Number of people living in extreme poverty in Canada
Canada: Number of people living in extreme poverty was 116,808 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Number of people living in extreme poverty in Canada, 1971–2022
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2022, number of people living in extreme poverty in Canada stood at 116,808 people.
The figure is up 52.7% on the previous year and up 12.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in extreme poverty in Canada peaked at 549,051 people in 1971 and was at its lowest, 38,029 people, in 2020.
Canada ranks 66th of 120 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 403,569 people | 314,620 people | 549,051 people | 5 |
| 1980s | 224,687 people | 158,680 people | 354,598 people | 8 |
| 1990s | 224,615 people | 118,441 people | 364,486 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 96,148 people | 65,778 people | 122,743 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 132,309 people | 102,018 people | 175,405 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 77,106 people | 38,029 people | 116,808 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)
- 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)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 34.8% (2023)
- Gender Inequality Index 0.052 (2023)
- Share of government consumption in GDP vs. share of population living in extreme poverty 21.2% (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in men 0.0978 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient by sex 0.0822 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in women 0.0822 (2023)
- Income inequality: Atkinson index 0.1598 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in extreme poverty in Canada?
- Number of people living in extreme poverty in Canada was 116,808 people in 2022, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 549,051 people in 1971.
- What is the lowest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 38,029 people in 2020.
- How does Canada rank for number of people living in extreme poverty?
- Canada ranks 66th out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
- Is number of people living in extreme poverty rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 Number of people living in extreme poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption below $3 per day.