Low income and inequality

Description: Living under the poverty line means being unable to buy a basket of goods and services, like food, clothing and footwear, shelter, transportation, and other items. To further explore what is happening under the poverty line, the deep income poverty (DIP) line measures the cost of the most basic living necessities in a region and excludes other goods and services that many Canadians require but the poorest are most likely unable to afford. This paper uses the Canadian Income Survey to explore the deep income poverty in Canada as a measure between 2015 and 2022 and how it differs from the official poverty measure among sociodemographic groups. Poverty is a multifaceted issue and should not be summarized to a single indicator. While documenting the DIP measure, this paper also explores parallel indicators to complement the Market Basket Measure (MBM) of poverty.

Description: This presentation highlights data and analysis conducted at Statistics Canada that underscores the affordability challenges facing Canadian households during the period of high inflation that followed the COVID-19 pandemic. It draws on recent data from Statistics Canada’s Distribution of Household Economic Accounts, the Survey of Financial Security and the Canadian Social Survey.

Description: This infographic looks at the poverty rates of different groups of older women (aged 65 years and older) in Canada. Using the 2021 Census of Population, it looks specifically at the low-income and poverty rates of different groups of older women, including older immigrant and racialized women.

Description: This paper draws a portrait of the economic situation of older persons (aged 65 years and older) in Canada, with a special focus on different groups of older women. More specifically, using the combined data from the Survey of Consumer Finances, the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics, and the Canadian Income Survey, the evolution of the low-income situations, median income, and sources of income of older women and men from 1976 to 2022 are studied in the first section of the paper. Using the 2021 Census of Population, the second section looks specifically at the low-income and poverty rates of different groups of older women, including older immigrant and racialized women.

Description: Release published in The Daily – Statistics Canada’s official release bulletin

Description: This paper proposes a method of producing preliminary Market Basket Measure (MBM) poverty estimates up to seven months before the official release by using preliminary tax slips, while ensuring the estimates maintain reasonable revision and accuracy levels. Following the release of this paper, Statistics Canada will continue to provide preliminary poverty estimates each fall following the reference year using the methodology described in this paper. The official poverty estimates will continue to be released in the spring of the second year after the reference year.

Description: This paper details the outreach and engagement activities undertaken since the launch of the third comprehensive review of Market Basket Measure (MBM) in June 2023, and provides a summary of what Statistics Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) heard during this period. It also outlines the next steps of the review process which will lead to the creation of the 2023-base methodology.

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Percentage of persons who are asset resilience for at least one, three and six months, by age group, by family type, by national low income measure (LIM) and after-tax household income measure, Canada.

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Percentage of persons in asset resilience for at least one, three and six months, by age group and family type, by national low income measure (LIM) and after-tax household income measure, Canada and provinces.

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This table provides statistics on year-over-year low-income transitions, including low income entry and exit rates, low income resistance, and low income immobility rates among Canadian taxfilers. The low income measure (LIM) is used to identify low income taxfilers. The LIM threshold is calculated as half of the median of the adjusted family after-tax income of all taxfilers and their family members. This table uses two different types of LIM: the variable LIM is based on the median total income re-calculated year, while the fixed LIM is based on the median total income in 2002 adjusted yearly by the all-items Consumer Price Index.

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Percentage of persons who are asset resilience for at least one, three and six months, by age group, by family type, by national low income measure (LIM) and after-tax household income measure, Canada.

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Percentage of persons in asset resilience for at least one, three and six months, by age group and family type, by national low income measure (LIM) and after-tax household income measure, Canada and provinces.

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This table provides statistics on year-over-year low-income transitions, including low income entry and exit rates, low income resistance, and low income immobility rates among Canadian taxfilers. The low income measure (LIM) is used to identify low income taxfilers. The LIM threshold is calculated as half of the median of the adjusted family after-tax income of all taxfilers and their family members. This table uses two different types of LIM: the variable LIM is based on the median total income re-calculated year, while the fixed LIM is based on the median total income in 2002 adjusted yearly by the all-items Consumer Price Index.

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This table provides information on the number of years in low income over an eight-year period among Canadian taxfilers. The years in low-income may or may not be adjacent to each other. The low income measure (LIM) is used to identify low income taxfilers. The LIM threshold is calculated as half of the median of the adjusted family after-tax income of all taxfilers and their family members. This table uses two different types of LIM: the variable LIM is based on the median total income re-calculated each year, while the fixed LIM is based on the median total income in 2002 adjusted yearly by the all-items Consumer Price Index.

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This table contains statistics that describe the duration of low income spells experienced by Canadian taxfilers in an eight-year period. A low income spell refers to a period in which a person stays in low income. It can last one year or several years consecutively. The length of the spell is referred to as its duration and is measured in years. The low income measure (LIM) is used to identify low income taxfilers. The LIM threshold is calculated as half of the median of the adjusted family after-tax income of all taxfilers and their family members. This table uses two different types of LIM: the variable LIM is based on the median total income re-calculated each year, while the fixed LIM is based on the median total income in 2002 adjusted yearly by the all-items Consumer Price Index.

Description: Percentage of the population aged 0 to 24 in low income, by age group and type of living arrangement. This table is included in Section A: A portrait of the school-age population: Low income of the Pan Canadian Education Indicators Program (PCEIP). PCEIP draws from a wide variety of data sources to provide information on the school-age population, elementary, secondary and postsecondary education, transitions, education finance and labour market outcomes. The program presents indicators for all of Canada, the provinces, the territories, as well as selected international comparisons and comparisons over time. PCEIP is an ongoing initiative of the Canadian Education Statistics Council, a partnership between Statistics Canada and the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada that provides a set of statistical measures on education systems in Canada.

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Individuals; After-tax low income status of tax filers and dependants based on Census Family Low Income Measure (CFLIM-AT), by family type and family type composition (final T1 Family File; T1FF).

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Families of tax filers; After-tax low income status of census families based on Census Family Low Income Measure (CFLIM-AT), by family type and family composition (final T1 Family File; T1FF).

Description: Market Basket Measure (MBM) thresholds for the reference family by MBM region and base year. Total thresholds as well as thresholds for the food, clothing, transportation, shelter and other expenses components are presented, in current and constant dollars, annual.

Description: Poverty and low-income statistics by disability status, age group, sex and economic family type, Canada, annual.

Description: Living under the poverty line means being unable to buy a basket of goods and services, like food, clothing and footwear, shelter, transportation, and other items. To further explore what is happening under the poverty line, the deep income poverty (DIP) line measures the cost of the most basic living necessities in a region and excludes other goods and services that many Canadians require but the poorest are most likely unable to afford. This paper uses the Canadian Income Survey to explore the deep income poverty in Canada as a measure between 2015 and 2022 and how it differs from the official poverty measure among sociodemographic groups. Poverty is a multifaceted issue and should not be summarized to a single indicator. While documenting the DIP measure, this paper also explores parallel indicators to complement the Market Basket Measure (MBM) of poverty.

Description: This presentation highlights data and analysis conducted at Statistics Canada that underscores the affordability challenges facing Canadian households during the period of high inflation that followed the COVID-19 pandemic. It draws on recent data from Statistics Canada’s Distribution of Household Economic Accounts, the Survey of Financial Security and the Canadian Social Survey.

Description: This infographic looks at the poverty rates of different groups of older women (aged 65 years and older) in Canada. Using the 2021 Census of Population, it looks specifically at the low-income and poverty rates of different groups of older women, including older immigrant and racialized women.

Description: This paper draws a portrait of the economic situation of older persons (aged 65 years and older) in Canada, with a special focus on different groups of older women. More specifically, using the combined data from the Survey of Consumer Finances, the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics, and the Canadian Income Survey, the evolution of the low-income situations, median income, and sources of income of older women and men from 1976 to 2022 are studied in the first section of the paper. Using the 2021 Census of Population, the second section looks specifically at the low-income and poverty rates of different groups of older women, including older immigrant and racialized women.

Description: Release published in The Daily – Statistics Canada’s official release bulletin

Description: This paper proposes a method of producing preliminary Market Basket Measure (MBM) poverty estimates up to seven months before the official release by using preliminary tax slips, while ensuring the estimates maintain reasonable revision and accuracy levels. Following the release of this paper, Statistics Canada will continue to provide preliminary poverty estimates each fall following the reference year using the methodology described in this paper. The official poverty estimates will continue to be released in the spring of the second year after the reference year.

Description: This paper details the outreach and engagement activities undertaken since the launch of the third comprehensive review of Market Basket Measure (MBM) in June 2023, and provides a summary of what Statistics Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) heard during this period. It also outlines the next steps of the review process which will lead to the creation of the 2023-base methodology.

Description: This article is the first main release by Statistics Canada based on findings from the 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD). It is divided into three sections—demographics, employment, and income—and provides a general snapshot on persons with disabilities to inform on government priorities and community interest in the areas of disability prevalence, labour market participation, and income inequality. Where possible, the report will be compared with results from the 2017 CSD to provide insight into changes over the past five years.

Description: Using data from the 2021 Census, this study investigates the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on racialized workers, focusing on the change in median employment income from 2019 to 2020, and the extent to which payments from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit offset income losses in 2020 among workers affected by the pandemic. Differences between racialized and non-racialized workers are investigated, along with differences among groups of racialized workers, as well as the intersectionality of race and gender.

Description: Canada’s Poverty Reduction Strategy introduced the Official Poverty Line for Canada and a dashboard of 12 indicators to track progress on poverty reduction for Canadians and their households. This infographic presents trend information for Canada's official poverty rate and the associated 12 indicators.

Description: The Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation (CIMD) is an area-based index which uses Census of Population microdata to measure four key dimensions of deprivation at the dissemination area (DA)-level: residential instability, economic dependency, situational vulnerability and ethno-cultural composition.

The CIMD allows for an understanding of inequalities in various measures of health and social well-being. While it is a geographically-based index of deprivation and marginalization, it can also be used as a proxy for an individual. The CIMD has the potential to be widely used by researchers on a variety of topics related to socio-economic research. Other uses for the index may include: policy planning and evaluation, or resource allocation.

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The Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation (CIMD) is an area-based index which uses Census of Population microdata to measure four key dimensions of deprivation at the dissemination area (DA)-level: residential instability, economic dependency, situational vulnerability and ethno-cultural composition. The CIMD allows for an understanding of inequalities in various measures of health and social well-being. While it is a geographically-based index of deprivation and marginalization, it can also be used as a proxy for an individual. The CIMD has the potential to be widely used by researchers on a variety of topics related to socio-economic research. Other uses for the index may include: policy planning and evaluation, or resource allocation.

Description: This video builds on concepts introduced in the other videos on income. It explains key low-income concepts - Market Basket Measure (MBM), Low income measure (LIM) and Low-income cut-offs (LICO) and the indicators associated with these concepts such as the low-income gap and the low-income ratio. These concepts are used in analysis of the economic well-being of the population.

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From September 2018 through April 2019, Statistics Canada conducted a broad consultation on the Market Basket Measure (MBM). This paper will describe the consultations that took place, give highlights of what Statistics Canada heard, and describe next steps.

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The User Guide for the Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation (CIMD) outlines uses for the index, as well as it provides a brief description of the methodology behind the development of the index. This User Guide also provides instructions on how to use the index, and lists considerations when using the CIMD data.

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This note discusses revised income estimates from the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID). These revisions to the SLID estimates make it possible to compare results from the Canadian Income Survey (CIS) to earlier years. The revisions address the issue of methodology differences between SLID and CIS.

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This report summarizes the comments received in response to a discussion paper on low income cut-offs released in January 2000.

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This paper describes the issues around updating the low income cut-offs as well as Statistics Canada's findings and proposes a course of action.

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Recently there has been extensive and recurring media coverage of Statistics Canada's low income cut-offs and their relationship to the measurement of poverty. At the heart of the debate is the use of the low income cut-offs as poverty lines even though Statistics Canada has clearly stated, since their publication began over 25 years ago, that they are not. The high profile recently given this issue has presented Statistics Canada with a welcome opportunity to restate its position on these issues, views which seem to have become lost in the debate.

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This working presents the nature and uses of the geographic structure used by the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) and explains how statistics on low income are dependent on geographical concepts. It also describes the methodology for deriving geographic data for the Wave 1 (1993 reference year) SLID files, and improvements made for the Wave 2 (1994 reference year) release.