POVERTY STATISTICS AT A GLANCE
| Based on Statistics Canada's Low Income Cut Off (1992 base) | 1990 |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
All persons (%) |
15.4 |
16.5 |
17.0 |
18.0 |
17.1 |
17.8 |
17.9 |
17.5 |
| (total number) | 4,179,000 | 4,543,000 | 4,757,000 | 5,143,000 | 4,941,000 | 5,205,000 | 5,294,000 | 5,222,000 |
| All families | 12.3 | 13.0 | 13.5 | 14.6 | 13.5 | 14.2 | 14.5 | 14.0 |
| Young families (head of family under 25) | 37.1 | 36.5 | 41.4 | 41.1 | 44.4 | 43.5 | 42.1 | 42.8 |
| Female single-parent families (head of family under 65, children under 18) | 59.5 |
60.3 |
56.9 |
59.0 |
56.4 |
56.8 |
60.8 |
56.0 |
| Child Poverty (under 18) | 17.8 | 18.9 | 19.2 | 21.3 | 19.5 | 21.0 | 21.1 | 19.8 |
| (total number) | 1,195,000 | 1,281,000 | 1,316,000 | 1,484,000 | 1,362,000 | 1,472,000 | 1,498,000 | 1,397,000 |
| All seniors (65 and over) | 21.3 | 21.9 | 20.8 | 22.8 | 19.3 | 18.7 | 20.8 | 18.7 |
| (total number) | 629,000 | 665,000 | 650,000 | 732,000 | 635,000 | 631,000 | 722,000 | 662,000 |
| All unattached individuals | 37.4 | 39.4 | 39.8 | 40.5 | 40.6 | 39.3 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| (total number) | 1,316,000 | 1,445,000 | 1,451,000 | 1,544,000 | 1,559,000 | 1,520,000 | 1,587,000 | 1,633,000 |
| Unattached youth (24 years and under) | 54.9 |
57.5 |
59.8 |
61.7 |
66.4 |
65.9 |
63.7 |
60.7 |
| Unattached seniors (65 years and older) | 50.7 |
50.9 |
49.2 |
51.9 |
47.6 |
45.1 |
47.9 |
45.0 |
| Men | 41.0 | 40.7 | 34.9 | 39.0 | 31.8 | 28.7 | 33.3 | 33.3 |
| Women | 53.8 | 54.2 | 54.0 | 56.4 | 52.9 | 50.6 | 53.4 | 49.1 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Low Income Persons, 1980 to 1997 (Low Income Cut-Offs, 1992 base) Catalogue 13-569-XIB, Survey of Consumer Finances, April 1999
Poverty rates are expressed by percentages; in some cases we are also able to show the numbers of people within a category.
Figures do not include Aboriginal people on reserves, or residents of the Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
April 1999
Copyright © 1997 The National Anti-Poverty Organization (NAPO)