On July 20th, CCPA- BC economist Iglika Ivanova posted her analysis of Statistics Canada data showing a breakdown of incomes in Canada and B.C on the BC blog, Policy Note
We were inspired to examine how the distribution of incomes looks in Manitoba using the same data from Statistics Canada Cansim Table 202-0401. The following table includes all income before-tax (including all government transfers, such as EI, welfare, GST credits) for economic families of 2 and more persons.
Income by Quintile – Canada and Manitoba
|
Canada |
Income Range |
Percent of Families |
Description |
|
Quintile 1 |
Up to $40,000 |
21.1% |
Poor and near poor |
|
Quintile 2 |
$40,000 – $60, 000 |
17.9% |
Lower-middle or modest income |
|
Quintile 3 |
$60,000-$85,000 |
20.4% |
Middle income |
|
Quintile 4 |
$85,000 – $125,000 |
21.4% |
Upper-middle income |
|
Quintile 5 |
Over $125,000 |
19.2% |
High income |
|
Manitoba |
|
|
|
|
Quintile 1 |
Up to $40,000 |
19.8% |
Poor and near poor |
|
Quintile 2 |
$40,000 – $60, 000 |
17.9% |
Lower-middle or modest income |
|
Quintile 3 |
$60,000-$85,000 |
23.7% |
Middle income |
|
Quintile 4 |
$85,000 – $125,000 |
21.5% |
Upper-middle income |
|
Quintile 5 |
Over $125,000 |
17% |
High income |
What does this tell us about Manitobans?
Fully 19.8 percent of Manitoba families of two or more persons are earning less than $40,000, and depending on their family size, are living near the poverty line. 37.7 percent of families are earning less than what would be considered a middle-income. Only 23.7 percent of Manitobans are in fact middle-income earners with the remaining 38.5% of earners in the upper-middle to high-income quintiles. Bottom line? the middle class is not the norm.
If you are a family of two or more with less than $60,000 income before-tax, you are earning less than middle-income. As described by Ivanova, many of the existing and proposed federal government tax cuts benefit those with incomes exceeding $70,000. Add to this the Conservative government’s disinterest in policy measures that will help low and middle income families, such as childcare and adequate pensions, and we will likely see a further increase in disparity between low and high income earners.
People are responsible for their income; and the way they spent it. I used to be high income in my working years, now I am retired and into the poor range. My quality of life, nevertheless, remained the same because I shifted resources and changed lifestyle. I folowed with dismay the destructive policies of the former NDP gouvernment and I strongly aprove the responsable way the Conservatives treat finances and spend only on what it’s needed. The gouvernment has no money, what we call gouvernment money is actually our money and I want it spent wisely.