Distribution of population between different poverty lines … 2011 in Canada
Canada: Distribution of population between different poverty lines … 2011 was 37.13 million people in 2019. ▲ Rising
Latest (2019)
37.13 million people
Change on year
up 1.7%
World rank
18th
of 119 countries
All-time high
37.13 million people
in 2019
All-time low
19.44 million people
in 1971
Years of data
43
1971–2019
Distribution of population between different poverty lines (2011 prices) in Canada, 1971–2019
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Canada recorded 37.13 million people for distribution of population between different poverty lines (2011 prices) in 2019. That is the highest value across all 43 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.7% on the previous year and up 12.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of population between different poverty lines (2011 prices) in Canada peaked at 37.13 million people in 2019 and was at its lowest, 19.44 million people, in 1971.
Canada ranks 18th of 119 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Distribution of population between different poverty lines … 2011 in Canada, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 19.44 million people | — |
| 1973 | 20.75 million people | +6.7% |
| 1975 | 21.81 million people | +5.1% |
| 1977 | 22.48 million people | +3.1% |
| 1979 | 23.05 million people | +2.5% |
| 1981 | 23.95 million people | +3.9% |
| 1982 | 24.18 million people | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 24.52 million people | +1.4% |
| 1985 | 24.94 million people | +1.7% |
| 1986 | 25.32 million people | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 25.79 million people | +1.9% |
| 1988 | 26.19 million people | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 26.53 million people | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 26.86 million people | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 27.20 million people | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 27.59 million people | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 27.82 million people | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 28.20 million people | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 28.50 million people | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 28.88 million people | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 29.16 million people | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 29.48 million people | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 29.64 million people | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 30.07 million people | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 30.40 million people | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 30.73 million people | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 31.09 million people | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 31.30 million people | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 31.52 million people | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 32.00 million people | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 32.40 million people | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 32.67 million people | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 33.13 million people | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 33.58 million people | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 33.91 million people | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 34.02 million people | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 34.38 million people | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 34.91 million people | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 35.08 million people | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 35.57 million people | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 36.00 million people | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 36.51 million people | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 37.13 million people | +1.7% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 37.13 million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.78 million people, 4.2× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 21.51 million people | 19.44 million people | 23.05 million people | 5 |
| 1980s | 25.18 million people | 23.95 million people | 26.53 million people | 8 |
| 1990s | 28.33 million people | 26.86 million people | 29.64 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 31.53 million people | 30.07 million people | 33.13 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.11 million people | 33.58 million people | 37.13 million people | 10 |
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 (2011 prices) in Canada?
- Distribution of population between different poverty lines (2011 prices) in Canada was 37.13 million people in 2019, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest distribution of population between different poverty lines (2011 prices) recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 37.13 million people in 2019.
- What is the lowest distribution of population between different poverty lines (2011 prices) recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.44 million people in 1971.
- How does Canada rank for distribution of population between different poverty lines (2011 prices)?
- Canada ranks 18th out of 119 countries with data for 2019.
- Is distribution of population between different poverty lines (2011 prices) rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.1%. 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 (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Distribution of population between different poverty lines (2011 prices). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 43 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 $10 per day.