Savers, investors and investment income (correction)

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The number of taxfilers reporting investment income and the amount of investment income reported both declined in 2010.

Nationally, more than 7.5 million people reported income from investments totalling $50.0 billion, according to income tax returns for 2010. (Investment income refers to the sum of dividend income from taxable Canadian corporations and interest income from investments in non-tax-sheltered vehicles.)

The number of people reporting investment income fell 8.5% from 2009, while total investment income decreased 3.4%. (In comparisons involving dollar amounts, all figures for previous years have been adjusted for inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index.)

The proportion of taxfilers reporting investment income at the national level decreased from 33.7% in 2009 to 30.6% in 2010. Declines occurred in every province and territory. The largest decrease occurred in Quebec, where the proportion fell from 31.0% to 26.8%.

The median investment income at the Canada level fell from $600 in 2009 to $550 in 2010. In other words, one-half of those reporting investment income in 2010 reported more than $550, and the other half reported less.

Among the provinces, taxfilers in British Columbia ($660) reported the highest median investment income followed by Alberta ($640) and Saskatchewan ($610). Taxfilers in the Northwest Territories ($270) reported the lowest median investment income.

Among census metropolitan areas, taxfilers in Victoria ($900) reported the highest median investment income, followed by taxfilers in Kelowna ($830) and Calgary ($720). St. John's ($330) reported the lowest median investment income.

For this release, investment income recipients are classified as either investors (those who reported dividend income from taxable Canadian corporations) or as savers (those who reported only interest income). Investors may have also reported interest income.

In 2010, 3.7 million investors in Canada reported $44.0 billion of dividend and interest income. The number of investors declined 0.3%, while the total dividend and interest income reported increased 0.4%.

The number of savers declined 15.3% to just below 3.8 million in 2010. Total interest income reported decreased 24.2% to $6.0 billion.

Note: Income earned from investments 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 Investors (17C0007, various prices), Canadian Investment Income (17C0008, various prices), Canadian Savers (17C0009, 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 and other small areas.

For more information, contact Statistics Canada's National Contact Centre (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 613-951-8116; infostats@statcan.gc.ca), Communications Division.

To enquire about concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-888-297-7355; 613-951-7355; income@statcan.gc.ca), Income Statistics Division.