Low-income statistics by age groups, Income Highlight Tables, 2016 Census

Population in private households for income status, number of persons in low income, prevalence of low income based on the low-income concept - Low-income measure, after-tax (LIM-AT), age (total - age groups), Canada and census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations, 2016 Census – 100% Data, 2006 Census – 20% Sample data

Data table

Population in private households for income status, number of persons in low income, prevalence of low income based on the low-income concept - Low-income measure, after-tax (LIM-AT), age (total - age groups), Canada and census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations, 2016 Census – 100% Data, 2006 Census – 20% Sample data
Geographic name^{Footnote 2}	Type	Prov.	Population in private households for income status^{Footnote 3}		Number of persons in low income		Prevalence of low income (%)
Geographic name^{Footnote 2}	Type	Prov.	2006	2016	2005	2015	2005	2015	Difference

Canada			30,638,315	33,968,295	4,301,420	4,809,940	14.0	14.2	0.2
Toronto	CMA	Ont.	5,057,430	5,862,595	710,705	912,405	14.1	15.6	1.5
Montréal	CMA	Que.	3,674,750	4,009,795	587,615	614,140	16.0	15.3	-0.7
Vancouver	CMA	B.C.	2,085,105	2,417,260	339,390	398,720	16.3	16.5	0.2
Ottawa - Gatineau	CMA	Ont./Que.	1,132,700	1,300,730	131,715	159,035	11.6	12.2	0.6
Ottawa - Gatineau (Quebec part)			287,020	327,390	33,645	40,170	11.7	12.3	0.6
Ottawa - Gatineau (Ontario part)			845,680	973,345	98,065	118,865	11.6	12.2	0.6
Edmonton	CMA	Alta.	1,017,520	1,292,885	102,560	119,950	10.1	9.3	-0.8
Winnipeg	CMA	Man.	681,600	761,025	98,415	114,240	14.4	15.0	0.6
Calgary	CMA	Alta.	1,067,665	1,373,005	97,690	121,990	9.1	8.9	-0.2
Québec	CMA	Que.	703,340	776,965	82,420	79,480	11.7	10.2	-1.5
Hamilton	CMA	Ont.	681,330	734,880	82,400	95,760	12.1	13.0	0.9
London	CMA	Ont.	450,745	486,500	59,860	82,610	13.3	17.0	3.7
Halifax	CMA	N.S.	367,785	397,375	53,475	58,825	14.5	14.8	0.3
St. Catharines - Niagara	CMA	Ont.	382,825	396,865	47,425	60,760	12.4	15.3	2.9
Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo	CMA	Ont.	461,050	516,080	45,045	62,755	9.8	12.2	2.4
Windsor	CMA	Ont.	320,075	324,965	44,850	56,755	14.0	17.5	3.5
Victoria	CMA	B.C.	317,090	352,510	38,210	46,010	12.1	13.1	1.0
Saskatoon	CMA	Sask.	231,355	288,445	35,455	33,860	15.3	11.7	-3.6
Sherbrooke	CMA	Que.	187,075	205,730	30,500	33,980	16.3	16.5	0.2
Oshawa	CMA	Ont.	327,040	375,605	29,765	38,475	9.1	10.2	1.1
St. John's	CMA	N.L.	178,710	203,305	28,565	24,390	16.0	12.0	-4.0
Trois-Rivières	CMA	Que.	140,810	149,965	25,445	25,880	18.1	17.3	-0.8
Regina	CMA	Sask.	192,775	232,615	24,245	25,950	12.6	11.2	-1.4
Saguenay	CMA	Que.	153,850	157,165	22,760	20,730	14.8	13.2	-1.6
Cape Breton	CA	N.S.	100,700	92,555	21,405	18,245	21.3	19.7	-1.6
Abbotsford - Mission	CMA	B.C.	156,020	176,045	20,965	22,935	13.4	13.0	-0.4
Greater Sudbury	CMA	Ont.	157,650	161,315	19,855	20,645	12.6	12.8	0.2

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Note(s):

Footnote 1

Low-income measure, after tax (LIM-AT) - The Low-income measure, after tax, refers to a fixed percentage (50%) of median adjusted after-tax income of private households. The household after-tax income is adjusted by an equivalence scale to take economies of scale into account. This adjustment for different household sizes reflects the fact that a household's needs increase, but at a decreasing rate, as the number of members increases.

Using data from the 2016 Census of Population, the line applicable to a household is defined as half the Canadian median of the adjusted household after-tax income, multiplied by the square root of household size. The median is determined based on all persons in private households where low-income concepts are applicable. Thresholds for specific household sizes are presented in Table 4.2 Low-income measures thresholds (LIM-AT and LIM-BT) for private households of Canada, 2015, Dictionary, Census of Population, 2016.

When the unadjusted after-tax income of household pertaining to a person falls below the threshold applicable to the person based on household size, the person is considered to be in low income according to LIM-AT. Since the LIM-AT threshold and household income are unique within each household, low-income status based on LIM-AT can also be reported for households.

Low-income cut-offs, after tax (LICO-AT) - The Low-income cut-offs, after tax refers to an income threshold, defined using 1992 expenditure data, below which economic families or persons not in economic families would likely have devoted a larger share of their after-tax income than average to the necessities of food, shelter and clothing. More specifically, the thresholds represented income levels at which these families or persons were expected to spend 20 percentage points or more of their after-tax income than average on food, shelter and clothing. These thresholds have been adjusted to current dollars using the all-items Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The LICO-AT has 35 cut-offs varying by seven family sizes and five different sizes of area of residence to account for economies of scale and potential differences in cost of living in communities of different sizes. These thresholds are presented in Table 4.3 Low-income cut-offs, after tax (LICO-AT - 1992 base) for economic families and persons not in economic families, 2015, Dictionary, Census of Population, 2016.

When the after-tax income of an economic family member or a person not in an economic family falls below the threshold applicable to the person, the person is considered to be in low income according to LICO-AT. Since the LICO-AT threshold and family income are unique within each economic family, low-income status based on LICO-AT can also be reported for economic families.

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Footnote 2

Low-income concepts do not apply to certain geographic areas, i.e., geographic areas within territories and/or census subdivision types associated with 'on reserve' population.

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Footnote 3

Low-income status - The income situation of the statistical unit in relation to a specific low-income line in a reference year. Statistical units with income that is below the low-income line are considered to be in low income.

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