Dimensions of Poverty Hub

Description - Deep income poverty in Canada

• This line chart shows the deep income poverty rate in Canada over time.
• It has a vertical axis showing percentages, from 0% to 8%, by increments of 1 percentage point.
• It has a horizontal axis showing years, from 2015 to 2022, by increments of 1 year.
• The line shows that the deep income poverty rate was 7.4% in 2015. It declined over the years to 3.0% in 2020, and then increased in 2021 and 2022 (5.0% in 2022).
• Four data points are highlighted: 7.4% in 2015, 5.1% in 2019, 3.0% in 2020 and 5.0% in 2022.

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?

The 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.

Notes:

Program: Canadian Income Survey - Annually

Source: Statistics Canada, Custom tabulation

Note: 2023 data will be released in early 2025.

Unmet housing needs and chronic homelessness

• 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%.

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.

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:

Program: Census of Population – Every five years

Sources: Statistics Canada. 2016 Census Table: Core housing need and 2021 Census Infographic: Core housing need in Canada

Note: 2026 Census data will be released in 2027.

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 five time periods: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
• The rate was 5.1% in 2018, 6.1% in 2019, 7.2% in 2020, 7.9% in 2021 and 9.2% in 2022.

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: 2023 data will be available in early 2025.

Description - Food insecurity

• 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 18%, by increments of 1 percentage points.
• It has a horizontal axis showing years, from 2018 to 2022, by increments of 1 year.
• The rate was 11.6% in 2018, 10.8% in 2019, 11.2% in 2020, 12.9% in 2021 and 16.9% in 2022.

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: 2023 data will be available in early 2025.

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 2022, by increments of 2 years.
• The line begins at 13.0% and is fairly jagged. The lowest point on the graph is 9.3% in 2020.
• Four recent data points are highlighted: 14.3% in 2015 (highest point on the chart), 12.1% in 2019, 9.3% in 2020 and 11.9% in 2022.

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.

Notes:

Program: Canadian Income Survey - Annually

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

Note: 2023 data will be available in early 2025.

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 18% to 23%, by increments of 1 percentage point.
• It has a horizontal axis showing years, from 1976 to 2022, 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 2022.

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.

Notes:

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: 2023 data will be available in early 2025.

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 2024, by increments of 2 years.
• The line begins at 18.5% in 1976. While there was a notable spike to 21.7% in 1983 and a drop to 13.1% in 1989, the line describes an uneven but definite downward trend from 19.2% in 1978 to 9.3% in 2019. There was a jump to 11.8% in 2020, followed by decreases to 9.0% in 2023.
• Three recent data points are highlighted: 10.5% in 2015, 11.8% in 2020 and 9.0% in 2023.

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.

Notes:

Program: Labour Force Survey – monthly with indicator being updated annually

Source: Statistics Canada, Custom Tabulation

Note: 2024 data will be available in April 2024.

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.

Notes:

Program: Program for International Student Assessment – Every three years

Source: PISA

Notes: 2025 data will be available in 2026.
The Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies occurs every 10 years, and 2022 data are expected to be released at the end of 2024.

Description - Median hourly wage in Canada - 2023 constant dollars

• This line chart shows the median hourly wage rate in 2023 constant dollars in Canada, over time.
• It has a vertical axis showing dollars, from 22 to 30, by increments of 2 dollars.
• It has a horizontal axis showing years, from 1997 to 2023, by increments of 1 year.
• The line shows that the median hourly wage was $24.33 in 1997 and $24.53 in 2004. From 2004 to 2009, it rose steadily to $27.12. It dropped to $26.21 in 2011, and then followed a slight upward trend until 2017, before increasing sharply to $29.40 in 2020. Following 2020, the line decreased to $28.05 in 2022, before increasing again in 2023 to $28.75.
• Four data points are highlighted: $27.30 in 2015, $29.40 in 2020, $28.05 in 2022 and $28.75 in 2023.

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 2022 current dollar value into 2023 constant dollars, the following was done: $27.00 (2022 value), divided by 151.2 (2022 CPI), multiplied by 157.1 (2023 CPI) = $28.05 (2022 value converted to 2023 dollars).

Program: Labour Force Survey – monthly with indicator being updated annually

Source: Labour Force Survey, Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0417-01 Employee wages by occupation, annual.

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

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 2022, by increments of 1 year.
• The line shows that the average poverty gap rate was 31.8% in 2015, before increasing to 34.1% in 2018, and reaching a low of 31.6% in 2021.
• Four data points are highlighted: 31.8% in 2015, 34.1% in 2018, 31.6% in 2021 and 32.4% in 2022.

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.

Notes:

Program: Canadian Income Survey - Annually

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

Note: 2023 data will be available in early 2025.

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 70%, by increments of 2 percentage points.
• It has a horizontal axis showing five years: 1999, 2005, 2012, 2016 and 2019.
• The rate was 63.6% in 1999, 65.1% in 2005, 65.3% in 2012, 66.6% in 2016 and 67.1% in 2019.

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 $6,000 for the three months, based on the after-tax low income measure estimate for 2019.)

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. Survey of Financial Security.

Note: 2023 data will be available in 2024.

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

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: 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 2021-2022 will be published in November 2024.