Focus on Geography Series, 2021 Census of Population
Canada
Median after-tax income of households
$73,000
In 2020, the median after-tax income of households in Canada was $73,000, a change of 9.8% from $66,500 in 2015Footnote 1.
Median after-tax income of households, Canada, 2005 to 2020
Distribution of households by household after-tax income, Canada, 2020
Number and median after-tax income of households, Canada, provinces and territories, 2015 and 2020
| Geography | Number of households | Median after-tax income of households | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2021 | % change | 2015 | 2020 | % change | |
| Canada | 14,072,080 | 14,978,945 | 6.4 | 66,500 | 73,000 | 9.8 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 218,670 | 223,255 | 2.1 | 64,000 | 63,200 | -1.3 |
| Prince Edward Island | 59,475 | 64,570 | 8.6 | 58,000 | 64,000 | 10.3 |
| Nova Scotia | 401,990 | 428,225 | 6.5 | 57,600 | 62,400 | 8.3 |
| New Brunswick | 319,775 | 337,650 | 5.6 | 56,800 | 62,000 | 9.2 |
| Quebec | 3,531,660 | 3,749,035 | 6.2 | 56,400 | 63,200 | 12.1 |
| Ontario | 5,169,175 | 5,491,205 | 6.2 | 70,500 | 79,500 | 12.8 |
| Manitoba | 489,050 | 518,055 | 5.9 | 64,000 | 69,000 | 7.8 |
| Saskatchewan | 432,625 | 449,585 | 3.9 | 71,000 | 73,000 | 2.8 |
| Alberta | 1,527,680 | 1,633,220 | 6.9 | 87,000 | 83,000 | -4.6 |
| British Columbia | 1,881,970 | 2,041,835 | 8.5 | 66,500 | 76,000 | 14.3 |
| Yukon | 15,215 | 17,185 | 12.9 | 80,000 | 88,000 | 10.0 |
| Northwest Territories | 14,980 | 15,205 | 1.5 | 108,000 | 109,000 | 0.9 |
| Nunavut | 9,820 | 9,925 | 1.1 | 93,000 | 104,000 | 11.8 |
Employment income and labour market related income and benefits in 2019 and 2020
Employment income
Nationally, the number of persons aged 15 and over with no or low employment income increased substantially in 2020 compared with before the pandemic in 2019. In Canada, 113,830 more people in 2020 than in 2019 had no employment income, while 415,580 more people had employment income between $1 and $19,999 and 716,390 fewer people had employment income between $20,000 and $59,999 in 2020 than in 2019.
Labour market related income
As for labour market related income, which comprises employment income, emergency and recovery benefits, and employment insurance (EI) benefits, there typically were far fewer null and low amounts. In Canada, 942,830 fewer people in 2020 than in 2019 had no labour market related income, while 842,845 fewer, 1,547,425 more and 252,860 more people had labour market related income between $1 and $14,999, between $15,000 and $59,999, and at or over $60,000, respectively, in 2020 than in 2019.
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Distribution of employment income, Canada, 2019 and 2020
Distribution of employment income, Canada, 2019 and 2020
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Distribution of labour market related income, Canada, 2019 and 2020
Distribution of labour market related income, Canada, 2019 and 2020
Pandemic-related income support benefits
68.4%
In 2020, the percentage of persons 15 years and older in Canada with income from any COVID-19 government income support and benefits was 68.4%,Footnote 2 while the percentage with income from earning replacement benefits was 31.2%.Footnote 3
Prevalence of and median income from COVID-19 income and support benefits and earning replacement benefits, Canada, its provinces and territories, 2020
| Geography | Percent with COVID-19 related benefits | Median COVID-19 related benefits | Percent with COVID-19 emergency and recovery benefits | Median COVID-19 emergency and recovery benefits | Percent with earning replacement benefits | Median earning replacement benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 68.4 | 970 | 27.6 | 8,000 | 31.2 | 8,700 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 69.8 | 880 | 25.0 | 8,000 | 34.8 | 12,000 |
| Prince Edward Island | 69.3 | 860 | 24.8 | 7,500 | 34.2 | 10,600 |
| Nova Scotia | 69.5 | 850 | 24.7 | 8,000 | 29.7 | 10,000 |
| New Brunswick | 70.1 | 840 | 23.6 | 7,500 | 31.2 | 10,000 |
| Quebec | 71.2 | 900 | 28.5 | 7,000 | 33.1 | 8,000 |
| Ontario | 66.2 | 1,040 | 28.2 | 8,000 | 31.0 | 9,000 |
| Manitoba | 69.3 | 1,130 | 24.0 | 8,000 | 27.9 | 8,500 |
| Saskatchewan | 64.7 | 900 | 24.3 | 8,000 | 28.0 | 9,000 |
| Alberta | 62.3 | 1,080 | 29.0 | 8,000 | 32.4 | 10,000 |
| British Columbia | 74.5 | 910 | 26.4 | 8,000 | 29.2 | 9,000 |
| Yukon | 56.8 | 860 | 22.6 | 8,000 | 26.7 | 9,000 |
| Northwest Territories | 56.8 | 1,550 | 28.3 | 10,000 | 31.5 | 11,000 |
| Nunavut | 61.5 | 4,000 | 35.1 | 10,500 | 37.8 | 12,000 |
Percentage of persons with income from each COVID-19 emergency and recovery benefit, Canada, 2020
Prevalence of total income, employment income, labour market related income, and earning replacement benefits for the population aged 25 to 59, by gender, Canada, 2020 Footnote 4
| Total income | Employment income | Labour market related income | Earning replacement benefits | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men+ | Women+ | Men+ | Women+ | Men+ | Women+ | Men+ | Women+ | |
| Percent with income | 98.7 | 98.3 | 88.5 | 83.9 | 92.3 | 88.0 | 36.7 | 38.1 |
Median total income, employment income, labour market related income, and earning replacement benefits for the population aged 25 to 59, by gender, Canada, 2020 Footnote 4
| Total income | Employment income | Labour market related income | Earning replacement benefits | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men+ | Women+ | Men+ | Women+ | Men+ | Women+ | Men+ | Women+ | |
| Median income | 57,200 | 46,400 | 56,400 | 41,600 | 56,800 | 43,200 | 8,500 | 10,000 |
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