Relative poverty: Share of population below 60% of the median in Canada
Canada: Relative poverty: Share of population below 60% of the median was 17.4% in 2022. ▬ Flat
Relative poverty: Share of population below 60% of the median in Canada, 1971–2022
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for relative poverty: share of population below 60% of the median in Canada is 17.4%, measured in 2022.
That represents a change of up 3.6% on the previous year and down 16.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, relative poverty: share of population below 60% of the median in Canada peaked at 22.0% in 1971 and was at its lowest, 15.9%, in 2020.
That places Canada 74th out of 120 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
Relative poverty: Share of population below 60% of the median in Canada, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 22.0% | — |
| 1973 | 20.7% | -5.9% |
| 1975 | 19.5% | -5.8% |
| 1977 | 19.7% | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 19.5% | -1.0% |
| 1981 | 18.4% | -5.6% |
| 1982 | 18.7% | +1.6% |
| 1984 | 19.4% | +3.7% |
| 1985 | 18.9% | -2.6% |
| 1986 | 18.3% | -3.2% |
| 1987 | 18.0% | -1.6% |
| 1988 | 17.4% | -3.3% |
| 1989 | 17.4% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 18.2% | +4.6% |
| 1991 | 18.6% | +2.2% |
| 1992 | 18.5% | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 18.7% | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 18.3% | -2.1% |
| 1995 | 19.0% | +3.8% |
| 1996 | 19.9% | +4.7% |
| 1997 | 19.8% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 19.3% | -2.5% |
| 1999 | 19.7% | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 19.5% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 19.6% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 19.8% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 20.1% | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 20.0% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 19.8% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 19.5% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 19.0% | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 19.5% | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 20.1% | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 19.6% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 18.6% | -5.1% |
| 2012 | 20.9% | +12.4% |
| 2013 | 20.7% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 19.6% | -5.3% |
| 2015 | 20.2% | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 19.7% | -2.5% |
| 2017 | 20.0% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 18.9% | -5.5% |
| 2019 | 18.4% | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 15.9% | -13.6% |
| 2021 | 16.8% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | 17.4% | +3.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 20.3% | 19.5% | 22.0% | 5 |
| 1980s | 18.3% | 17.4% | 19.4% | 8 |
| 1990s | 19.0% | 18.2% | 19.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.7% | 19.0% | 20.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.7% | 18.4% | 20.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.7% | 15.9% | 17.4% | 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 relative poverty: share of population below 60% of the median in Canada?
- Relative poverty: share of population below 60% of the median in Canada was 17.4% in 2022, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest relative poverty: share of population below 60% of the median recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 22.0% in 1971.
- What is the lowest relative poverty: share of population below 60% of the median recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.9% in 2020.
- How does Canada rank for relative poverty: share of population below 60% of the median?
- Canada ranks 74th out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
- Is relative poverty: share of population below 60% of the median rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- 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 Relative poverty: Share of population below 60% of the median. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below 60% of the median.