Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Canada
Canada: Distribution of population between different poverty lines was 31.58 million people in 2022. ▲ Rising
Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Canada, 1971–2022
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for distribution of population between different poverty lines in Canada is 31.58 million people, measured in 2022.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and up 23.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of population between different poverty lines in Canada peaked at 32.13 million people in 2020 and was at its lowest, 6.87 million people, in 1971.
Canada ranks 10th of 120 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 46 years of available data.
Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Canada, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 6.87 million people | — |
| 1973 | 8.77 million people | +27.6% |
| 1975 | 10.72 million people | +22.2% |
| 1977 | 12.03 million people | +12.3% |
| 1979 | 12.90 million people | +7.2% |
| 1981 | 13.92 million people | +7.9% |
| 1982 | 13.89 million people | -0.2% |
| 1984 | 14.16 million people | +2.0% |
| 1985 | 14.83 million people | +4.8% |
| 1986 | 15.24 million people | +2.8% |
| 1987 | 15.74 million people | +3.2% |
| 1988 | 16.53 million people | +5.1% |
| 1989 | 17.10 million people | +3.5% |
| 1990 | 17.39 million people | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 16.77 million people | -3.6% |
| 1992 | 17.25 million people | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 16.84 million people | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 17.52 million people | +4.0% |
| 1995 | 17.64 million people | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 16.52 million people | -6.3% |
| 1997 | 16.90 million people | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 17.82 million people | +5.5% |
| 1999 | 18.58 million people | +4.2% |
| 2000 | 19.15 million people | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 20.04 million people | +4.7% |
| 2002 | 20.45 million people | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 20.57 million people | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 21.18 million people | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 21.93 million people | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 22.38 million people | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 23.42 million people | +4.6% |
| 2008 | 24.04 million people | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 24.31 million people | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 24.86 million people | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 25.55 million people | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 25.51 million people | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 26.17 million people | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 26.65 million people | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 26.92 million people | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 27.44 million people | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 27.88 million people | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 28.92 million people | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 29.72 million people | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 32.13 million people | +8.1% |
| 2021 | 31.70 million people | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 31.58 million people | -0.4% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 31.58 million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.96 million people, 6.4× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Canada changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | +27.6% | 6.87 million people | 8.77 million people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 10.26 million people | 6.87 million people | 12.90 million people | 5 |
| 1980s | 15.18 million people | 13.89 million people | 17.10 million people | 8 |
| 1990s | 17.32 million people | 16.52 million people | 18.58 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 21.74 million people | 19.15 million people | 24.31 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.96 million people | 24.86 million people | 29.72 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.80 million people | 31.58 million people | 32.13 million people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More poverty & inequality data for Canada
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 7 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.35 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 3,695 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -9.41 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 34.78 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 34.8% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is distribution of population between different poverty lines in Canada?
- Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Canada was 31.58 million people in 2022, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 32.13 million people in 2020.
- What is the lowest distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.87 million people in 1971.
- How does Canada rank for distribution of population between different poverty lines?
- Canada ranks 10th out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
- Is distribution of population between different poverty lines rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Distribution of population between different poverty lines. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 46 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $40 per day.