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July 12, 2017FAMILY INCOME AND INDIVIDUAL INCOME, 2015 SUB-PROVINCIAL DATA Statistics Canada has released estimates of family and individual income generated from 2015 T1 personal income tax returns. This data shows how income is changing over time for particular types of families as well as how it compares by type of income and geography.
Within Statistics Canada’s estimates, there are income results for those who are in census families (couples and lone-parent families) as well as for those who are not in census families. The data shows median income for families (which often include more than one earner) as well as for persons within families (which allows for comparison with those who are not in census families). There are data available for provinces, for Census Metropolitan Areas (CMA), smaller Census Agglomerations (CA) and areas outside CMA and CA communities.
For Nova Scotia, the T1 records indicate a total of 901,490 persons (totals will not align with official population estimates). Of these, 68.1 per cent were in couple families – the lowest such proportion among provinces while there were 13.1 per cent in lone-parent families (second highest among provinces) and 18.8 per cent not in any form of census family (second highest among provinces). The proportion of persons in census families were notably lower in New Glasgow and Cape Breton CAs.
The share of taxfilers and dependents who were over 65 years of age was 19.2 per cent in Nova Scotia - the highest in the country. The proportion under 15 years of age was 15.1 per cent - the second lowest among provinces.
The median total income of couple families in Nova Scotia was $82,860 from all income sources in 2015, compared with a national average of $88,610. On an individual basis (median among the individuals reporting income within couples), median total earnings were $34,850 in Nova Scotia in 2015 versus a national average of $36,600. Median income from all sources among persons in lone-parent families who had income in Nova Scotia during 2015 was $26,450 while the national median was $29,110. Median income from all sources among persons not in census familiesw who had income in Nova Scotia during 2015 was $25,960 (national: $28,410).
Dual-earner couples make up 55.2 per cent of all couple families in Nova Scotia. These dual-earner families report median employment earnings of $85,350 compared with a national dual earner median of $92,790. Among the 15.7 per cent of couple families with a single male earner, median employment earnings were $31,650 in Nova Scotia ($32,640 national). In the 9.2 per cent of couple families with a single female earner, the median employment income was $21,200 (vs. $23,510 nationally). This determines the median income of the couple family as a whole (counting all earners).
The data released from today's 2015 income tax returns also allows for an alternate estimate of low income, using the low-income measure after tax. There are several measures used to report low income, including the low-income measure reported here as well as the low-income cut-off and the market basket measure. The Low Income Measure After Tax reported below shows that there is a relatively low incidence of low income among couple families in Nova Scotia, but a higher incidence among lone-parent families and those not in a census family.
Statistics Canada Notes:
Data from this release are based on the census family concept for families. Data are derived from personal income tax returns filed in spring 2016, and are not adjusted on the basis of Statistics Canada's population estimates.
Census family refers to a married or a common-law couple, with or without children at home, or a lone parent of any marital status, with at least one child living at home. There are no restrictions on the age of the children. This concept differs from the economic family concept used in most income data tables associated with the Canadian Income Survey and the Census of Population. Economic family refers to a group of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling and are related to each other by blood, marriage, common-law, adoption or a foster relationship.
The 2016 tax data are available for census metropolitan areas (CMA) and for census agglomerations (CA). A CMA or CA is formed by one or more adjacent municipalities centred on a population centre (also known as the core). A CMA must have a total population of at least 100,000, of which 50,000 or more must live in the core. A CA must have a core population of at least 10,000.
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM tables 111-0009 and 111-0015
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