The effect of government transfer programs on low-income rates: A gender-based analysis, 1995 to 2016
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Released: 2018-11-06
In 2016, income supports for seniors lifted about 40% of senior unattached women out of low income, while child benefit programs lifted about 15% of female lone-parent families out of low income.
Statistics Canada's Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics released today the study, "The effect of government transfer programs on low-income rates: a gender-based analysis, 1995 to 2016," which examines how cash-transfer programs and specific transfers affected the rate of low income among women and men.
Among senior families in 2016, Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement, as well as the Canada Pension Plan and Quebec Pension Plan, were the programs with the largest effect on reducing low-income rates. The low-income rate among senior unattached women decreased from 75.6% without these transfers to 34.3% with transfers, and from 69.9% to 32.5% among senior unattached men. These programs also reduced the low-income rate among elderly couples from 51.6% to 8.3%.
In 2016, child benefit programs reduced the low-income rate among female lone-parent families from 54.4% without transfers to 39.7% with transfers. In comparison, the low-income rate of male lone-parent families was 21.8% without transfers and 13.0% with transfers.
Note to readers
In this study, low income is measured using the Low-income Measure, which deems a person to be in low income if their household income is less than half the median household income, accounting for household size.
In August 2018, the Government of Canada launched the Poverty Reduction Strategy in which the Market Basket Measure, a different measure of low income, was announced as Canada's official measure of poverty.
Products
The study "The effect of government transfer programs on low-income rates: a gender-based analysis, 1995 to 2016," which is part of the Income Research Paper Series (75F0002M), is now available.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca) or Media Relations (613-951-4636; STATCAN.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.STATCAN@canada.ca).
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