Total shortfall from extreme poverty in Canada
Canada: Total shortfall from extreme poverty was 64.09 million international-$ in 2021 prices in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
64.09 million international-$ in 2021 prices
Change on year
up 15.2%
World rank
60th
of 120 countries
All-time high
408.35 million international-$ in 2021 prices
in 1971
All-time low
10.48 million international-$ in 2021 prices
in 2020
Years of data
46
1971–2022
Total shortfall from extreme poverty in Canada, 1971–2022
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in international-$ in 2021 prices.
Analysis
The most recent figure for total shortfall from extreme poverty in Canada is 64.09 million international-$ in 2021 prices, measured in 2022.
That represents a change of up 15.2% on the previous year and up 36.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total shortfall from extreme poverty in Canada peaked at 408.35 million international-$ in 2021 prices in 1971 and was at its lowest, 10.48 million international-$ in 2021 prices, in 2020.
That places Canada 60th out of 120 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Total shortfall from extreme poverty in Canada, year by year
| Year | international-$ in 2021 prices | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 408.35 million international-$ in 2021 prices | — |
| 1973 | 316.49 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -22.5% |
| 1975 | 294.30 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -7.0% |
| 1977 | 262.50 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -10.8% |
| 1979 | 248.54 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -5.3% |
| 1981 | 172.37 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -30.6% |
| 1982 | 132.59 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -23.1% |
| 1984 | 146.01 million international-$ in 2021 prices | +10.1% |
| 1985 | 126.61 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -13.3% |
| 1986 | 238.69 million international-$ in 2021 prices | +88.5% |
| 1987 | 130.89 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -45.2% |
| 1988 | 158.33 million international-$ in 2021 prices | +21.0% |
| 1989 | 330.10 million international-$ in 2021 prices | +108.5% |
| 1990 | 291.65 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -11.6% |
| 1991 | 327.99 million international-$ in 2021 prices | +12.5% |
| 1992 | 203.14 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -38.1% |
| 1993 | 330.48 million international-$ in 2021 prices | +62.7% |
| 1994 | 237.06 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -28.3% |
| 1995 | 205.07 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -13.5% |
| 1996 | 62.42 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -69.6% |
| 1997 | 72.58 million international-$ in 2021 prices | +16.3% |
| 1998 | 90.25 million international-$ in 2021 prices | +24.3% |
| 1999 | 85.84 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -4.9% |
| 2000 | 63.95 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -25.5% |
| 2001 | 59.97 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -6.2% |
| 2002 | 56.71 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -5.5% |
| 2003 | 58.46 million international-$ in 2021 prices | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 62.04 million international-$ in 2021 prices | +6.1% |
| 2005 | 65.81 million international-$ in 2021 prices | +6.1% |
| 2006 | 63.77 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 44.78 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -29.8% |
| 2008 | 50.68 million international-$ in 2021 prices | +13.2% |
| 2009 | 63.59 million international-$ in 2021 prices | +25.5% |
| 2010 | 54.75 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -13.9% |
| 2011 | 50.59 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -7.6% |
| 2012 | 47.01 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -7.1% |
| 2013 | 83.30 million international-$ in 2021 prices | +77.2% |
| 2014 | 56.13 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -32.6% |
| 2015 | 76.35 million international-$ in 2021 prices | +36.0% |
| 2016 | 69.84 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -8.5% |
| 2017 | 63.81 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -8.6% |
| 2018 | 44.79 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -29.8% |
| 2019 | 43.67 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 10.48 million international-$ in 2021 prices | -76.0% |
| 2021 | 55.63 million international-$ in 2021 prices | +430.8% |
| 2022 | 64.09 million international-$ in 2021 prices | +15.2% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 64.09 million international-$ in 2021 prices is above the median for high income countries, which is 21.17 million international-$ in 2021 prices, 3.0× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Total shortfall from extreme poverty 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +430.8% | 10.48 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 55.63 million international-$ in 2021 prices |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 306.04 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 248.54 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 408.35 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 5 |
| 1980s | 179.45 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 126.61 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 330.10 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 8 |
| 1990s | 190.65 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 62.42 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 330.48 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.98 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 44.78 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 65.81 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.02 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 43.67 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 83.30 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 10 |
| 2020s | 43.40 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 10.48 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 64.09 million international-$ in 2021 prices | 3 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 57 Nepal 102.02 million international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 58 Sri Lanka 98.27 million international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 59 Bolivia 86.12 million international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 61 Sweden 63.58 million international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 62 Chile 55.27 million international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 63 Poland 54.00 million international-$ in 2021 prices compare
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 total shortfall from extreme poverty in Canada?
- Total shortfall from extreme poverty in Canada was 64.09 million international-$ in 2021 prices in 2022, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total shortfall from extreme poverty recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 408.35 million international-$ in 2021 prices in 1971.
- What is the lowest total shortfall from extreme poverty recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.48 million international-$ in 2021 prices in 2020.
- How does Canada rank for total shortfall from extreme poverty?
- Canada ranks 60th out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
- Is total shortfall from extreme poverty rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.3%. 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 Total shortfall from extreme poverty. 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
This is the amount of money that would be theoretically needed to lift the income or consumption of all people in poverty up to $3 per day. However, this is not a measure of the actual cost of eliminating poverty, since it does not take into account the costs involved in making the necessary transfers nor any changes in behavior they would bring about.