Over 1.3 million Canadians lifted out of poverty since 2015 according to the 2019 Canadian Income Survey
News release
March 24, 2021 Gatineau, Quebec Employment and Social Development Canada
The Government of Canada knows that vulnerable populations have been disproportionally impacted by COVID-19. That is why the government introduced measures to provide support to Canadians through Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, and why it remains committed to ensuring every Canadian has a fair and equal chance to succeed.
Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, welcomed the 2019 Canadian Income Survey and its finding that over 1.3 million Canadians have been lifted out of poverty since 2015, including 435,000 children and 45,000 seniors.
Survey data show the poverty rate in Canada in 2019 decreased by 30% since 2015, which means the Government of Canada is making significant progress towards meeting its Poverty Reduction Strategy goal of reducing poverty by 50% by 2030.
The Canada Child Benefit, the Guaranteed Income Supplement and the Canada Workers Benefit are making a real difference in the lives of Canadians by putting more money directly in their pockets.
The 2020 Canadian Income Survey will outline the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on poverty. The Government of Canada is encouraged by the estimates also released by Statistics Canada which are showing that the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and other government measures were effective in preventing declines in employment income for many Canadian families.
Quotes
"Every Canadian deserves a fair and equal chance to succeed. This release shows progress in our fight against poverty. We know there is more to do and we will keep working hard to reach our goal of reducing poverty by 50% by 2030, as we continue to build back a better, stronger and more inclusive Canada."
–The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
Quick facts
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Based on Canada’s official poverty line, the poverty rate in Canada fell to 10.1% in 2019, down 0.9 percentage points relative to 2018. About 3.7 million Canadians lived below Canada’s official poverty line in 2019.
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The 2019 Canadian Income Survey has started to disaggregate data for individuals in certain groups that are often more vulnerable to being in poverty. Results show that 18% of Indigenous peoples aged 16 and over living off reserve were below the poverty line in 2019 compared to 26% in 2015. The poverty rate of recent immigrants aged 16 and older (those arrived in Canada within the last ten years) was 17% in 2019 compared to 27.9% in 2015. The poverty rate of persons with a disability was 13.5% in 2019 compared to 20.7% in 2015.
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Based on the Gini coefficient, a widely used measure of income inequality, the level of income inequality in Canada in 2019 was at its lowest point since 1995.
Associated links
Contacts
For media enquiries, please contact:
Mikaela Harrison
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Ahmed Hussen
mikaela.harrison@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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