Incidence of Low Income Cut-Off, 1995

For most of the 1990s, the proportions of Canadians living below the low income cut-off value (LICO) increased significantly (Figure 6). Every province (LICO values are not reported for the territories) experienced an increase. As illustrated in Figure 2, the change in the incidence of low income among the population living in private households was very small for Saskatchewan but substantial in provinces such as Ontario and Quebec. Toward the end of the decade, these proportions began to fall and continue to do so in the new millennium (Figure 1).

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Figure 1. People With Low Income (after tax), 1989 to 1998

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Figure 2. Incidence of Low Income Among the Population Living in Private Households

The map of 1995 incidence of low income by census division has many characteristics that would be anticipated from the spatial patterns seen from the average income maps for males and females. With proportions ranging from approximately 4% to 46%, the highest incidence values are found in the Atlantic provinces, southern Quebec, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.

The most significant differences occur in the regions in and around major cities. These are the areas where average incomes are high; but they are also areas where some of the highest low income proportions occur. This highlights a wide disparity in incomes in these regions.

Health professionals are particularly concerned about these differentials, whether in cities or in more rural areas. Current research suggests that this income inequality is highly correlated or associated with health inequality.

• Female Average Income, 1995 Map | Read about this map
• Male Average Income, 1995 Map | Read about this map

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