Transport poverty can vary by racial and Indigenous identity* because access to transportation is shaped by broader patterns of social, economic, and spatial inequalities. In Canada, visible minority and Indigenous populations often experience distinct transportation barriers due to differences in income, housing location, employment opportunities, car access, transit service availability, and experiences of exclusion or discrimination. Examining transport poverty across racial and identity groups therefore helps identify whether transportation systems are meeting the needs of different communities equitably, and whether certain groups face greater barriers to reaching jobs, education, services, and social opportunities.
MJ National Survey
Ethnicity
Key findings on ethnicity and transport poverty across Canada
Transit pass ownership is highest among visible minorities
14%
Among White individuals
35%
Among visible minority individuals
26%
Among Indigenous individuals
Transit pass ownership is highest among visible minorities
Transit pass ownership was considerably higher among visible minority and Indigenous respondents than among White respondents. Ownership was 21 percentage points higher among visible minority respondents and 12 percentage points higher among Indigenous respondents.
While private vehicle ownership rates are largely similar among White, visible minorities, and Indigenous populations, visible minority and Indigenous individuals reported using taxis, rideshare services, and paratransit more frequently than White individuals. For instance, while just over 3% of White individuals reported using taxis or rideshare services to commute to work at least once a week, nearly 11% of visible minority and 22% of Indigenous respondents reported doing so. This discrepancy is noteworthy given the similar patterns of private vehicle ownership across these groups and may suggest that vehicle ownership alone does not fully meet individuals’ travel needs.
Visible minority and Indigenous respondents report greater transportation and housing affordability pressures
White individuals
Visible minority individuals
Indigenous individuals
Visible minority and Indigenous respondents report greater transportation and housing affordability pressures
A higher share of visible minority and Indigenous respondents also reported housing and transport unaffordability. The gap was particularly pronounced between White and Indigenous respondents. Among Indigenous respondents, the share reporting spending more money on housing than they can afford was 16 percentage points higher, while the share reporting spending more money on transport than they can afford was 11 percentage points higher. Visible minority and Indigenous respondents also reported lower dwelling and transportation satisfaction. Compared with White respondents, their average dwelling satisfaction was 7 and 10 points lower, respectively, while their average transportation satisfaction was 6 and 8 points lower.
White individuals are more likely to report never biking to work
81%
White individuals
71%
Visible minority individuals
55%
Indigenous individuals
White individuals are more likely to report never biking to work
Contrary to expectations that cycling participation may be higher among White respondents, our findings show that visible minority and Indigenous individuals reported higher cycling participation than their White counterparts for both work and school travel. The share of White respondents who reported never biking to work, even after owning at least one bike or having previously used bikeshare, is nearly 10 percentage points higher than that of visible minority and 26 percentage points higher than that of Indigenous individuals.
Transportation constraints may limit employment opportunities more for visible minorities and Indigenous respondents
Transportation constraints may limit employment opportunities more for visible minorities and Indigenous respondents
Visible minority and Indigenous respondents reported higher levels of employment-related impacts from transportation constraints. Nearly 37% of visible minority respondents and 43% of Indigenous respondents agreed or strongly agreed that transportation constraints led them to decline employment opportunities. These shares are approximately 15 and 24 percentage points higher, respectively, than the share among White respondents. A similar pattern is observed for education-related impacts, with visible minority and Indigenous respondents more likely than White respondents to report not pursuing educational opportunities because of transportation difficulties. These findings suggest that transportation barriers may reinforce existing inequities by limiting access to both immediate employment opportunities and longer-term educational pathways.
*Survey results are presented using three ethnicity categories: Indigenous, visible minority, and White. The valid total raw sample size is 26,767, comprising 1,214 Indigenous respondents (4.5%), 5,069 visible minority respondents (18.9%), and 20,484 White respondents (76.5%). To ensure that the results are representative of the Canadian population, analyses use weighted sample sizes: 30,248,462 in total, including 1,353,475 Indigenous respondents (4.5%), 6,457,647 visible minority respondents (21.3%), and 22,437,340 White respondents (74.2%).