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Graphic Truth
Hunger and poverty are on the rise in both the United States and Canada, with food insecurity levels spiking dramatically in 2023 as COVID-19 assistance programs expired. That’s been compounded by rising food costs that have left millions struggling to put food on the table.
Canada witnessed a surge in food insecurity, jumping nearly 5 percentage points to 22.9% of the population living in food-insecure households between 2022 and 2023, according to the University of Toronto. According to the 2023 Hunger Count by Food Banks Canada, food banks recorded a record 1.9 million visits, representing a 32% increase compared to the previous year. Parents constituted the largest segment of food bank users, highlighting the acute challenges faced by families. Provincially, Newfoundland and Labrador experienced the highest rate of food insecurity, with 23% of households affected in 2022, followed closely by New Brunswick and Alberta both at 22%.
In the United States, 13.5% of households — approximately 18 million — faced food insecurity at some point during the year, marking a slight rise from 12.8% in 2022, according to a report by USDA. Among the states, Arkansas reported the highest prevalence of food insecurity, with 18.9% of households affected between 2021 and 2023.
The Trump administration is working to dismantle the Department of Education, a long-time conservative goal rooted in the belief that education is best managed at the state and local levels. Most decisions — especially regarding curriculum — already are made locally, but the department plays a key role in setting standards, assessing student performance, and supplementing where states are falling short. Critics worry that eliminating it could widen educational inequalities.
This could hurt US competitiveness, which is already slipping. In 2022, the US ranked 34th in global math performance, according to the OECD PISA assessment of 15-year-olds in 81 countries. Canada ranked ninth, despite also seeing a decline. The impact is evident in other surveys as well. In IMD Business School’s 2024 Competitiveness Report, the US dropped to 12th place among global economies, its lowest ranking ever — down from 1st in 2018.
The US and Canada aren’t alone. Math scores have been trending downward globally since the OECD PISA assessments began measuring them in 2002 – falling between one to three points every four years. But scores took a sharp tumble between 2018 and 2022, falling an alarming 16 points globally, likely because of education disruptions and school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gun ownership rates have been rising in both the US and Canada, despite the two countries having drastically different firearms regulations. In the US, there are some federal protections, such as mandatory background checks for firearm purchases from licensed dealers, and restrictions on machine gun and suppressor ownership, as well as rules barring convicted felons and the mentally ill from owning guns. But the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms, coupled with lax gun laws in some states, and a cultural emphasis on personal protection, has enabled gun ownership to become widespread.
In Canada, however, guns are primarily viewed as tools for hunting or for sport, and ownership is subject to strict regulations, including certified coursework and background checks. Moreover, nearly 200 types of assault-style firearms are banned. As a result, the US far surpasses Canada in personal firearm ownership. There are 120 guns per 100 people in the US – yes, more than one per person – compared to 35 per 100 people in Canada.
But guns in the two countries are also deeply connected. Relaxed restrictions on buying firearms in many states along the US-Canada border have fueled a surge in illegal gun smuggling into Canada. From 2022-24, Canadian border security saw a 44% increase in firearms illegally entering from the US. The issue is under renewed scrutiny as the Trump administration imposes tariffs on Canada, pressuring it to curb fentanyl trafficking. Many Canadians argue that the illegal flow of US firearms poses an equally serious threat to public safety.
Graphic by Paige Fusco & Ari Winkleman / GZERO Media
In a world increasingly worried about war, who sells the most weapons?
The United States is still top dog, accounting for more than 40% of global exports – more than the next eight countries combined. But the market for weaponry has shifted significantly in recent years, according to the latest benchmark report by SIPRI.
Imports by Ukraine have grown more than 9,500% since 2020, making it the world’s number one weapons recipient. At the same time, exports from Russia, the number three producer, fell by more than 60% as the Kremlin hoards material for its ongoing invasion of the country. But which countries would you guess are the number 2-5 exporters and importers?
Here we take a look at the biggest arms buyers and sellers in the world today.
This week, Donald Trump fired the opening shots in a new North American trade war, slapping 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, America’s top two trade partners.
Both countries responded in kind, but by the numbers at least, the US has significantly more leverage in this showdown. That’s because the economies of Canada and Mexico are vastly more dependent on exports to the US than the US is on exports in the other direction.
Here is a look at that dependency, measured by looking at how much of Mexican and Canadian GDP comes directly from exports to the US, and vice versa.
The caveat: These are national-level numbers. At the state level, the picture changes a bit, with the economies of some individual US states way more dependent on Mexican or Canadian trade than the country as a whole is.
North Dakota, for example, derives about 10% of its GDP from exports to Canada alone. Michigan’s exports to Mexico and Canada combined account for 6% of its economy. New Mexico sends 70% of its exports to “old” Mexico.
We’ll look at that in more detail in an upcoming Graphic Truth. For now, here’s the (lopsided) picture at the national level.
According to a recent Leger poll, 27% of Canadians see the US as an “enemy,” and there is nothing like a common enemy to spread unity. As Donald Trump’s threats against America’s northern neighbor ignite Canadian patriotism, the number of French-speaking Quebecois wanting sovereignty has declined. In fact, it fell six points during Trump’s first two weeks in office.
French-speaking Quebecois have always seen themselves as a distinct nation within Canada. Back in 1995, when Quebec held its last referendum on sovereignty, the vote was razor-thin — 50.6% voted to stay in Canada, and 49.4% wanted out.
Fast forward to today, and the independence movement is weaker than it was in the 1990s. Globalization, generational shifts, and an increasingly multicultural Quebec have changed the game. Younger Quebecois, even if they support more autonomy, aren’t as invested in full separation. Plus, economic fears about losing access to Canada’s federal transfers, an uncertain currency future, and the risk of companies relocating to Toronto or Vancouver have made the cost of sovereignty too high for most voters.
This has only been compounded under the new US administration, as Trump’s tariff threats, and hints at absorbing Canada into the US, have jeopardized Canada’s economy and security, resurging Canadian pride and unity.
The United States is larger, more powerful, and — these days — unfriendlier than Canada. But it’s also seen to be way more corrupt. According to Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index, Canada ranks as the 15th most transparent government in the world. The US, meanwhile, languishes at 28th.
But both countries have seen industry and expert perceptions of transparency and the rule of law deteriorate steadily in the 13 years that the study has been done. The US notched its lowest-ever score in the new report, partly based on perceptions of declining ethical standards in the judiciary during the Biden administration. Here’s a look at how Canada and the US have stacked up on the index since its inception in 2012.