Income Inequality and Low Income in Canada: an International Perspective - ARCHIVED

This paper provides an overview of income inequality and low-income trends in Canada from an international perspective. It addresses a series of questions, including:
- Is family income inequality rising in Canada after decades of stability?
- Is Canada a low- or high-income inequality country?
- Does Canada have a low or high low-income rate as compared to other western nations?
- Does the tax/transfer system reduce low-income rates in Canada more than in the U.S. or in European countries?
- Has the low-income rate and the depth of low income risen in Canada during the past two decades?
- Does rising low income among immigrants significantly affect the aggregate low-income rate?
- Do most spells of low income become long-term, and among which groups is persistent low income concentrated?

The paper uses the results from a number of papers to address these questions.