The median after-tax income of Canadians and unattached individuals was $61,400 in 2018. That was virtually unchanged from 2017. Families and unattached individuals in Alberta had the highest after-tax income at $72,700. Nova Scotia had the lowest at $52,200. Saskatchewan was one of only two provinces that saw income drop over the two years. It fell from $62,700 to $61,900. Still, it remained higher than the national average. We experienced better times back in 2014 when the median after-tax income in this province was $65,900. British Columbia was the other province that lost ground in 2018, dropping from $63,500 to $62,000.

The overall poverty rate has declined. Statistics Canada uses the market basket measure to determine poverty. According to this measure, a family lives in poverty if it does not have enough income to purchase a specific basket of goods and services in the community. Given that, about 8.7 per cent of the population in Canada live below the poverty line. It had been 9.5 per cent in 2017.

The University of Regina’s Miguel Sanchez says governments across Canada are not telling the truth about child poverty. A report he co-authored on the subject says the market basket measure is misleading.
The Associate Professor of Social Work says it was created by governments for governments with the formula determined by ministers of Social Services. He says what they are not using is a formula accepted by the United Nations and the international community.