Income and earnings

Release no. 8: May 1, 2008

• Median earnings of Canadians employed on a full-time basis for a full year changed little during the past quarter century, edging up from $41,348 in 1980 to $41,401 in 2005 (in 2005 constant dollars).
• Between 1980 and 2005, the median income of all economic families of two or more people increased 11.1%, from $59,709 in 1980 to $66,343 in 2005 (in 2005 constant dollars).
• During the past 25 years, the before-tax low income rate for children changed very little. In 2005, 19.3% of pre-schoolers and 17.0% of school-age children lived in low income families, compared to 20.0% and 18.7%, respectively, in 1980. Over the same period, however, the before-tax low income rate for seniors aged 65 and over declined substantially, from 29.9% to 14.4%.