Proportion of population below international poverty line (%) in Canada
Canada: Proportion of population below international poverty line (%) was 0.3% in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
0.3%
Change on year
up 50.0%
World rank
98th
of 133 countries
All-time high
2.5%
in 1971
All-time low
0.1%
in 2020
Years of data
46
1971–2022
Proportion of population below international poverty line in Canada, 1971–2022
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2022, proportion of population below international poverty line in Canada stood at 0.3%.
The figure is up 50.0% on the previous year and unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of population below international poverty line in Canada peaked at 2.5% in 1971 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2020.
Canada ranks 98th of 133 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Proportion of population below international poverty line (%) in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 2.5% | — |
| 1973 | 1.8% | -28.0% |
| 1975 | 1.7% | -5.6% |
| 1977 | 1.5% | -11.8% |
| 1979 | 1.3% | -13.3% |
| 1981 | 0.9% | -30.8% |
| 1982 | 0.8% | -11.1% |
| 1984 | 0.9% | +12.5% |
| 1985 | 0.7% | -22.2% |
| 1986 | 1.0% | +42.9% |
| 1987 | 0.6% | -40.0% |
| 1988 | 0.7% | +16.7% |
| 1989 | 1.3% | +85.7% |
| 1990 | 1.1% | -15.4% |
| 1991 | 1.3% | +18.2% |
| 1992 | 0.8% | -38.5% |
| 1993 | 1.2% | +50.0% |
| 1994 | 0.9% | -25.0% |
| 1995 | 0.8% | -11.1% |
| 1996 | 0.4% | -50.0% |
| 1997 | 0.4% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.5% | +25.0% |
| 1999 | 0.4% | -20.0% |
| 2000 | 0.4% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.3% | -25.0% |
| 2002 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.2% | -33.3% |
| 2008 | 0.3% | +50.0% |
| 2009 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.5% | +66.7% |
| 2014 | 0.3% | -40.0% |
| 2015 | 0.4% | +33.3% |
| 2016 | 0.4% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.4% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.4% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 0.4% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.1% | -75.0% |
| 2021 | 0.2% | +100.0% |
| 2022 | 0.3% | +50.0% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 0.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.4%, 75% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.8% | 1.3% | 2.5% | 5 |
| 1980s | 0.9% | 0.6% | 1.3% | 8 |
| 1990s | 0.8% | 0.4% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 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 proportion of population below international poverty line in Canada?
- Proportion of population below international poverty line in Canada was 0.3% in 2022, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 2.5% in 1971.
- What is the lowest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2020.
- How does Canada rank for proportion of population below international poverty line?
- Canada ranks 98th out of 133 countries with data for 2022.
- Is proportion of population below international poverty line rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of population below international poverty line (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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