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.

The statistic shows the gross domestic product (GDP) in Canada from 1987 to 2023, with projections up until 2029. In 2023, the gross domestic product in Canada was around 2.14 trillion U.S. dollars.

The economy of Canada

Canada is the second biggest country in the world after Russia and the biggest country in North America. Despite its large size, Canada has a relatively small population of just around 35.9 million people. However, the total population in Canada is estimated to grow to around 37.5 million inhabitants in 2020. The standard of living in the country is pretty high, the life expectancy as of 2013 in Canada ranks as one of the highest in the world. In addition, the country ranks number eight on the Human Development Index (HDI) worldwide.

All key factors point to a stable and sustainable economy. Not only is Canada’s population increasing, but the economy has been slowly recovering after the global financial crisis in 2008. The unemployment rate in Canada in 2010 was at approximately 8 percent (263696). Today, the unemployment rate in Canada is estimated to be around 6.8 percent, and it is estimated to decrease further. During the financial crisis in 2008, Canada's inflation rate amounted to around 2.4 percent. By 2013, the inflation rate was at less than 1 percent in comparison to the previous year.

Canada is considered to be one of the world’s wealthiest countries. By value of private financial wealth, Canada ranked seventh along with Italy. In addition, its gross domestic product per capita in 2014 was among the largest in the world and during the same year, its gross domestic product increased by over 2.5 percent in comparison to the previous year. Canada’s economic growth has been a result of its political stability and economic reforms following the global financial crisis. In the period between 2009 and 2010, Canada was among the leading countries with the highest political stability in the world.

Since 2003, the World Bank publishes the Ease of Doing Business (EDB) Index aimed at measuring the regulatory efficiency and institutional quality of key processes that affect the business environment in a given economy. While highly influential, particularly in the developing world, the EDB has also been faced with criticism and at times controversies. In 2020, the World Bank decided to interrupt temporarily the publication of the EDB report as a result of an audit that revealed politically motivated manipulation of EDB rankings. Over time, Canada’s relative rankings fell from 4th in 2007 to 23rd in 2020 with no significant changes in its business environments or policies. Canada’s rank fall can only be partially explained as other economies such as Georgia and Mauritius surpassed Canada with higher overall rankings. To understand the underlying causes of Canada’s rank declining, the Office of the Chief Economist (OCE) commissioned a study to look at Canada’s performance in all 10 areas of the EDB Index. The study also looked at other competitiveness and economic freedom indices (e.g. IMD World Competitiveness Index, World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness report and the Fraser Institute Index of Economic Freedom) and found no such decline in Canada`s performance.

The statistic shows the total population in Canada from 2019 to 2023, with projections up until 2029. In 2023, the total population in Canada amounted to about 39.97 million inhabitants. Population of Canada Canada ranks second among the largest countries in the world in terms of area size, right behind Russia, despite having a relatively low total population. The reason for this is that most of Canada remains uninhabited due to inhospitable conditions. Approximately 90 percent of all Canadians live within about 160 km of the U.S. border because of better living conditions and larger cities. On a year to year basis, Canada’s total population has continued to increase, although not dramatically. Population growth as of 2012 has amounted to its highest values in the past decade, reaching a peak in 2009, but was unstable and constantly fluctuating. Simultaneously, Canada’s fertility rate dropped slightly between 2009 and 2011, after experiencing a decade high birth rate in 2008. Standard of living in Canada has remained stable and has kept the country as one of the top 20 countries with the highest Human Development Index rating. The Human Development Index (HDI) measures quality of life based on several indicators, such as life expectancy at birth, literacy rate, education levels and gross national income per capita. Canada has a relatively high life expectancy compared to many other international countries, earning a spot in the top 20 countries and beating out countries such as the United States and the UK. From an economic standpoint, Canada has been slowly recovering from the 2008 financial crisis. Unemployment has gradually decreased, after reaching a decade high in 2009. Additionally, GDP has dramatically increased since 2009 and is expected to continue to increase for the next several years.

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

The world economy needs ever-increasing amounts of energy to sustain economic growth, raise living standards, and reduce poverty. But today's trends in energy use are not sustainable. As the world's population grows and economies become more industrialized, nonrenewable energy sources will become scarcer and more costly. Data here on energy production, use, dependency, and efficiency are compiled by the World Bank from the International Energy Agency and the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center.

In 2025, Luxembourg was the country with the highest gross domestic product per capita in the world. Of the 20 listed countries, 13 are in Europe and four are in Asia, alongside the U.S., Canada, and Australia. There are no African or Latin American countries among the top 20. Correlation with high living standards While GDP is a useful indicator for measuring the size or strength of an economy, GDP per capita is much more reflective of living standards. For example, when compared to life expectancy or indices such as the Human Development Index or the World Happiness Report, there is a strong overlap - 14 of the 20 countries on this list are also ranked among the 20 happiest countries in 2024, and all 20 have "very high" HDIs. Misleading metrics? GDP per capita figures, however, can be misleading, and to paint a fuller picture of a country's living standards then one must look at multiple metrics. GDP per capita figures can be skewed by inequalities in wealth distribution, and in countries such as those in the Middle East, a relatively large share of the population lives in poverty while a smaller number live affluent lifestyles.

The aim of the Human Development Report is to stimulate global, regional and national policy-relevant discussions on issues pertinent to human development. Accordingly, the data in the Report require the highest standards of data quality, consistency, international comparability and transparency. The Human Development Report Office (HDRO) fully subscribes to the Principles governing international statistical activities.

The HDI was created to emphasize that people and their capabilities should be the ultimate criteria for assessing the development of a country, not economic growth alone. The HDI can also be used to question national policy choices, asking how two countries with the same level of GNI per capita can end up with different human development outcomes. These contrasts can stimulate debate about government policy priorities. The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable and have a decent standard of living. The HDI is the geometric mean of normalized indices for each of the three dimensions.

The 2019 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) data shed light on the number of people experiencing poverty at regional, national and subnational levels, and reveal inequalities across countries and among the poor themselves.Jointly developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) at the University of Oxford, the 2019 global MPI offers data for 101 countries, covering 76 percent of the global population. The MPI provides a comprehensive and in-depth picture of global poverty – in all its dimensions – and monitors progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1 – to end poverty in all its forms. It also provides policymakers with the data to respond to the call of Target 1.2, which is to ‘reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women, and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definition'.

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

Technological innovation, often fueled by governments, drives industrial growth and helps raise living standards. Data here aims to shed light on countries technology base: research and development, scientific and technical journal articles, high-technology exports, royalty and license fees, and patents and trademarks. Sources include the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the U.S. National Science Board, the UN Statistics Division, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Data on persons living with housing problems, by selected housing-vulnerable populations and core housing need including adequacy, affordability and suitability standards, Canada. Vulnerable population describes persons belonging, or perceived to belong, to groups that are in a disadvantaged position or marginalised.

The two primary objectives of the General Social Survey (GSS) are: to gather data on social trends in order to monitor changes in the living conditions and well being of Canadians over time; and to provide information on specific social policy issues of current or emerging interest. This survey collects information on the nature and extent of criminal victimization in Canada. The main objective of the GSS on Canadians' Safety (Victimization) is to better understand how Canadians perceive crime and the justice system. It also allows collection of information on their experiences of victimization. The 2014 GSS was a survey of individuals and contains two analytical files (main analytical file and incident analytical file). The microdata files from the main survey in the provinces contain questionnaire responses and associated information from 33,127 respondents. Analytical files for the survey in the territories contain responses and information from 2,040 respondents. Cycle 28 is the sixth cycle of the GSS to collect data on victimization. Previous cycles were conducted in 1988, 1993, 1999, 2004, and 2009.

This table contains 2394 series, with data for years 1991 - 1991 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years). This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (1 items: Canada ...), Population group (19 items: Entire cohort; Income adequacy quintile 1 (lowest);Income adequacy quintile 2;Income adequacy quintile 3 ...), Age (14 items: At 25 years; At 30 years; At 40 years; At 35 years ...), Sex (3 items: Both sexes; Females; Males ...), Characteristics (3 items: Life expectancy; High 95% confidence interval; life expectancy; Low 95% confidence interval; life expectancy ...).

Data on households living with housing problems, by selected housing-vulnerable populations and core housing need including adequacy, affordability and suitability standards, Canada. Vulnerable population describes households belonging, or perceived to belong, to groups that are in a disadvantaged position or marginalised.

This Gallup poll seeks the opinions of Canadians, on predominantly economic, political, and social issues. The questions ask opinions of the past election, the state of the economy, family finances, and the Christmas holiday. There are also questions on other topics of interest such as interest rates, donating and volunteering, and the standard of living as compared to 20 years ago. The respondents were also asked questions so that they could be grouped according to geographic, political and social variables. Topics of interest include: election; economy; family finances; Christmas; interest rates; donating; volunteering; standard of living; and political party preference. Basic demographic variables are also included

It is presumed that the first humans migrated from Siberia to North America approximately twelve thousand years ago, where they then moved southwards to warmer lands. It was not until many centuries later that humans returned to the north and began to settle regions that are now part of Canada. Despite a few short-lived Viking settlements on Newfoundland around the turn of the first millennium CE, the Italian explorer Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot), became the first European to explore the coast of North America in the late 1400s. The French and British crowns both made claims to areas of Canada throughout the sixteenth century, but real colonization and settlement did not begin until the early seventeenth century. Over the next 150 years, France and Britain competed to take control of the booming fur and fishing trade, and to expand their overseas empires. In the Seven Year's War, Britain eventually defeated the French colonists in North America, through superior numbers and a stronger agriculture resources in the southern colonies, and the outcome of the war saw France cede practically all of it's colonies in North America to the British.

Increased migration and declining native populations

The early 1800s saw a large influx of migrants into Canada, with the Irish Potato Famine bringing the first wave of mass-migration to the country, with further migration coming from Scandinavia and Northern Europe. It is estimated that the region received just shy of one million migrants from the British Isles alone, between 1815 and 1850, which helped the population grow to 2.5 million in the mid-1800s and 5.5 million in 1900. It is also estimated that infectious diseases killed around 25 to 33 percent of all Europeans who migrated to Canada before 1891, and around a third of the Canadian population is estimated to have emigrated southwards to the United States in the 1871-1896 period. From the time of European colonization until the mid-nineteenth century, the native population of Canada dropped from roughly 500,000 (some estimates put it as high as two million) to just over 100,000; this was due to a mixture of disease, starvation and warfare, instigated by European migration to the region. The native population was generally segregated and oppressed until the second half of the 1900s; Native Canadians were given the vote in 1960, and, despite their complicated and difficult history, the Canadian government has made significant progress in trying to include indigenous cultures in the country's national identity in recent years. As of 2020, Indigenous Canadians make up more than five percent of the total Canadian population, and a higher birth rate means that this share of the population is expected to grow in the coming decades.

Independence and modern Canada

Canadian independence was finally acknowledged in 1931 by the Statute of Westminster, putting it on equal terms with the United Kingdom within the Commonwealth; virtually granting independence and sovereignty until the Canada Act of 1982 formalized it. Over the past century, Canada has had a relatively stable political system and economy (although it was hit particularly badly by the Wall Street Crash of 1929). Canada entered the First World War with Britain, and as an independent Allied Power in the Second World War; Canadian forces played pivotal roles in a number of campaigns, notably Canada's Hundred Days in WWI, and the country lost more than 100,000 men across both conflicts. The economy boomed in the aftermath of the Second World War, and a stream of socially democratic programs such as universal health care and the Canadian pension plan were introduced, which contributed to a rise in the standard of living. The post war period also saw various territories deciding to join Canada, with Newfoundland joining in 1949, and Nunavut in 1999. Today Canada is among the most highly ranked in countries in terms of civil liberties, quality of life and economic growth. It promotes and welcomes immigrants from all over the world and, as a result, it has one of the most ethnically diverse and multicultural populations of any country in the world. As of 2020, Canada's population stands at around 38 million people, and continues to grow due to high migration levels and life expectancy, and a steady birth rate.

This Gallup poll seeks the opinions of Canadians, on predominantly economic, political, and social issues. The questions ask opinions of the past federal election, the current economic situation, satisfaction with public services, and charity work. There are also questions on other topics of interest such as prediction for the next year, the likelihood of making major purchases, the standard of living in Canada, and approval of Jean Chretien. The respondents were also asked questions so that they could be grouped according to geographic, political and social variables. Topics of interest include: election; public services; economy; charity; Jean Chretien; major purchases; standard of living; striking; and political party preference. Basic demographic variables are also included

Characteristics of households in core housing need in Canada, the provinces and territories, and Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs). Includes type of household, affordability standards, tenure, Aboriginal status and period of immigration to Canada. These tables give housing professionals and researchers an overview of the characteristics of core housing need across the country.

Data on military service status by housing indicators, household type of person, dwelling type and tenure including presence of mortgage payments and subsidized housing for the population aged 17 and over in owner and tenant households with household total income greater than zero in non-reserve, non-farm private households in Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts.

This statistic shows the meat consumption habits of consumers in Canada as of December 2015. While three percent of Canadian respondents reported eating a vegetarian diet, 84 percent reported eating all meat categories, including chicken, fish, seafood and red meat.

Meat consumption in Canada - additional information

Living standards, diet, livestock production and consumer prices dictate the levels of meat consumption in a country. Although traditionally, meat is considered to be a major part of the Canadian diet, since 2007, there has been a steady decline in per capita meat consumption in Canada. It is interesting to note that Canadians are opting for healthier lifestyles by reducing their meat consumption and shifting from red meat to white meat, with increasing rates of chicken consumption in the past years. Immigration with a consequent increase in number of people whose religion restricts meat consumption, and an ageing population have contributed to this shift. Additionally, increasing awareness regarding the environmental and health consequences of high meat consumption has led a high number of young Canadians to opt for vegetarian and vegan diets. Vegans, in addition to being vegetarian, do not use other animal products and by-products, not only in terms of food products such as eggs, dairy products and honey but also lifestyle products such as leather, fur, silk, wool, cosmetics, and soaps derived from animal products. Globally, the highest numbers of people following a vegan diet live in the Asia pacific region. Increase in food prices and economic recessions have also influenced Canadian households to purchase less meat, thereby reducing the profit margins in the food industry.

Family characteristics of seniors by housing indicators for Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations. Includes age of seniors, tenure including presence of mortgage payments and subsidized housing, condominium status, value (owner-estimated) of dwelling and number of bedrooms.

This dataset includes one dataset which was custom ordered from Statistics Canada.The table includes information on housing suitability and shelter-cost-to-income ratio by number of bedrooms, housing tenure, status of primary household maintainer, household type, and income quartile ranges for census subdivisions in British Columbia. The dataset is in Beyond 20/20 (.ivt) format. The Beyond 20/20 browser is required in order to open it. This software can be freely downloaded from the Statistics Canada website: https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/public/beyond20-20 (Windows only). For information on how to use Beyond 20/20, please see: http://odesi2.scholarsportal.info/documentation/Beyond2020/beyond20-quickstart.pdf https://wiki.ubc.ca/Library:Beyond_20/20_Guide Custom order from Statistics Canada includes the following dimensions and variables: Geography: Non-reserve CSDs in British Columbia - 299 geographies The global non-response rate (GNR) is an important measure of census data quality. It combines total non-response (households) and partial non-response (questions). A lower GNR indicates a lower risk of non-response bias and, as a result, a lower risk of inaccuracy. The counts and estimates for geographic areas with a GNR equal to or greater than 50% are not published in the standard products. The counts and estimates for these areas have a high risk of non-response bias, and in most cases, should not be released. All the geographies requested for this tabulation have been cleared for the release of income data and have a GNR under 50%. Housing Tenure Including Presence of Mortgage (5) 1. Total – Private non-band non-farm off-reserve households with an income greater than zero by housing tenure 2. Households who own 3. With a mortgage1 4. Without a mortgage 5. Households who rent Note: 1) Presence of mortgage - Refers to whether the owner households reported mortgage or loan payments for their dwelling. 2015 Before-tax Household Income Quartile Ranges (5) 1. Total – Private households by quartile ranges1, 2, 3 2. Count of households under or at quartile 1 3. Count of households between quartile 1 and quartile 2 (median) (including at quartile 2) 4. Count of households between quartile 2 (median) and quartile 3 (including at quartile 3) 5. Count of households over quartile 3 Notes: 1) A private household will be assigned to a quartile range depending on its CSD-level location and depending on its tenure (owned and rented). Quartile ranges for owned households in a specific CSD are delimited by the 2015 before-tax income quartiles of owned households with an income greater than zero and residing in non-farm off-reserve dwellings in that CSD. Quartile ranges for rented households in a specific CSD are delimited by the 2015 before-tax income quartiles of rented households with an income greater than zero and residing in non-farm off-reserve dwellings in that CSD. 2) For the income quartiles dollar values (the delimiters) please refer to Table 1. 3) Quartiles 1 to 3 are suppressed if the number of actual records used in the calculation (not rounded or weighted) is less than 16. For cases in which the renters’ quartiles or the owners’ quartiles (figures from Table 1) of a CSD are suppressed the CSD is assigned to a quartile range depending on the provincial renters’ or owners’ quartile figures. Number of Bedrooms (Unit Size) (6) 1. Total – Private households by number of bedrooms1 2. 0 bedrooms (Bachelor/Studio) 3. 1 bedroom 4. 2 bedrooms 5. 3 bedrooms 6. 4 bedrooms Note: 1) Dwellings with 5 bedrooms or more included in the total count only. Housing Suitability (6) 1. Total - Housing suitability 2. Suitable 3. Not suitable 4. One bedroom shortfall 5. Two bedroom shortfall 6. Three or more bedroom shortfall Note: 1) 'Housing suitability' refers to whether a private household is living in suitable accommodations according to the National Occupancy Standard (NOS); that is, whether the dwelling has enough bedrooms for the size and composition of the household. A household is deemed to be living in suitable accommodations if its dwelling has enough bedrooms, as calculated using the NOS. 'Housing suitability' assesses the required number of bedrooms for a household based on the age, sex, and relationships among household members. An alternative variable, 'persons per room,' considers all rooms in a private dwelling and the number of household members. Housing suitability and the National Occupancy Standard (NOS) on which it is based were developed by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) through consultations with provincial housing agencies. Shelter-cost-to-income-ratio (4) 1. Total – Private non-band non-farm off-reserve households with an income greater than zero 2. Spending less than 30% of households total income on shelter costs 3. Spending 30% or more of households total income on shelter costs 4. Spending 50% or more of households total income on shelter costs Note: 'Shelter-cost-to-income...