Income Trends in Canada is an extensive collection of income statistics, covering topics such as income distribution, income tax, government transfers, and low income. The data are drawn from two household surveys: the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) and the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF). Data since 1996 are taken from SLID, while historical data prior to 1996 are drawn from the SCF. In addition to provincial detail, many of the tables present estimates for the 15 largest Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs), as listed below under Geographic Coverage. Note that sample size limitations and sampling variability, estimates for urban areas are less reliable and are subject to larger errors than provincial and national estimates. Given the variability of the annual estimates, users are cautioned against drawing conclusions from single year-to-year comparisons alone.
Canada, provinces, and 15 CMAs: Halifax, Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa-Gatineau, Toronto, St.-Catharines-Niagara, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Windsor, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Victoria.
Data from the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) undertook major changes this year. Four years were added to the historical data from 1976 to 1979. Also, SCF data was adapted as much as possible to concepts of the SLID. Some concepts were almost identical between the two surveys, such as income data for which changes were minimal. However, other concepts differed and thus some variables were modified. For example, the SCF head of family was replaced with the SLID major income earner. As a result, variables related to family characteristics were affected by this change. For further information about the transformation of SCF data and on its impacts on estimates see section Notes and definitions - Comparisons between data up to 1995 and data since 1996.
Selected data from historical editions are also available on CD-ROM at the Map & Data Library (see below for CD numbers).
Openly available via the Statistics Canada open license
Data are also available via the ODESI data portal.
About the product (html page)
Comparisons between data up to 1995 and data since 1996 (html page).
Analytical concepts documentation (html page)
Family concepts documentation (html page).
Income concepts documentation (html page)
Low income definitions documentation (html page)
SLID survey documentation (html page)
SLID survey documentation (html page)
Cell suppression, population estimates, & missing values documentation (html page)
Modified Table 202-0101 - Distribution of earnings, by sex, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Table 202-0102 - Average female and male earnings, and female-to-male earnings ratio, by work activity, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0103 - Number of earners, by sex and work activity, annual ( x 1,000)
Table 202-0104 - Female-to-male earnings ratios, by selected characteristics, annual (percent)
Modified Table 202-0105 - Distribution of total income, by husband-wife families, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0106 - Earnings of individuals, by selected characteristics and National Occupational Classification (NOCS), 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0107 - Earnings of individuals, by selected characteristics and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0201 - Distribution of market income, by economic family type, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0202 - Average market income, by economic family type, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0203 - Median market income, by economic family type, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0301 - Government transfers, by economic family type and after-tax income quintiles, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0401 - Distribution of total income, by economic family type, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0402 - Distribution of total income of individuals, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0403 - Average total income, by economic family type, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0404 - Total income, by economic family type, age group and income source, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0405 - Upper income limits and income shares of total income quintiles, by economic family type, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0406 - Upper income limits and income shares of total income quintiles, by major income source, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0407 - Income of individuals, by sex, age group and income source, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0408 - Distribution of total income, by census family type, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0409 - Average total income, by census family type and living arrangement, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0410 - Average total income, by census family type, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0411 - Median total income, by economic family type, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0501 - Income tax, by economic family type and after-tax income quintiles, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0601 - Distribution of after-tax income, by economic family type, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0602 - Distribution of after-tax income of individuals, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0603 - Average after-tax income, by economic family type, 2006 constant dollars, annual.
Modified Table 202-0604 - Upper income limits and income shares of after-tax income quintiles, by economic family type, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0605 - Median after-tax income, by economic family type, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0701 - Market, total and after-tax income, by economic family type and income quintiles, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0702 - Market income, government transfers, total income, income tax and after-tax income, by economic family type, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0703 - Market, total and after-tax income, by economic family type and after-tax income quintiles, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0704 - Government transfers and income tax, by economic family type and after-tax income quintiles, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0705 - Gini coefficients of market, total and after-tax income, by economic family type, annual (number)
Modified Table 202-0706 - Market, total and after-tax economic family income, by adjusted after-tax income quintiles, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0801 - Low income cut-offs before and after tax for rural and urban areas, by family size, 2006 current dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0802 - Persons in low income, annual
Modified Table 202-0803 - Families in low income before and after tax, by age and sex of major income earner, annual
Modified Table 202-0804 - Families in low income, by economic family type, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0805 - Low income gap, by economic family type, 2006 constant dollars, annual
Modified Table 202-0806 - Transitions of persons into and out of low income before and after tax, by selected characteristics, annual
Modified Table 202-0807 - Persistence of low income, by selected characteristics, every 3 years
Modified Table 202-0901 - Number of persons and families, by economic family type, annual ( x 1,000)
Modified Table 202-0903 - Number of persons and families, by census family type, annual ( x 1,000)