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Canada’s new official poverty measure contains a shock for the London region.

The city and surrounding area has a poverty rate far higher than the national average, and higher than the provincial average and major urban areas in Canada.

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In London, the poverty rate stood at 15.2 per cent in 2017, the latest figures available. It hovered around that level the previous two years.

The national rate was 9.5 per cent, and has been dropping for three years. The Ontario rate sat at 10. 2 per cent and other major urban centres ranged from about six per cent to 12 per cent.

“We’re not painting a pretty picture, but it’s a real picture,” Mayor Ed Holder said.

So, what’s plaguing London? Why are fewer families able to afford basic necessities than in places like Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Ottawa?

Holder pointed to addiction challenges, a low employment rate – which measures people working or looking for work – and a lack of affordable housing.