Savers, investors and investment income

The number of taxfilers reporting investment income and the amount of investment income they reported both rebounded last year.

More than 7.5 million people reported just under $31.3 billion of income from investments in 2004, according to income tax returns filed in the spring of 2005. The number reporting investment income rose 2.0%, while the income itself was up 1.8%. (In comparisons involving dollar amounts, all figures for previous years have been adjusted for inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index.)

The increases followed three consecutive years of declines in the number of persons reporting such income, and two years of declines in the amounts.

The number of people reporting investment income rose 3.3% in both British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador, followed closely by Quebec (+3.2%).

The proportion of taxfilers reporting investment income remained relatively stable at 33% last year, after continual declines since 2000.

The median investment income reported in 2004 was $460. In other words, one-half of those reporting investment income reported more than $460 and half reported less.

Among census metropolitan areas, the highest median investment income was reported in Victoria at $780, followed by Vancouver at $580 and St. Catharines-Niagara at $510.

Investment income recipients are either investors (those who reported dividend income from taxable Canadian corporations), or savers (those who reported interest income). Investors may have also reported interest income.

Last year, 3.1 million investors reported $24.3 billion of dividend and interest income. The number of investors rose 6.3%, while the income they reported went up 4.6%.

The number of investors rose in all provinces and territories except Nunavut where it remained stable. The amount of dividend and interest income rose in most provinces and territories although there were small declines in New Brunswick, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

On the other hand, the number of savers declined 0.9% to 4.4 million in 2004. This was a much smaller percentage decline than in the previous two years.

The amount of interest income reported in 2004 fell 7.1% to $6.9 billion, about the same decline as in 2003. However, these drops were not nearly as steep as in 2002 when interest income reported fell by 25.5% compared with the previous year.

Note: Investment income refers to the interest and dividend income reported by savers and/or investors from investments in non-tax-sheltered vehicles. Income earned from investment held under the terms of registered retirement savings plans or registered income funds, for example, are excluded. Capital gains are also excluded.

Available on CANSIM: tables 111-0036 to 111-0038 and 111-0042.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 4106.

The databanks Canadian Savers (17C0009, various prices), Canadian Investors (17C0007, various prices), Canadian Investment Income (17C0008, various prices) and Canadian Capital Gains (17C0012, various prices) are now available for Canada, the provinces and territories, cities, towns, census metropolitan areas, census divisions, federal electoral districts, forward sortation areas (the first three letters of the postal code) and letter carrier routes.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Client Services (1-866-652-8443; 613-951-9720; fax: 1-866-652-8444 or 613-951-4745; saadinfo@statcan.gc.ca), Small Area and Administrative Data Division.