Home page > Publications
Documents of the CEPE
New release of the situation of poverty in Québec
This progress report represents a compilation of the most recent data on poverty and inequality in Québec.
After reviewing the latest low income thresholds and rates, the results of interregional, interprovincial and international comparisons are presented and discussed. To compare Québec against itself, we simulated typical cases to determine changes in the relative level of personal and family disposable income in relation to various existing thresholds over the period 2004-2012. We have also looked to the evolution of inequalities.
Compared to the previous edition, a few innovations have been introduced :
- low income rates comparison according to Census metropolitan area (CMA) in Canada ;
- international comparisons using Eurostat data (EU-SILC), available till 2009;
- graph showing market revenue and after-tax revenue distributions, adjusted with family size in 2010 ;
- inequality comparisons using Gini coefficients, between some provinces in Canada and between countries.
Poverty, inequality and social exclusion in Québec, 2012 progress report (PDF, 647 KB)
Poverty, Inequality and Social Exclusion in Québec: Looking Ahead to 2013. 2011 Progress Report
This progress report represents a compilation of the most recent data on poverty and inequality in Québec.
After reviewing the latest low income thresholds and rates, the results of interregional, interprovincial and international comparisons are presented and discussed. To compare Québec against itself, we simulated typical cases to determine changes in the relative level of personal and family disposable income in relation to various existing thresholds over the period 2004-2011. The report also discusses various measures of inequality. The CEPE has initiated research on the dimensions and indicators of social exclusion.
Taking the Measure of Poverty: Proposed Indicators of Poverty, Inequality and Social Exclusion to Measure Progress in Québec
One of the mandates of the Centre d’étude sur la pauvreté et l’exclusion is to advise the Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity on measures and indicators of poverty, inequality and social exclusion for measuring Québec’s progress in implementing the Act to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion.
This document constitutes an initial recommendation to that end:
Report on low incomes in Québec
(Centre d'étude sur la pauvreté et l'exclusion, 2008)
This document describes poverty trends in recent years and the proportion of low-income family units among Quebecers, the gap between their income and low-income thresholds, the duration of their situation, and their main sociodemographic and economic characteristics. More detailed information is provided about unattached persons and last-resort financial assistance recipients.
The document was commissioned by the Comité consultatif de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale 
with a view to improving public understanding of what it means to be in a situation of poverty and social exclusion.
Highlights:
- The low income rate has dropped since the late 1990s.
- The Montréal region has the highest low-income rate, and the Chaudière-Appalaches region, the lowest.
- Low income is generally a temporary phenomenon, but is persistent in certain segments of the population, including single-parent families and unattached persons (in Canada).
- Nearly half of low-incomers are unattached persons.
- Slightly more than half of low-income family units have no earnings.
- The family units composed of an unattached person post the widest gap between income and low-income thresholds. This is also the case with last-resort financial assistance recipients, notably, those with no limitations to employment.
Recueil statistique sur la pauvreté et les inégalités socioéconomiques au Québec
Published jointly by the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ) and the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (MESS), the Recueil statistique sur la pauvreté et les inégalités socioéconomiques au Québec (Morin 2006) groups together the main indicators in this field of study taken from the Inventaire des indicateurs de pauvreté et d’exclusion sociale (Morasse 2005). An invaluable research tool, it constitutes a reliable empirical benchmark to be used to measure over time the improvement or deterioration of the situation of persons and families living in poverty (historical transversal data), and also their relative position with respect to other groups in society.
Composed of more than 20 indicators calculated according to different conceptual approaches and methodologies, this can be used for assessing various statistical tools and determining which appear to be more productive. The indicators in this report were classed in three main categories.
- First are the poverty indicators on the incidence of this phenomenon (either from a point of view of income or expenditures), on its gravity and also on related government transfers (particularly social assistance).
- Second is the impact of socioeconomic indicators of inequality using indicators for the distribution of income in society.
- Finally, two composite indicators deal with the problem of the most disadvantaged by combining economic statistics (income, expenditures, etc.) and social statistics (isolation with respect to social networks, social referral groups, etc.).
- Recueil statistique sur la pauvreté et les inégalités socioéconomiques au Québec (PDF, 274 Mo) (French)
Inventaire des indicateurs de pauvreté et d’exclusion sociale
Published jointly by the Institut de la statistique du Québec and the ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (MESS), this inventory of poverty and social exclusion indicators (Morasse 2005) gives an overview of the many ways of defining and measuring the phenomenon of poverty. It has two objectives: to cover all aspects of the multidimensional phenomenon that is poverty and to open new avenues by presenting not only indicators calculated for Québec, but also those used elsewhere that could be the object of future compilations.
Inventaire des indicateurs de pauvreté et d’exclusion sociale (PDF, 474 Ko) (French only)
© Gouvernement du Québec, 2013