25. Poverty

25. POVERTY
The poverty rate is the number of individuals, either unattached or members of a family,
expressed as a percentage of the individuals within the same category, who live below
the low income cut-off.
Low income cut-off, set by Statistics Canada, is the gross income level starting at which
expenses for food, clothing and housing represent 20% more than the average
expenses incurred for these items by the same type of household. Low income cut-offs
vary according to family size, regional population and the consumer price index.
Low income cut-off is not the only parameter used to measure poverty, but it is one of
the most common.
Poverty rate, number of individuals affected and gap between income and poverty
line, by family type
Poverty (%)
Number of
individuals
Dollar gap
between income
and poverty line
(in 1997 C$)
Single-parent mothers under 65 with
children under 18
57.1
95 000
$10 124
Unattached women under 65
44.4
141 000
$6 845
Unattached men under 65
37.5
170 000
$6 650
Unattached women 65 and older
59.7
136 000
$2 780
Unattached men 65 and older
40.0
31 000
−
Couples under 65 with children under
18
12.5
92 000
$9 345
Childless couples under 65
15.6
81 000
$7 299
Couple 65 and older
11.6
25 000
−
Type of family
Source: National Council of Welfare, Poverty Profile 1997, Fall 1999.
Trends in the number of single-parent families, Québec
Families as a whole
Single-parent families
Year
Women
Men
1
Total
2
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%3
Number
%
1986
208 630
82.5
44 180
17.5
252 810
14.4
1 751 495
100
1991
220 125
81.9
48 760
18.1
268 885
14.3
1 883 235
100
1996
252 515
81.6
56 925
18.4
309 440
15.9
1 949 975
100
Sources: Conseil de la famille et de l’enfance, Ministère de la Famille et de l’Enfance, Institut de la statistique du Québec,
Un portrait statistique des familles et des enfants au Québec, 1999.
1
2
3
Proportion of women among single-parent families as a whole.
Proportion of men among single-parent families as a whole.
Proportion of single-parent families among families as a whole.