Taxfilers' Income by Development Region

Topic Box from the 2006 Sixth Annual Benchmark Report

Description
This indicator measures the income earned by British Columbians from employment and self-employment as reported to the Canada Revenue Agency on tax returns. For tax purposes, employment/self-employment includes wages, salaries, taxable allowances, benefits, commissions, tips and gratuities as well as net income from fishing and farming operations, net professional and unincorporated business income and net commission income.

Why it's Important
This indicator is a measure of economic activity and individual prosperity.

Analysis
The Northeast and Lower Mainland-Southwest had the highest real per capita income among the Development Regions. The Northeast was first in 2004 with real per capita income of $16,500; the Lower Mainland- Southwest Development Region was second with real per capita income of $15,387. The Northeast and Lower Mainland Development Regions held the same respective positions for the average real per capita income between 1995 and 2004 at $15,109 and $14,230.

Seven Development Regions saw increases in their real per capita income between 1995 and 2004. The exception was the North Coast which had a decrease of 8.9%. The increases range from 2.4% in the Nechako Development Region to 16.2% in the Thompson-Okanagan.