What data are available on poverty?

Although Canada has no officially recognized poverty level as the US has, Statistics Canada has developed data on the incidence of low income.

Annual measures appear in Income Trends in Canada, a Statistics Canada publication and CD-ROM. A 1992 Family Expenditure Survey found that families in Canada spend, on average, 44% of their after-tax income on food, shelter and clothing. Twenty points were then arbitrarily added bringing the proportion to 64% of income, on the grounds that a family spending more than this proportion of its income on necessities is significantly worse off than the average family. Income levels were determined, using both family size and urban area size, at which families were spending 64% or greater of their income on necessities. This established the Low Income Cut-Offs (LICO). These are updated annually using the Consumer Price Index. For details see Income Trends in Canada: User's Guide Data is available for the provinces and metropolitan areas annually. For more information contact BC Stats Statistics Canada has basic data on its web site for Canada and the provinces at http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/ind01/l3_3868_2812.htm

The Census also uses the LICO to provide measures of low income with wide geographical flexibility—Provinces, Regional Districts (Census Divisions), incorporated places, Indian Reserves and unorganized areas (Census Subdivisions), and Census Metropolitan Areas (Vancouver, Victoria and Abbotsford starting with 2001) and urban areas under 100,000 population (Census Agglomerations) with breakouts by neighbourhood (Census Tracts) for those that are 50,000+ in population. Custom areas can be purchased from Statistics Canada. LICO data is not available for Indian Reserves as the LICO methodology includes the cost of shelter and aboriginal housing on Indian Reserves is usually provided.

Human Resources Development Canada has recently released results of a new approach to low income termed the Market Basket Measure.

Are welfare rates available?

Welfare, or income assistance in British Columbia, is delivered under a program called BC Employment and Assistance (formerly BC Benefits). Using nominal data provided by the BC Ministry of Human Resources, BC Stats aggregates and calculates rates per population for recipients of income assistance for the province, Regional Districts, some municipalities, Local Health Areas and School Districts. Recipients represented in these tables are those on Temporary Assistance. Excluded are those on Continuous Assistance—Persons with Disabilities and Persons with Persistent Multiple Barriers to Employment as well as Children in the Home of a Relative. Data is found in

• Community Facts
• Socio-Economic Indicators
• Regional Districts

What is the disabled population of...?

Statistics Canada's 2001 post-censal survey of the disabled, the Participation and Activity Limitation Survey, produced estimates at the provincial level. There is no current data below the province level. A number of reports have been produced on adults and children. Search on the Statistics Canada web site FOR THE KEYWORD "PALS". A similar survey in 1991, the Health and Activity Limitation Survey, included some data for metropolitan areas.

Human Resources Development Canada has produced reports based on the PALS survey and other sources. See the Office for Disability Issues.

What aboriginal data are available?

A principal source of demographic data for the aboriginal population is the Census. It is important to be aware that the aboriginal population is described by two different concepts. The Census asked "To which cultural group(s) did this person's ancestors belong?" and examples included Cree, Micmac, Metis, Inuit in the 2001 Census. One was instructed to write in as many as applied. The results of this question are aboriginal origin tabulations, and are generally expressed as single origin and multiple origin (aboriginal and non-aboriginal). Another question asked "Is this person an Aboriginal person, that is, North American Indian, Metis or Inuit?" Additional questions were "Is this person a member of an Indian Band/First Nation?" and "Is this person a Treaty Indian or a Registered Indian as defined by the Indian Act of Canada?" A positive response to any of these three questions resulted in the aboriginal identity designation. More persons report aboriginal origin than aboriginal identity. The 1996 Census was the first to publish results based on the identity question. The increase in the aboriginal identity population between 1996 and 2001 was larger than can be explained by natural increase or migration. As has been experienced in the US and Australia and New Zealand, there appears to be an increased propensity to identify as aboriginal. Statistics Canada has produced a variety of Census tabulations using both aboriginal concepts, primarily at the province and metropolitan area levels. Some tabulations include on and off reserve breakouts. Check the Statistics Canada web site on the Census, Data, under Topic-Based Tabulations. Custom tabulations are available from Statistics Canada on a user-pay basis. Using the identity concept, Statistics Canada has provided 2001 Aboriginal Population Profiles BC Stats has prepared Aboriginal Peoples Profiles With Emphasis on Labour Market and Post-Secondary Education Issues by College Region.

The Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS) provides data on the social and economic conditions of Aboriginal people in Canada. Its specific purpose was to identify the needs of Aboriginal people, focusing on issues such as health, language, employment, income, schooling, housing, and mobility. The survey was designed and implemented in partnership with national Aboriginal organizations. The survey was conducted as a post-censal survey in 1991 and 2001. Non-reserve data is available for the provinces. On-reserve data is limited, as BC has many small reserves, and the survey was not able to adequately cover this population. Use Statistics Canada's search engine and search on "APS".

The BC Ministry of Education asks students each year to self-identify if aboriginal. Numbers fluctuate, as students may not be consistent year-to-year. School performance data for aboriginal students and Foundation Skills Assessment data which includes aboriginal students are on the Ministry site.

The BC Vital Statistics Agency prepares Status Indian Reports of birth-related and mortality summaries for Health Service Delivery Areas.

The Provincial Health Officer's Annual Report for 2001 was devoted to the health and well-being of aboriginal peoples in BC. It is an excellent resource for data on aboriginal peoples

The Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada offers counts of the registered Indian population and includes some studies based on Census and other data.