6).
• Complementary data sources exist outside official statistics, including data repositories, longitudinal studies (such as the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging), custodian organizations (like the Manitoba Mtis Federation), and for-profit research, but these often exist in silos.
• The report recommends investing in 'mission-oriented data ecosystems' to achieve data interoperability. This approach allows different entities to join data for joint problem solving without losing meaning, as seen in Canadas Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS).
• The authors conclude that Canada should adopt a multi-tiered measurement approach where local communities and organizations working with vulnerable groups participate in gathering, governing, and using data to measure well-being within the SDG context.

APA

Bizikova, L., Jungcurt, S., McDougal, K., Temmer, J., & Wiebe, K. (2021). Leaving No Canadian Behind: Measuring the well-being of vulnerable Canadians for effective SDG implementation. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-05/leaving-no-canadian-behind-sdg-implementation.pdf

Chicago

Bizikova, Livia, Stefan Jungcurt, Kieran McDougal, Jennifer Temmer, and Kyle Wiebe. Leaving No Canadian Behind: Measuring the well-being of vulnerable Canadians for effective SDG implementation. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-05/leaving-no-canadian-behind-sdg-implementation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bizikova |first1=Livia |last2=Jungcurt |first2=Stefan |last3=McDougal |first3=Kieran |last4=Temmer |first4=Jennifer |last5=Wiebe |first5=Kyle |title=Leaving No Canadian Behind: Measuring the well-being of vulnerable Canadians for effective SDG implementation |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=May 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-05/leaving-no-canadian-behind-sdg-implementation.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bizikova2021leaving, author = {Bizikova, Livia and Jungcurt, Stefan and McDougal, Kieran and Temmer, Jennifer and Wiebe, Kyle}, title = {{Leaving No Canadian Behind: Measuring the well-being of vulnerable Canadians for effective SDG implementation}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-05/leaving-no-canadian-behind-sdg-implementation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }