2013-06 Income of Canadians

Yesterday, Statistics Canada released a publication Income of Canadians. It provides lots of information on where Canadians get income from, how income is distributed across the population and how income is redistributed through public institutions, among others. Some highlights:

• ·        Over 95% of Canadians aged 15 and over received income in 2010,
  83% - some income from private sources.
  
  
  Ø  70% - some income from government transfers
  Ø  13% - only from government transfers
  Ø  predominantly from private sources, and
  
  
  ·         Median total income of almost $30 000
  
  
  Ø  7/8^th of total from private sources
  Ø  1/8^th  of total from government
  
  
  ·         Employment was the main source of income for Canadians
  
  
  Ø  70% of Canadians aged 15years and over earned income through employment.
  Ø  Employment earnings – ¾ of  the total income received by private households
  
  
  ·         Income redistribution through income taxes and government transfers
  
  
  Ø  Government transfers made up a large proportion of the income of seniors and of Canadians with the lowest income
  -          41. 1 % of the total aged 65 years and over;
  -          90% of these transfers came from Canada Pension Plan/Quebec Pension Plan (CPP/QPP), Old Age Security pension (OAS), and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS).
  
  
  Ø  For the 10% of Canadians with the lowest family after - tax incomes, government transfers contributed 2/3 of their income.
  Ø  Collectively , Canadians in each of the lowest five deciles received more money from government transfers than they paid in income taxes
  Ø  The 10% of Canadians with the highest family after - tax incomes paid 25 % of their income in income taxes and received 2% of their income from government transfers

It seems that papers concentrated on what one needs to earn to be in the top 1% ($191 000). You may read about it in the National Post but keep in mind (it is fairly obvious) that Terence Corcoran is extremely biased.
By the way, he does suggest that the publication is misleading. No, it is not. It is a survey of 4.5 million of households, and is done by statisticians whose only agenda is to provide good statistical information. Statistics Canada is one of the best statistical offices in the world. You can use their data with full confidence.