About Income Data

Choosing a Source

There are several sources of information, with differing methodologies and outputs. What you choose to use will depend on the following

• Detail you need: demographic, geographic, industrial, occupational or other
• Acceptable release frequency: monthly, annual, five-year census, one time
• Observed metric: hourly wages, weekly, monthly, annual, before-tax, after-tax or other
• Recipient(s): individual, family, household

Find more information about the methodologies and outputs from the Statistics Canada website:

• Labour Force Survey (LFS)
• Survey of Employment, Payroll and Hours (SEPH)
• Canadian Income Survey (CIS)
• Census/National Household Survey
• Tax-based Small Area and Administrative Data Division tables (SAADD)

Another source of tax-based data:

• Canada Revenue Agency CRA

Measuring Income

Income is measured in several surveys, and is also derived from income tax returns. There are a variety of ways of measuring income, some more suitable than others, depending on the use to be made of the data. When looking at economic well-being, household or family income may be more suitable than individual income. For example, one partner in a couple may primarily stay home looking after children and may have a low income, while the other partner could be in the labour force and making significant income. The former person is not necessarily poor.

About BC Stats

Learn more about how BC Stats' supports data in B.C.