Regional Indicator 16: Low Income Cut-Offs

	Why It's Important There are a number of negative outcomes for those experiencing low incomes. People with low income may experience more physical and mental health problems, rely more on charity, attain lower levels of education, or have higher secondary school drop out rates.

Regional Indicator Sixteen uses data on the number of people with incomes below a level identified by Statistics Canada as relatively low. The region with the lowest proportion earns the best rank.

In 2007, the proportion of Vancouver families and unattached individuals below the after-tax Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) was 30 percent lower than it was in 1998. The ratio in Regional BC was 22 percent lower and Victoria's was only three percent lower in 2007 than in 1998.

Vancouver's average low-income prevalence from 1998 to 2007 was highest at 21.4 percent, followed by Victoria (18.7 percent) and Regional BC (15.5 percent).

Vancouver's 1999 value of 26.1 percent was the largest value recorded in BC between 1998 and 2007. The smallest was 12.3 percent in Regional BC in 2007. Victoria's lowest value was 13.5 in 2002.