Median after-tax income for families of 2 or more unchanged in 2010

$65,500 compared to $65,400 in 2009: Statistics Canada

Median after-tax income for Canadian families of two or more people amounted to $65,500 in 2010, virtually unchanged from 2009. This was the third consecutive year without significant change in after-tax income, according to Statistics Canada.

There were no changes to the three main components of after-tax income — market income (earnings, private pensions, income from investments and other sources), government transfers and income tax — from 2009 to 2010.

Two-parent families with children had a median after-tax income of $78,800 in 2010. The median for female lone-parent families was $38,700, while families headed by a senior had a median after-tax income of $46,800.

Looking at unattached individuals, median after-tax income was also unchanged in 2010. Non-seniors had a median of $27,500, while seniors received $23,400, said Statistics Canada.

Components of after-tax income

Median market income for two-parent families with children increased from $82,100 in 2009 to $84,400 in 2010.

In 2010, almost 20 million people aged 16 and over received some form of government transfer, an 11.7 per cent increase from 2009, said the report. This gain was driven by a 14.5 per cent increase in the number of non-seniors who received government transfers, which coincided with the introduction of new programs in Ontario and Nova Scotia.

The median amount of government transfers received by Canadian families and unattached individuals was unchanged between 2009 and 2010. Families received a median amount of $6,500, while unattached individuals had a median of $1,800.

Among families of two or more people, the median income tax paid in 2010 was $8,200, unchanged from 2009, found Statistics Canada.

Between 2009 and 2010, after-tax income rose for 52.8 per cent of individuals, while 47.2 per cent experienced a decline. Between 2006 and 2007, before the economic downturn, income rose for 62.4 per cent and declined for 37.6 per cent.

According to the after-tax low income cut-offs, three million Canadians, or nine per cent of the population, lived in low income in 2010, virtually the same number as in 2009. In 2000, this proportion was 12.5 per cent, found the report.

Median after-tax income for families with two or more people was unchanged in 2010 in all provinces. Median after-tax income was significantly higher in Ontario and Western Canada than in Quebec and Atlantic Canada. The median was highest in Alberta, at $78,100.

Breakdown by provinces

Market income

Government transfers

Income tax

After-tax income

median (2010 constant dollars)

Canada

64,900

6,500

8,200

65,500

Newfoundland and Labrador

47,500

14,200

6,200

56,300

Prince Edward Island

50,100

12,500

7,500

56,400

Nova Scotia

55,300

7,600

7,400

56,800

New Brunswick

54,800

8,900

7,300

58,900

Quebec

56,500

8,200

7,500

58,100

Ontario

68,500

6,600

8,400

69,300

Manitoba

68,400

4,800

9,500

64,500

Saskatchewan

72,400

4,100

9,600

70,100

Alberta

82,000

3,300

11,800

78,100

British Columbia

63,700

4,800

6,600

67,000

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