Dimensions of Poverty Hub

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Poverty rates for selected demographic groups (2023-base MBM)

Poverty rates for selected demographic groups (2023-base of the MBM)

In 2023, 10.9% of Canadians lived in poverty, compared with 10.3% in 2022. More information on Canada's Official Poverty Line

More information on Canada's Official Poverty Line

Poverty rates for selected demographic groups (2023-base of the MBM)
Description - Poverty rates for selected demographic groups (2023-base MBM)1
Poverty rates for selected demographic groups (2023-base MBM)1
Demographic group 2022 2023
Canada 10.3 10.9
Seniors2 6.3 5.5
Children3 10.4 11.8
Persons with disabilities4 12.8 12.6
Racialized groups5 13.7 15.2
Recent immigrants6 14.9 16.2
Indigenous population7 17.8 18.5
Unattached individuals8 26.7 26.5

1 - Poverty rates do not include the territories.

2 - Persons 65 years and over.

3 - Persons under 18 years.

4 - Persons 15 years and over. Disability-related estimates are produced using a different weighting methodology and comparisons with estimates produced from the entire survey should be made with caution.

5 - Racialized group is derived directly from the concept of visible minority.

6 - Persons 15 years and over. Who arrived in Canada in the previous 10 years.

7 - Includes persons who reported having an Indigenous identity, that is, First Nations (North American Indian), Métis or Inuk (Inuit), or those who reported more than one identity. Excluded from the survey’s coverage are persons living on reserves and other Indigenous settlements in the provinces.

8 - Persons not in an economic family, are living either alone or with others to whom they are unrelated (e.g., roommates, lodger).

Source: Statistics Canada. Canadian Income Survey (CIS).

What is it?

This indicator measures the percentage of Canadians who live in poverty as measured by the 2023-base Market Basket Measure (MBM). According to the MBM, a family lives in poverty if they cannot afford the cost of a specific basket of goods and services in their community.

Why is it important?

Tracking the number and percentage of Canadians who fall below Canada's Official Poverty Line can be used to measure the progress on and effectiveness of initiatives designed to lift Canadians out of poverty.

Notes

TThe Market Basket Measure (MBM) is based on the cost of a specific basket of goods and services representing a modest, basic standard of living. It includes the costs of food, clothing, footwear, transportation, shelter, communication services and other expenses for a reference family. These costs are compared to the disposable income of families to determine whether or not they fall below the poverty line.

For more information regarding Canada's Official Poverty Line, refer to Opportunity for All: Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy.

Program

Canadian Income Survey – Annually

Source

Statistics Canada. Table 11-10-0135-01 Low income statistics by age, sex and economic family type.

Statistics Canada. Table 11-10-0136-01 Low income statistics by economic family type.

Statistics Canada. Table 11-10-0090-01 Poverty and low-income statistics by disability status.

Statistics Canada. Table 11-10-0093-01 Poverty and low-income statistics by selected demographic characteristics.

Note: 2024 data will be available in spring 2026.

Features

Market Basket Measure (MBM) poverty thresholds

Canadian Income Survey (CIS), poverty data

Canadian Income Survey (CIS)

Poverty estimates

Inequality indicators using the Market Basket Measure

Provisional poverty estimates

Census of Population, poverty data

Census of Population

Poverty estimates

Maps, by Census Subdivisions and Census Tracts

Comprehensive reviews of the Market Basket Measure

Third comprehensive review

Second comprehensive review

First comprehensive review

Construction of the Market Basket Measure methodologies

Construction of the Market Basket Measure

Construction of the Northern Market Basket Measure

Additional Market Basket Measure research and informational products

Additional research

Informational products

Policy and legislative material related to poverty measurement

Policy and legislative material

Market Basket Measure Poverty Index

In 2023, the Market Basket Measure Poverty Index was 72.3, up from 68.3 in 2022. More information

 

on Market Basket Measure Poverty Index

More information on Market Basket Measure Poverty Index

Market Basket Measure Poverty Index, Canada, 2015 to 2023 (2015=100)
Description - Market Basket Measure Poverty Index
  • The line chart shows the Market Basket Measure Poverty Index (MBM-PI) in Canada over time.
  • It has a vertical axis showing index values, from 0 to 120, by increments of 20.
  • It has a horizontal axis showing years, from 2015 to 2023, by increments of 1 year.
  • The line begins with an index value of 100 in 2015. There is a general downward trend until 2019, followed by a sharp decrease to 44.1 in 2020. Since 2020, the poverty index has increased every year, with the last two values being 68.3 in 2022 and 72.3 in 2023.

What is it?

The Market Basket Measure Poverty Index (MBM-PI) is a tool used to track Canada’s overall poverty rate over time. It ensures continuity in the time series data, even when there are changes to the MBM base.

The MBM-PI sets the value of the index at 100 for a base year. For subsequent years, the MBM-PI is calculated by taking the ratio of the poverty rate between the current year and the previous year and multiplying it by the previous year’s index value. When a new MBM base is introduced, an index is created using a ratio constructed with new poverty rates, and linked to the previous index.

Why is it important?

The MBM is updated regularly to reflect changes in the standards of living, ensuring its relevance. These updates result in changes to the contents of the basket, which can lead to the creation of different poverty lines since the contents of the updated basket may differ from the previous one. Consequently, the poverty rates calculated using the old basket cannot be directly compared to those calculated using the new basket, causing breaks in the series of poverty data.

Similar to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the MBM-PI allows for the reporting of changes in long-term time series. For example, an MBM-PI value of 50 would indicate that Canada's overall poverty rate is half the level reported in the benchmark year (set to 100).

For more information on the MBM-PI, please see Market Basket Measure Research Paper: Poverty Index.

Notes

The index value is set to 100 for the 2015 year, as it is the benchmark year for the poverty reduction targets established by the Poverty Reduction Act. The chain-link year was 2023.

Program

Canadian Income Survey – Annually

Source

Statistics Canada. Canadian Income Survey.

Note: 2024 data will be available in spring 2026.

Canada's Official Poverty Dashboard

Opportunity for All – Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy introduces a dashboard of 12 indicators to track progress on deep income poverty as well as the aspects of poverty other than income, including indicators of material deprivation, lack of opportunity and resilience.

Dignity

Lifting Canadians out of poverty by ensuring basic needs — such as safe and affordable housing, healthy food and health care — are met.

Deep income poverty

In 2023, 5.5% of Canadians were living in deep income poverty, up from 5.1% in 2022, using the 2023-base MBM methodology. More information on Deep income poverty

More information on deep income poverty

Deep income poverty
Description - Deep income poverty in Canada
  • This line chart shows the deep income poverty rate in Canada over time, using the 2018-base (dashed line) and 2023-base MBM (solid line) methodologies.
  • It has a vertical axis showing percentages, from 2% to 8%, by increments of 1 percentage point.
  • It has a horizontal axis showing years, from 2015 to 2023, by increments of 1 year.
  • The dotted line (2018-base) shows that the deep income poverty rate was 7.4% in 2015. It declined over the years to 3.0% in 2020 and has increased annually since then to 5.3% in 2023.
  • The solid line (2023-base) shows that the deep income poverty rate was 3.1% in 2020, the first available reference year for the 2023-base MBM methodology. It has increased annually since then to 5.5% in 2023.
  • The dotted line (2018-base) has five data points highlighted: 7.4% in 2015, 5.1% in 2019, 3.0% in 2020, 5.0% in 2022 and 5.3% in 2023.
  • The solid line (2023-base) has three data points highlighted: 3.1% in 2020, 5.1% in 2022 and 5.5% in 2023.
What is it?

This indicator measures the percentage of individuals whose family disposable income is below 75% of Canada's Official Poverty Line.

Why is it important?

Deep income poverty is one of the four inter-related indicators found in the Dignity pillar of Opportunity for All – Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy. The indicators in the Dignity pillar are meant to track the progress of initiatives used to help lift Canadians out of poverty by ensuring everyone's basic needs are met.

Program

Canadian Income Survey - Annually

Source

Statistics Canada. Custom tabulation.

Note: 2024 data will be released in spring 2026. The 75% threshold will be maintained for consistency purposes between bases, regardless of changes in MBM components’ share of total threshold.

Unmet housing needs and chronic homelessness

In 2021, 10.1% of Canadian households experienced core housing needs, down from 12.7% in 2016.

In 2024, 36,058 Canadians met one or both criteria for chronic homelessness, up from 32,660 in 2023. More information on Unmet housing needs and chronic homelessness

More information on unmet housing needs and chronic homelessness

Unmet housing needs
Description – Unmet housing needs
  • This bar chart shows the change in the unmet housing needs rate in Canada over time.
  • It has a vertical axis showing percentages, from 6 to 14 percent, by increments of 2 percentage points.
  • It has a horizontal axis showing five years, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021.
  • In 2001, the rate was 13.7%. In 2006, it was 12.7%. In 2011, it was 12.5%. In 2016, it was 12.7%. In 2021, it was 10.1%.
Chronic homelessness
Description - Chronic homelessness
  • The bar chart shows the change in the number of shelter users that met one or both criteria for chronic homelessness in Canada over time.
  • It has a vertical axis showing a number in the thousands, from 0 to 40,000, by increments of 5,000.
  • It has a horizontal axis showing eight years, 2017 to 2024.
  • In 2017, 28,900 individuals experienced chronic homelessness, 32,660 in 2023 and 36,058 in 2024.
  • The line chart shows the percentage of shelter users that met one or both criteria for chronic homelessness.
  • It has a vertical axis showing percentages, from 0 to 35 percent, by increments of 5 percentage points.
  • In 2017, 22.4% of shelter users in the sample met one or both criteria for chronic homelessness, 27.6% in 2023 and 30.2% in 2024.
What is it?

Unmet housing needs are measured by the core housing need indicator. Core housing need refers to whether a private household's housing falls below at least one of the indicator thresholds for housing adequacy, affordability or suitability, and would have to spend 30% or more of its total before tax income to pay the median rent of alternative local housing that is acceptable (attains all three housing indicator thresholds).

Housing indicator thresholds are defined as follows:

  • Adequate housing is reported by their residents as not requiring any major repairs.
  • Affordable housing has shelter costs equal to less than 30% of total before‑tax household income.
  • Suitable housing has enough bedrooms for the size and composition of resident households according to the National Occupancy Standard (NOS), conceived by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and provincial and territorial representatives.

The national chronic homelessness indicator is calculated using data from communities that have complete coverage of their permanent emergency shelter system for three consecutive years, and annual estimates of national shelter use from the National Shelter Study.

The sample used to estimate chronic homelessness varies annually as the set of communities that meet the eligibility criteria changes. Shelter users are considered chronically homeless if they meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • Acute chronicity: used a shelter for six months (180 days) or more in the past year
  • Prolonged instability: had shelter stays in each of the last three years

The indicator does not include unsheltered homelessness (e.g., people experiencing homelessness that are staying in unsheltered locations or places not intended for human habitation).

Why is it important?

The Unmet housing needs and chronic homelessness indicator is one of the four inter-related indicators found in the Dignity pillar of Opportunity for All – Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy. The indicators in the Dignity pillar are meant to track the progress of initiatives used to help lift Canadians out of poverty by ensuring everyone's basic needs are met.

Notes
Unmet health needs

In 2023, 9.1% of persons aged 15 years and over reported experiencing unmet health care needs, compared with 9.2% in 2022. More information on Unmet health needs

More information on unmet health needs

Unmet health needs in Canada
Description - Unmet health needs in Canada
  • This bar chart shows the unmet health needs rate in Canada over time.
  • It has a vertical axis showing percentages, from 0% to 10%, by increments of 1 percentage point.
  • It has a horizontal axis showing years, from 2018 to 2023, by increments of 1 year.
  • The rate was 5.1% in 2018, 6.1% in 2019, 7.2% in 2020, 7.9% in 2021, 9.2% in 2022, and 9.1% in 2023.
What is it?

This indicator measures the percentage of Canadians that reported that their health care needs were not met during the past 12 months.

Why is it important?

The Unmet health needs is one of the four inter-related indicators found in the Dignity pillar of Opportunity for All – Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy. The indicators in the Dignity pillar are meant to track the progress of initiatives used to help lift Canadians out of poverty by ensuring everyone's basic needs are met.

Notes

The source for this indicator has been updated from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) to the Canadian Income Survey (CIS). Unmet health needs content was first collected by the CIS in 2019, for reference year 2018, and is now conducted annually. The question that determines whether a person had unmet health needs is: "During the past 12 months, was there ever a time when you felt that you needed health care, other than homecare services, but you did not receive it?" Those who answer "Yes" are asked subsequent questions such as the reason(s) and the type(s) of care needed. This module is only asked of one person randomly selected among persons aged 15 years and over in each CIS household. Users should be aware that for data prior to 2022, the random selection was done among persons aged 16 years and over. For more information on CIS unmet health needs estimates and comparisons to estimates produced using the CCHS, please see: Canadian Income Survey: Food insecurity and unmet health care needs, 2018 and 2019.

Program

Canadian Income Survey – Annually

Source

Statistics Canada. Table 13-10-0836-01 Unmet health care needs by sex and age group.

Note: 2024 data will be released in spring 2026.

Food insecurity

In 2023, 19.1% of Canadians lived in households that had experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, up from 16.9% in 2022. More information on food insecurity

More information on food insecurity

Moderate or severe food insecurity rates in Canada
Description - Moderate or severe food insecurity rates in Canada
  • This bar chart shows the moderate or severe food insecurity rate in Canada over time.
  • It has a vertical axis showing percentages, from 8% to 20%, by increments of 2 percentage points.
  • It has a horizontal axis showing years, from 2018 to 2023, by increments of 1 year.
  • The rate was 11.6% in 2018, 10.8% in 2019, 11.2% in 2020, 12.9% in 2021, 16.9% in 2022, and 19.1% in 2023.
What is it?

This indicator measures the percentage of Canadians that do not have enough money to purchase or access a sufficient amount and variety of food to live a healthy lifestyle.

Why is it important?

The Food insecurity is one of the four inter-related indicators found in the Dignity pillar of Opportunity for All – Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy. The indicators in the Dignity pillar are meant to track the progress of initiatives used to help lift Canadians out of poverty by ensuring everyone's basic needs are met.

Notes

The source for this indicator has been updated from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) to the Canadian Income Survey (CIS). Food security content was first collected by the CIS in 2019, for reference year 2018, and is now conducted annually. It contains the same 18 questions used in the CCHS Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM), which are designed to measure food insecurity resulting from limited financial resources. The HFSSM is Canada's primary validated measure of food insecurity. For more information on CIS food insecurity estimates and comparisons to estimates produced using the CCHS, please see: Canadian Income Survey: Food insecurity and unmet health care needs, 2018 and 2019.

Program

Canadian Income Survey – Annually

Source

Statistics Canada. Table 13-10-0834-01 Food insecurity by economic family type.

Note: 2024 data will be available in spring 2026.

Opportunity and inclusion

Helping Canadians join the middle class by promoting full participation in society and equality of opportunity.

Relative low income

In 2023, 12.0% of Canadians had less than half the median after-tax income, compared with 11.9% in 2022. More information on Relative low income

More information on relative low income

Relative low income rate in Canada
Description - Relative low income rate in Canada
  • This line chart shows the relative low income rate in Canada over time.
  • It has a vertical axis showing percentages, from 8% to 15%, by increments of 1 percentage point.
  • It has a horizontal axis showing years, from 1976 to 2024, by increments of 2 years.
  • The line begins at 13.0% and, although fairly jagged, shows a general downward trend until 1989. It then follows a general upward trend to reach 14.3% in 2015, before dropping to a low of 9.3% in 2020 and then increasing again until 2023, to 12.0%.
  • Four recent data points are highlighted: 14.3% in 2015 (highest point on the chart), 12.1% in 2019, 9.3% in 2020 and 12.0% in 2023.
What is it?

The Relative low income indicator uses Statistics Canada's Low Income Measure (LIM) to measure the proportion of Canadians living in low income. According to the LIM, individuals live in low income if their household after-tax income falls below half of the median after-tax income, adjusting for household size. The median income is the middle of the income distribution: it is the amount at which half the population has more income and half the population has less income.

Why is it important?

The Relative low income is one of the four inter-related indicators found in the Opportunity and Inclusion pillar of Opportunity for All – Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy. The indicators in the Opportunity and Inclusion pillar are meant to track the progress of initiatives used to help Canadians join the middle class by promoting full participation in society and equality of opportunity.

Program

Canadian Income Survey - Annually

Source

Statistics Canada. Table 11-10-0135-01 Low income statistics by age, sex and economic family type.

Note: 2024 data will be available in spring 2026.

Bottom 40% income share

In 2023, 21.1% of total after-tax income went to Canadians in the bottom 40% of the income distribution, same as in 2022. More information on Bottom 40% income share

More information on bottom 40 percent income share

Bottom 40% income share in Canada
Description - Bottom 40% share in Canada
  • This line chart shows the bottom 40% share rate in Canada over time.
  • It has a vertical axis showing percentages, from 19% to 23%, by increments of 1 percentage point.
  • It has a horizontal axis showing years, from 1976 to 2024, by increments of 2 years.
  • Four recent data points are highlighted: 20.2% in 2015, 21.0% in 2019, 22.2% in 2020 and 21.1% in 2023.
What is it?

The Bottom 40% income share indicator measures the share of total after-tax income held by the 40% of the population at the bottom of the income distribution. The after-tax income is adjusted for household size in order to take into account the economies of scale present in larger households.

Why is it important?

The bottom 40% income share is one of the four inter-related indicators found in the Opportunity and Inclusion pillar of Opportunity for All – Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy. The indicators in the Opportunity and Inclusion pillar are meant to track the progress of initiatives used to help Canadians join the middle class by promoting full participation in society and equality of opportunity.

Program

Canadian Income Survey - Annually

Source

Statistics Canada. Table 11-10-0193-01 Upper income limit, income share and average of adjusted market, total and after-tax income by income decile.

Note: 2024 data will be available in spring 2026.

Youth engagement

In 2025, 10.3% of Canadian youth (aged 15 to 24) were not in employment, education or training, up from 9.8% in 2024. More information on Youth engagement

More information on youth engagement

Youth Engagement
Description - Youth engagement in Canada
  • This line chart shows the change in the youth engagement rate in Canada over time.
  • It has a vertical axis showing percentages, from 5 to 25, by increments of 5 percentage points.
  • It has a horizontal axis showing years, from 1976 to 2025, by increments of 1 year.
  • The line begins at 18.5% in 1976. There has been a general downward trend from 1976 to 2025. In 2020, there was a recent high of 11.8%.
  • Three recent data points are highlighted: 11.8% in 2020, 9.0% in 2023 and 10.3% in 2025.
What is it?

The Youth engagement indicator measures the proportion of youth aged 15 to 24 who are not in employment, education or training (NEET).

Why is it important?

The Youth engagement is one of the four inter-related indicators found in the Opportunity and Inclusion pillar of Opportunity for All – Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy. The indicators in the Opportunity and Inclusion pillar are meant to track the progress of initiatives used to help Canadians join the middle class by promoting full participation in society and equality of opportunity.

Program

Labour Force Survey – monthly with indicator being updated annually

Source

Statistics Canada. Custom tabulation.

Note: 2026 data will be available in Spring 2026.

Literacy and numeracy

In 2022, 18.1% of 15-year-old Canadians had low literacy skills, up from 13.8% in 2018. The percentage of adults (aged 16 to 65) with low literacy skills was 17.8% in 2022, compared with 16.5% in 2012.

Among 15-year-old Canadians, 21.6% had low numeracy skills in 2022, an increase from 16.3% in 2018. The percentage of adults (aged 16 to 65) with low numeracy skills was 19.0% in 2022, down from 22.5% in 2012. More information on Literacy and numeracy

More information on literacy and numeracy

Low literacy - 15 year olds in Canada
Description - Low literacy – 15 year olds in Canada
  • This line chart shows the low literacy rate for 15-year-olds in Canada over time.
  • It has a vertical axis showing percentages, from 9% to 19%, by increments of 2 percentage points.
  • It has a horizontal axis showing years, from 2000 to 2022, by increments of 3 years (4 years between 2018 and 2022).
  • The line shows that the low literacy rate for 15-year-olds was 9.7% in 2000. There were a few slight increases and decreases until 2015, when the rate was 10.7%. The low literacy rate then increased to 13.8% in 2018, and to 18.1% in 2022.
  • The three most recent data points are highlighted: 10.7% in 2015, 13.8% in 2018 and 18.1% in 2022.
Low numeracy - 15 year olds in Canada
Description - Low numeracy – 15 year olds in Canada
  • This line chart shows the low numeracy rate for 15-year-olds in Canada over time.
  • It has a vertical axis showing percentages, from 9% to 23%, by increments of 2 percentage points.
  • It has a horizontal axis showing years, from 2003 to 2022, by increments of 3 years (4 years between 2018 and 2022).
  • The line shows that the low numeracy rate was 10.1% in 2003. It followed an upward trend until 2022, when the rate reached 21.6%.
  • The three most recent data points are highlighted: 14.4% in 2015, 16.3% in 2018 and 21.6% in 2022.
What is it?

The Literacy and Numeracy indicator measures the proportion of individuals who have a level of knowledge and skills in reading, writing and mathematics to permit them to fully participate in society. Low literacy indicates limited ability in understanding, using, reflecting on and engaging with written text which enable basic participation in society. Low numeracy indicates limited ability in communicating, using and interpreting mathematics in daily life.

Why is it important?

The Literacy and Numeracy indicator is one of the four inter-related indicators found in the Opportunity and Inclusion pillar of Opportunity for All – Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy. The indicators in the Opportunity and Inclusion pillar are meant to track the progress of initiatives used to help Canadians join the middle class by promoting full participation in society and equality of opportunity.

Program

Program for International Student Assessment – Every three years

Source

OECD. Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

Note: 2025 data will be available in 2026.

For data on adults, the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies occurs every 10 years. To allow for comparisons between the 2012 and 2022 cycles, territories were excluded because they were not collected in 2022. In addition, cases done through a doorstep interview were excluded from the 2022 data. Please see Literacy, numeracy and adaptive problem-solving skills of Canadians: Results from the 2022 Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies for more information.

Resilience and security

Supporting the middle class by protecting Canadians from falling into poverty and by supporting income security and resilience.

Median hourly wage

In 2024, the median hourly wage for Canadian employees was $30.00, up from $29.49 in 2023 (in 2024 dollars). More information on Median hourly wage

More information on median hourly wage

Median hourly wage in Canada - 2024 constant dollars
Description - Median hourly wage in Canada - 2024 constant dollars
  • This line chart shows the median hourly wage rate in 2024 constant dollars in Canada, over time.
  • It has a vertical axis showing dollars, from 23 to 31, by increments of 2 dollars.
  • It has a horizontal axis showing years, from 1997 to 2024, by increments of 1 year.
  • The line shows that the median hourly wage was $24.92 in 1997 and $25.13 in 2004. From 2004 to 2009, it rose steadily to $27.78. It dropped to $26.84 in 2011, and then followed a slight upward trend until 2017, before increasing sharply to $30.11 in 2020. Following 2020, the line decreased to $28.73 in 2022, before increasing again to $30.00 in 2024.
  • Four data points are highlighted: $27.96 in 2015, $30.11 in 2020, $28.73 in 2022 and $30.00 in 2024.
What is it?

The hourly wage at which half the population has a higher wage and half the population has a lower wage.

Why is it important?

The Median hourly wage indicator is one of the four inter-related indicators found in the Resilience and Security pillar of Opportunity for All – Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy. The indicators in the Resilience and Security pillar are meant to track the progress of initiatives used to support the middle class by protecting Canadians from falling into poverty and by supporting income security and resilience.

Notes

The annual Canada-level Consumer Price Index (CPI) value was used to convert current dollars into constant dollars.

For example, to convert the 2023 current dollar value into 2024 constant dollars, the following was done: $28.79 (2023 value), divided by 157.1 (2023 CPI), multiplied by 160.9 (2024 CPI) = $29.49 (2023 value converted to 2024 dollars).

Program

Labour Force Survey – monthly with indicator being updated annually

Source

Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0417-01 Employee wages by occupation, annual.

Statistics Canada. Table 18-10-0005-01 Consumer Price Index, annual average, not seasonally adjusted.

Average poverty gap

In 2023, Canadian families and unattached individuals with incomes below the poverty line were, on average, 32.9% below this line, up from 32.1% in 2022, using the 2023-base MBM methodology. More information

on Average poverty gap

More information on average poverty gap

Average Poverty Gap
Description - Average poverty gap in Canada
  • This line chart shows the average poverty gap rate in Canada over time.
  • It has a vertical axis showing percentages, from 30% to 35%, by increments of 1 percentage point.
  • It has a horizontal axis showing years, from 2015 to 2023, by increments of 1 year.
  • The dashed line (2018-base) shows that the average poverty gap rate was 31.8% in 2015, before increasing to 34.1% in 2018, and falling to a low of 31.6% in 2021. The average poverty gap rate then increased again to reach 33.3% in 2023.
  • The solid line (2023-base) shows that the average poverty gap rate was 31.0% in 2020, the first available reference year for the 2023-base MBM methodology. In 2021, it falls to 30.4% and has since been increasing to 32.9% in 2023.
  • The dashed line (2018-base) has five data points highlighted: 31.8% in 2015, 34.1% in 2018, 31.7% in 2020, 31.6% in 2021 and 33.3% in 2023.
  • The solid line (2023-base) has three data points highlighted: 31.0% in 2020, 30.4% in 2021 and 33.0% in 2023.
What is it?

The Average poverty gap indicator measures the average shortfall below Canada's Official Poverty Line for those living in poverty.

Once it has been determined that an individual is living below the poverty line, the poverty gap ratio can be calculated by using the amount that the person's family disposable income is below the poverty line, expressed as a percentage of the poverty line. For example, an individual living in a family with disposable income of $15,000 and a poverty line of $20,000 would have a poverty gap of $5,000. In percentage terms, the "gap ratio" would be 25%. The average gap ratio for a given population is the average of these values as calculated for each person.

Why is it important?

The Average poverty gap is one of the four inter-related indicators found in the Resilience and Security pillar of Opportunity for All – Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy. The indicators in the Resilience and Security pillar are meant to track the progress of initiatives used to support the middle class by protecting Canadians from falling into poverty and by supporting income security and resilience. A smaller average poverty gap from one time period to the next generally indicates that Canadians living in poverty have seen their incomes increase and move closer to the poverty line.

Program

Canadian Income Survey - Annually

Source

Statistics Canada. Table 11-10-0136-01 Low income statistics by economic family type.

Note: 2024 data will be available in spring 2026.

Asset resilience

In 2023, 71.4% of Canadians were asset resilient, up from 67.1% in 2019, meaning they had enough savings to cover three months of the low income measure. More information on Asset resilience

More information on asset resilience

Asset resilience in Canada
Description - Asset resilience in Canada
  • This bar chart shows the change in the asset resilience rate in Canada over time.
  • It has a vertical axis showing percentages, from 60% to 72%, by increments of 2 percentage points.
  • It has a horizontal axis showing six years: 1999, 2005, 2012, 2016, 2019 and 2023.
  • The rate was 63.6% in 1999, 65.1% in 2005, 65.3% in 2012, 66.6% in 2016, 67.1% in 2019 and 71.4% in 2023.
What is it?

This indicator reports on the ability of Canadians to cover unexpected expenses, or reduced income, by drawing from assets (e.g. a bank account) for a period of three months. (Savings of approximately $6,900 for the three months, based on the after-tax low income measure estimate for 2023.)

Why is it important?

The Asset resilience indicator is one of the four inter-related indicators found in the Resilience and Security pillar of Opportunity for All – Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy. The indicators in the Resilience and Security pillar are meant to track the progress of initiatives used to support the middle class by protecting Canadians from falling into poverty and by supporting income security and resilience.

Notes

This indicator represents the proportion of people who have enough liquid financial assets to cover at least three months of the after-tax low income measure. Liquid financial assets include bank accounts, term deposits, treasury bills, tax-free savings accounts, stocks and bonds (in mutual funds or not), and registered retirement savings plans.

Liquid financial assets can provide some relief for families faced with a disruption to their primary source of income, so they can continue to meet their essential needs and financial obligations. Therefore, families with lower liquid financial assets may be more vulnerable to a disruption in income than families with higher liquid financial assets.

In March 2021, the methodology used to estimate the asset resilience indicator was updated to include data from 2019. Historical data was also updated to ensure comparability over time. For more information please see: Asset resilience of Canadians, 2019.

Program

Survey of Financial Security – Every three years

Source

Statistics Canada. Table 11-10-0082-01 Percentage of persons who are asset resilient, Canada.

Note: 2025 data will be available in December 2026.

Low income entry and exit rates

Between 2022 and 2023, 4.1% of tax filers (0.98 million), who were not in low income in 2022, entered low income in 2023.

Between 2022 and 2023, 34.9% of tax filers (1.55 million), who were in low income in 2022, left low income in 2023. More information on Low income entry and exit rates

More information on low income entry and exit rates

Low Income Entry
Description - Low income entry rate of tax filers in Canada
  • This line chart shows the proportion of tax filers who entered low income over time.
  • It has a vertical axis, showing percentages, from 3.0% to 5.5%, by increments of 0.5 percentage points.
  • It has a horizontal axis showing time periods, from 1992-1993 to 2022-2023, in one-year increments.
  • The line shows that, in 1992-1993, the low income entry rate was 4.5%. It increased to 5.2% in 1995-1996, and then followed a general downward trend until 2019-2020, despite many peaks and troughs. The lowest value was in 2019-2020, at 3.4%, followed by a large increase in 2020-2021 (5.5%). There was a decrease in 2022-2023 to 4.1%.
Low Income Exit
Description - Low income exit rate of tax filers in Canada
  • This line chart shows the proportion of tax filers who exited low income over time.
  • It has a vertical axis, showing percentages, from 25% to 40%, by increments of 5 percentage points.
  • It has a horizontal axis showing time periods, from 1992-1993 to 2022-2023, in one-year increments.
  • The line shows that the low income exit rate was 37.1% in 1992-1993. The line fluctuated slightly but trended downwards, until there was a large drop in 2001-2002, when it went from 34.6% to 26.2%. While there are minor peaks and troughs, it remained fairly stable from 2002-2003 until 2018-2019. The 2018-2019 value was 29.5%. It increased sharply to 39.7% in 2019-2020, and then dropped to 29.1% in 2020-2021. It increased to 34.9% in 2022-2023.
What is it?

The low income entry and exit rates describe how Canadian tax filers' low income status changed from one year to another. These rates are estimated for Canadians who filed tax returns for two consecutive years, while those that did not file tax returns for two consecutive years are excluded from the calculations.

The low income entry rate is, out of those who were not in low income in the first year, the proportion who entered low income in the second year.

The low income exit rate is, out of those who were in low income in the first year, the proportion who exited low income in the second year.

Why is it important?

Low income entry and exit rates are one of the four inter-related indicators used to track progress of the resilience of Canadian households. These indicators are meant to track the proportion of non-low income Canadians in one year who fall into low income the following year as well as the proportion of low-income Canadians in one year who exit low income the next year.

Notes

Low income entry and exit rates are based on the Low Income Measure. The indicator is not currently available using Canada's Official Poverty Line, and it is not available in the territories. Data on low income entry and exit rates for 2023-2024 will be published in fall 2026.

Program

Longitudinal Administrative Databank – Annually

Source

Statistics Canada. Table 11-10-0024-01 Low income entry and exit rates of tax filers in Canada.

Note: Data on low income entry and exit rates for 2022-2023 will be published in fall 2025.

Opportunity for All

In August 2018, the Canadian government released Opportunity for All – Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy. Opportunity for All is a whole-of-government strategy that involves actions and investments that span across the federal government.

Sustainable Development Goals and Poverty

Goal 1 - No poverty of the Sustainable Development Goals is to end poverty in all its forms everywhere.

Canadian Income Survey

Canada’s official poverty estimates are produced using income data linked to the Canadian Income Survey (CIS). The CIS is a cross-sectional survey developed to provide a portrait of the income and income sources of Canadians, with their individual and household characteristics. For more information on the CIS, please contact statcan.cisquestions-questionsecr.statcan@statcan.gc.ca.

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