The fraction of Canadian income accruing to the top 1 percent of earners has been rising in recentyears. This share fell noticeably in the early part of the twentieth century and then remained
relatively constant until the mid-1980s, when it started to rise gradually. Note that the data seriesstarting in 1920 ends in 2000. A second series, similar but not identical to the first, begins in 1981
and is updated regularly.
(Alternatives, Source: Based on A. Yalnizyan, “The Rise of Canada’s Richest 1%,” Canadian Centre for PolicyDecember 2010. Updated with data from CANSIM Table 204-0001.)
How Much Does the 1 Percent Earn?
In 2014, a Canadian needed to earn $225 000 of pre-tax income in order
to be counted among the richest 1 percent of earners. In that year, almost
269 000 Canadian tax filers were included in that group, with an average
income of just under $467 000. The sources of income for the highest
percent of earners have changed over time. In 1982, just under half of
their total earnings came from wages and salaries, and just over half came
from the returns from capital and the owning of businesses. By 2014, 65
percent of their total income was from wages and salaries. Increasingly,
high-income people, such as corporate executives, professional athletes,