Market Basket Measure (MBM) thresholds for the reference family by MBM region and base year. Total thresholds as well as thresholds for the food, clothing, transportation, shelter and other expenses components are presented, in current and constant dollars, annual.

In 2022, 9.9 percent of all Canadians were living in low income. Between 2000 and 2022, the percentage of population with low income experienced a decrease, reaching the lowest value in 2020. The highest share of Canadians with low income was recorded in 2015, with 14.5 percent of the total population.

Low Income Measures

The low income measures (LIMs) were developed by Statistics Canada in the 1990s. They, along with the low income cut-offs (LICOs) and the market basket measure (MBM), were created in order to measure and track the low income population of Canada. With low income measures, individuals are classified as being in low income if their income falls below fifty percent of the median adjusted household income. The median income is adjusted in order to reflect the differing financial needs of households based on the number of its members. The low income measures are a useful tool to compare low income populations between countries as they do not rely on an arbitrary standard of what constitutes the threshold for poverty. Statistics Canada insists that the low income measures are not meant to be representative of a poverty rate. The department has no measure which they define as a measurement of poverty in Canada. Latest data and trends In 2022, around 2.1 million people were living in low income families in Canada. This figure has been fluctuating over the years, both in absolute numbers and in proportion over the total population. More women than men were living in low income families in 2022, though the number of men in low income has risen at twice the rate as that of women. One of the more drastic changes has been the rise in the number of single individuals living in low income, increasing by more than 60 percent since 2000.

Number of persons in low income, low income rate and average gap ratio by age, sex and economic family type, annual.

Historical dataset showing Canada poverty rate by year from 1971 to 2020.

Poverty and low-income statistics by visible minority group, Indigenous group and immigration status, Canada and provinces.

Canada CA: Proportion of Population Pushed Below the 50% Median Consumption Poverty Line By Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: % data was reported at 0.912 % in 2010. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.774 % for 2007. Canada CA: Proportion of Population Pushed Below the 50% Median Consumption Poverty Line By Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: % data is updated yearly, averaging 0.680 % from Dec 1994 (Median) to 2010, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.912 % in 2010 and a record low of 0.445 % in 2000. Canada CA: Proportion of Population Pushed Below the 50% Median Consumption Poverty Line By Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Canada – Table CA.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. Proportion of population pushed below the 50% median consumption poverty line by out-of-pocket health care expenditure, expressed as a percentage of a total population of a country; ; Wagstaff et al. Progress on Impoverishing Health Spending: Results for 122 Countries. A Retrospective Observational Study, Lancet Global Health 2017; Weighted Average;

CA: Number of People Pushed Below the $3.10: Poverty Line by Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: 2011 PPP data was reported at 10,000.000 Person in 2010. This records a decrease from the previous number of 12,000.000 Person for 2007. CA: Number of People Pushed Below the $3.10: Poverty Line by Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: 2011 PPP data is updated yearly, averaging 12,000.000 Person from Dec 1994 (Median) to 2010, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16,000.000 Person in 1994 and a record low of 10,000.000 Person in 2010. CA: Number of People Pushed Below the $3.10: Poverty Line by Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: 2011 PPP data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Canada – Table CA.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. Number of people pushed below the $3.10 ($ 2011 PPP) poverty line by out-of-pocket health care expenditure; ; Wagstaff et al. Progress on Impoverishing Health Spending: Results for 122 Countries. A Retrospective Observational Study, Lancet Global Health 2017.; Sum;

Out of all OECD countries, Cost Rica had the highest poverty rate as of 2022, at over 20 percent. The country with the second highest poverty rate was the United States, with 18 percent. On the other end of the scale, Czechia had the lowest poverty rate at 6.4 percent, followed by Denmark.

The significance of the OECD

The OECD, or the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, was founded in 1948 and is made up of 38 member countries. It seeks to improve the economic and social well-being of countries and their populations. The OECD looks at issues that impact people’s everyday lives and proposes policies that can help to improve the quality of life.

Poverty in the United States

In 2022, there were nearly 38 million people living below the poverty line in the U.S.. About one fourth of the Native American population lived in poverty in 2022, the most out of any ethnicity. In addition, the rate was higher among young women than young men. It is clear that poverty in the United States is a complex, multi-faceted issue that affects millions of people and is even more complex to solve.

Contains data from the World Bank's data portal. There is also a consolidated country dataset on HDX.

For countries with an active poverty monitoring program, the World Bank—in collaboration with national institutions, other development agencies, and civil society—regularly conducts analytical work to assess the extent and causes of poverty and inequality, examine the impact of growth and public policy, and review household survey data and measurement methods. Data here includes poverty and inequality measures generated from analytical reports, from national poverty monitoring programs, and from the World Bank’s Development Research Group which has been producing internationally comparable and global poverty estimates and lines since 1990.

Canada CA: Number of People Pushed Below the 50% Median Consumption Poverty Line by Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure data was reported at 310,000.000 Person in 2010. This records an increase from the previous number of 254,000.000 Person for 2007. Canada CA: Number of People Pushed Below the 50% Median Consumption Poverty Line by Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure data is updated yearly, averaging 205,000.000 Person from Dec 1994 (Median) to 2010, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 310,000.000 Person in 2010 and a record low of 137,000.000 Person in 2000. Canada CA: Number of People Pushed Below the 50% Median Consumption Poverty Line by Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Canada – Table CA.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. Number of people pushed below the 50% median consumption poverty line by out-of-pocket health care expenditure; ; Wagstaff et al. Progress on Impoverishing Health Spending: Results for 122 Countries. A Retrospective Observational Study, Lancet Global Health 2017; Sum;

Low income cut-offs (LICOs) before and after tax by community size and family size, in current dollars, annual.

Canada CA: Increase in Poverty Gap at $3.20: Poverty Line Due To Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: 2011 PPP: USD data was reported at 0.159 USD in 2010. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.139 USD for 2007. Canada CA: Increase in Poverty Gap at $3.20: Poverty Line Due To Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: 2011 PPP: USD data is updated yearly, averaging 0.159 USD from Dec 1994 (Median) to 2010, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.195 USD in 2000 and a record low of 0.139 USD in 2007. Canada CA: Increase in Poverty Gap at $3.20: Poverty Line Due To Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: 2011 PPP: USD data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Canada – Table CA.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Increase in poverty gap at $3.20 ($ 2011 PPP) poverty line due to out-of-pocket health care expenditure, expressed in US dollars (2011 PPP). The poverty gap increase due to out-of-pocket health spending is one way to measure how much out-of-pocket health spending pushes people below or further below the poverty line (the difference in the poverty gap due to out-of-pocket health spending being included or excluded from the measure of household welfare). This difference corresponds to the total out-of-pocket health spending for households that are already below the poverty line, to the amount that exceeds the shortfall between the poverty line and total consumption for households that are impoverished by out-of-pocket health spending and to zero for households whose consumption is above the poverty line after accounting for out-of-pocket health spending.; ; World Health Organization and World Bank. 2019. Global Monitoring Report on Financial Protection in Health 2019.; Weighted average;

Canada CA: Poverty Gap at $1.90 a Day: 2011 PPP: % data was reported at 0.100 % in 2017. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.100 % for 2016. Canada CA: Poverty Gap at $1.90 a Day: 2011 PPP: % data is updated yearly, averaging 0.100 % from Dec 1971 (Median) to 2017, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.600 % in 1971 and a record low of 0.100 % in 2017. Canada CA: Poverty Gap at $1.90 a Day: 2011 PPP: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Canada – Table CA.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. Poverty gap at $1.90 a day (2011 PPP) is the mean shortfall in income or consumption from the poverty line $1.90 a day (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall), expressed as a percentage of the poverty line. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.; ; World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from around 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

Poverty and low-income statistics by disability status, age group, sex and economic family type, Canada, annual.

Proportion of the population living: in a dwelling owned by some members of the household; in core housing need and; in suitable dwelling, proportion of the population living alone, poverty rate (MBM), prevalence of low income (LIM-AT) and (LIM-BT), knowledge of official languages, by visible minority and selected characteristics (gender, age group, first official language spoken, immigrant status, period of immigration, generation status and highest certificate, degree or diploma).

Canada CA: Poverty Gap at $3.20 a Day: 2011 PPP: % data was reported at 0.200 % in 2017. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.200 % for 2016. Canada CA: Poverty Gap at $3.20 a Day: 2011 PPP: % data is updated yearly, averaging 0.200 % from Dec 1971 (Median) to 2017, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.000 % in 1971 and a record low of 0.100 % in 1987. Canada CA: Poverty Gap at $3.20 a Day: 2011 PPP: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Canada – Table CA.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. Poverty gap at $3.20 a day (2011 PPP) is the mean shortfall in income or consumption from the poverty line $3.20 a day (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall), expressed as a percentage of the poverty line. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence.; ; World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from around 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

Low income measure (LIM) thresholds by household size for market income, total income and after-tax income, in current and constant dollars, annual.

Canada Proportion of Population Pushed Below the 60% Median Consumption Poverty Line By Out-of-Pocket Health Expenditure: % data was reported at 0.900 % in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.200 % for 2017. Canada Proportion of Population Pushed Below the 60% Median Consumption Poverty Line By Out-of-Pocket Health Expenditure: % data is updated yearly, averaging 1.500 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2019, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.800 % in 2004 and a record low of 0.900 % in 2019. Canada Proportion of Population Pushed Below the 60% Median Consumption Poverty Line By Out-of-Pocket Health Expenditure: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Canada – Table CA.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. This indicator shows the fraction of a country’s population experiencing out-of-pocket health impoverishing expenditures, defined as expenditures without which the household they live in would have been above the 60% median consumption but because of the expenditures is below the poverty line. Out-of-pocket health expenditure is defined as any spending incurred by a household when any member uses a health good or service to receive any type of care (preventive, curative, rehabilitative, long-term or palliative care); provided by any type of provider; for any type of disease, illness or health condition; in any type of setting (outpatient, inpatient, at home).;Global Health Observatory. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2023. (https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/financial-protection);Weighted average;This indicator is related to Sustainable Development Goal 3.8.2 [https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/].

Individual poverty status using Market Basket Measure (MBM) by visible minority groups, age, and gender.

The Alberta Survey program is a telephone conducted survey of Albertans, to collect data on specific determinants of health to support the creation of material and social deprivation indices, and assess their effects on health. This dataset contains individual level survey response details for the category Child Poverty Index (CPI) - Number of Items Lacking, along with a supporting document containing a column description for this dataset. Aggregate level datasets for select determinants based upon the ACHS are also available.