Child and spousal support payments during the pandemic

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Release date: March 24, 2023
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Infographic: Child and spousal support payments during the pandemic
Description: Child and spousal support payments during the pandemic

Following a period of stability that began in 2010/2011, the number of child and spousal support cases enrolled in enforcement programsNote started to decline in 2018/2019. In 2021/2022, this trend continued, with the number falling 3.4% from the previous year.


Table 1
Table summary
This table displays the results of Table 1 2017/2018, 2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 (appearing as column headers).
2017/2018 2018/2019 2019/2020 2020/2021 2021/2022
Cases enrolled as at March 31 of each fiscal year 89,045 87,555 86,235 83,265 80,450

In 40% of cases, support payments were paid in full for all months of the 2021/2022 fiscal year. This is the highest rate of compliance since comparable data became available in 2012/2013.

Regular payment collection rates, or the proportion of regular support payment amounts received relative to the amounts owed, have slowly increased over the past 5 years.


Table 2
Table summary
This table displays the results of Table 2 2017/2018, 2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 (appearing as column headers).
2017/2018 2018/2019 2019/2020 2020/2021 2021/2022
Regular Payment Collection Rates 70% 71% 71% 73% 74%

The number of cases with arrears fell significantly (-7.3%) during the year of the pandemic and continued to decrease in 2021/2022.


Table 3
Table summary
This table displays the results of Table 3 2017/2018, 2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 (appearing as column headers).
2017/2018 2018/2019 2019/2020 2020/2021 2021/2022
Enrolled cases with arrears as at March 31 of each fiscal year 48,380 48,560 47,490 44,020 42,605

Source: Statistics Canada, Survey of Maintenance Enforcement Programs, 2021/2022

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Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2023

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Catalogue no. 11-627-M

Frequency: Occasional

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