STANDARD OF LIVING
Individuals, families, and children living below the poverty line may face many obstacles, which can limit their ability to enjoy quality of life.
MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME
Median census family income after-tax in 2022
$66620VICTORIA CMAUP FROM $64,980 IN 2021
$61720BRITISH COLUMBIA
$60800CANADA
SOURCE: STATISTICS CANADA
MEDIAN INDIVIDUAL INCOME
Median individual total income in 2022
$49750 VICTORIA CMA UP FROM $48,050 IN 2021
$43170BRITISH COLUMBIA
$43090 CANADA
Victoria CMA in 2022
$44420 WOMEN
$56600 MEN
SOURCE: STATISTICS CANADA
BC MINIMUM WAGE
General minimum hourly wage in BC
2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
---|---|---|---|---|
$14.60 | $15.20 | $15.65 | $16.75 | $17.40 |
A FULL-TIME MINIMUM WAGE WORKER EARNS
$17.40/hour = $31668/year pre-tax
$3,154 above national 2022 poverty line for a single person
$8,657 below national 2021 poverty line for a two-person household if that worker is a single parent living with one child
Note: Full-time, full-year work is 35 hours of paid work for 52 weeks. The poverty line is based on Statistics Canada’s 2022 Low Income Measure (LIM) threshold for market income in 2022 constant dollars for a one-person household ($28,514) and a two-person household ($40,325) in Canada.
SOURCE: STATISTICS CANADA
APP-BASED GIG WORKERS
In 2024, BC established an inflation-adjusted minimum wage and protections for people working in app-based gigs, such as ridehailing and delivery services. These workers must receive $20.88 an hour from the time they accept an assignment to the time it is completed (“engaged time”). The pay standards are not applied to time spent waiting between gigs, which accounts for the 20% higher minimum wage.
SOURCE: PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TARGETS
1.2: Reduce national poverty by 50%
5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere
8.5: Achieve full, productive employment, decent work for all and equal pay for work of equal value
POVERTY RATES
Poverty rates in 2022 as measured by Statistics Canada’s Census Family Low Income Measure after tax
SOURCE: STATISTICS CANADA
LIVING WAGE
The hourly wage required to maintain an adequate quality of life in the capital region in 2023.
$25.40up from $24.29 in 2022
$8 higher than the current minimum wage ($17.40).
Food, shelter, and childcare make up the largest portion of household expenses. The largest dollar increase was in shelter costs and food costs were up considerably. Childcare costs were down due to expanded government investment.
The living wage is the hourly wage required for two working parents with two young children to meet their basic expenses, after accounting for government taxes, credits, deductions, and subsidies, based on a 35-hour work week.
SOURCE: COMMUNITY SOCIAL PLANNING COUNCIL OF GREATER VICTORIA
COMMUNITY IN FOCUS
FOOD BANK USAGE
In March 2023, Canada’s 2,388 food banks reported 2 million visits and distributed 4 million meals. Food bank usage was up 32% from March 2022 and up 79% from March 2019.
Of food bank users in 2023, one third (642,000) were children, 44% were single adults, 42% were on social assistance or disability support, 27% were newcomers to Canada, and 12% were Indigenous people. Top reasons people accessed a food bank were food costs, housing costs, and low wages, or not enough hours of work.
In BC, 127 food banks, including four in Greater Victoria, reported 196,000 visits (32% by children) and provided 225,000 meals in 2023, with food bank usage up 20% from 2022 and up 57% from 2019.
SOURCE: FOOD BANKS CANADA