{
  "id": "children-low-income",
  "category": "Cost of living",
  "title": "Children in low-income families, Greater Victoria",
  "geography": "Victoria census metropolitan area (Greater Victoria)",
  "scope": "region",
  "levels": [
    "Federal and provincial tax and benefit policy",
    "Families and employers"
  ],
  "plain_question": "Out of every 100 children and teens under 18, how many live in a family with low income after tax?",
  "value": 12.4,
  "display_value": "12.4%",
  "unit": "of children under 18, 2023",
  "period": "Calendar year 2023",
  "period_start": "2023-01-01",
  "period_end": "2023-12-31",
  "comparison": {
    "previous_period": "Calendar year 2022",
    "previous_value": 12.7,
    "change_percent": -2.4
  },
  "trend": "roughly_flat",
  "direction_good": "down",
  "right_direction": "A lower share means fewer children live in low-income families.",
  "trend_basis": "12.4% of people under 18 in 2023 (7,610 children and teens) against 12.7% in 2022. All ages: 11.9%. 65 and over: 8.2%. B.C. under 18: 16.7%. Canada under 18: 18.3%.",
  "since_text": "All ages 11.9%, 65 and over 8.2%. B.C. children 16.7%, Canada 18.3%.",
  "compare_text": "B.C. 16.7%, Canada 18.3%",
  "caveats": [
    "Low income here is Statistics Canada’s after-tax low income measure for census families (CFLIM-AT), from tax returns: a family is in low income if its after-tax income, adjusted for family size, is below half the national median.",
    "It is not Canada’s official poverty line (the Market Basket Measure). Statistics Canada publishes the official poverty rate for 25 large areas; Victoria is not one of them, so this measure is used.",
    "In 2020 and 2021 pandemic benefits raised many low incomes, so the rate fell and then rose again.",
    "Tax data are published about 18 months after the year."
  ],
  "charts": [
    {
      "title": "Children under 18 in low income: Greater Victoria, B.C. and Canada",
      "fmt": "dec1",
      "unit": "%",
      "lines": [
        {
          "name": "Greater Victoria",
          "area": "cma",
          "series": [
            {
              "period": "2000",
              "value": 23.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2001",
              "value": 20.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2002",
              "value": 21.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2003",
              "value": 21.5
            },
            {
              "period": "2004",
              "value": 21.4
            },
            {
              "period": "2005",
              "value": 21.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2006",
              "value": 20.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2007",
              "value": 19.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2008",
              "value": 18.6
            },
            {
              "period": "2009",
              "value": 19.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2010",
              "value": 19.4
            },
            {
              "period": "2011",
              "value": 19.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2012",
              "value": 19.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2013",
              "value": 18.9
            },
            {
              "period": "2014",
              "value": 18.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2015",
              "value": 17.7
            },
            {
              "period": "2016",
              "value": 16.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2017",
              "value": 15.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2018",
              "value": 14.7
            },
            {
              "period": "2019",
              "value": 14.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2020",
              "value": 10.7
            },
            {
              "period": "2021",
              "value": 11.4
            },
            {
              "period": "2022",
              "value": 12.7
            },
            {
              "period": "2023",
              "value": 12.4
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "name": "British Columbia",
          "area": "bc",
          "series": [
            {
              "period": "2000",
              "value": 27.6
            },
            {
              "period": "2001",
              "value": 26.4
            },
            {
              "period": "2002",
              "value": 26.9
            },
            {
              "period": "2003",
              "value": 27.6
            },
            {
              "period": "2004",
              "value": 27.5
            },
            {
              "period": "2005",
              "value": 26.7
            },
            {
              "period": "2006",
              "value": 25.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2007",
              "value": 24.5
            },
            {
              "period": "2008",
              "value": 24.3
            },
            {
              "period": "2009",
              "value": 25.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2010",
              "value": 25.3
            },
            {
              "period": "2011",
              "value": 24.3
            },
            {
              "period": "2012",
              "value": 24.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2013",
              "value": 23.9
            },
            {
              "period": "2014",
              "value": 23.4
            },
            {
              "period": "2015",
              "value": 22.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2016",
              "value": 20.3
            },
            {
              "period": "2017",
              "value": 19.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2018",
              "value": 18.5
            },
            {
              "period": "2019",
              "value": 18.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2020",
              "value": 13.3
            },
            {
              "period": "2021",
              "value": 14.3
            },
            {
              "period": "2022",
              "value": 16.7
            },
            {
              "period": "2023",
              "value": 16.7
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "name": "Canada",
          "area": "canada",
          "series": [
            {
              "period": "2000",
              "value": 24.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2001",
              "value": 23.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2002",
              "value": 23.9
            },
            {
              "period": "2003",
              "value": 24.5
            },
            {
              "period": "2004",
              "value": 24.7
            },
            {
              "period": "2005",
              "value": 23.6
            },
            {
              "period": "2006",
              "value": 22.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2007",
              "value": 22.7
            },
            {
              "period": "2008",
              "value": 22.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2009",
              "value": 22.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2010",
              "value": 22.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2011",
              "value": 22.4
            },
            {
              "period": "2012",
              "value": 22.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2013",
              "value": 22.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2014",
              "value": 21.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2015",
              "value": 20.9
            },
            {
              "period": "2016",
              "value": 19.6
            },
            {
              "period": "2017",
              "value": 18.6
            },
            {
              "period": "2018",
              "value": 18.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2019",
              "value": 17.7
            },
            {
              "period": "2020",
              "value": 13.5
            },
            {
              "period": "2021",
              "value": 15.6
            },
            {
              "period": "2022",
              "value": 18.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2023",
              "value": 18.3
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "People in low income by age, Greater Victoria",
      "fmt": "dec1",
      "unit": "%",
      "lines": [
        {
          "name": "Under 18",
          "area": "cma",
          "series": [
            {
              "period": "2000",
              "value": 23.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2001",
              "value": 20.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2002",
              "value": 21.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2003",
              "value": 21.5
            },
            {
              "period": "2004",
              "value": 21.4
            },
            {
              "period": "2005",
              "value": 21.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2006",
              "value": 20.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2007",
              "value": 19.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2008",
              "value": 18.6
            },
            {
              "period": "2009",
              "value": 19.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2010",
              "value": 19.4
            },
            {
              "period": "2011",
              "value": 19.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2012",
              "value": 19.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2013",
              "value": 18.9
            },
            {
              "period": "2014",
              "value": 18.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2015",
              "value": 17.7
            },
            {
              "period": "2016",
              "value": 16.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2017",
              "value": 15.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2018",
              "value": 14.7
            },
            {
              "period": "2019",
              "value": 14.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2020",
              "value": 10.7
            },
            {
              "period": "2021",
              "value": 11.4
            },
            {
              "period": "2022",
              "value": 12.7
            },
            {
              "period": "2023",
              "value": 12.4
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "name": "All ages",
          "area": "cma",
          "series": [
            {
              "period": "2000",
              "value": 15.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2001",
              "value": 14.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2002",
              "value": 14.9
            },
            {
              "period": "2003",
              "value": 15.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2004",
              "value": 15.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2005",
              "value": 14.9
            },
            {
              "period": "2006",
              "value": 14.5
            },
            {
              "period": "2007",
              "value": 13.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2008",
              "value": 13.6
            },
            {
              "period": "2009",
              "value": 14.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2010",
              "value": 14.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2011",
              "value": 14.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2012",
              "value": 14.7
            },
            {
              "period": "2013",
              "value": 14.9
            },
            {
              "period": "2014",
              "value": 15.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2015",
              "value": 14.9
            },
            {
              "period": "2016",
              "value": 14.3
            },
            {
              "period": "2017",
              "value": 13.9
            },
            {
              "period": "2018",
              "value": 13.6
            },
            {
              "period": "2019",
              "value": 13.4
            },
            {
              "period": "2020",
              "value": 10.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2021",
              "value": 11.5
            },
            {
              "period": "2022",
              "value": 12.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2023",
              "value": 11.9
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "name": "65 and over",
          "area": "cma",
          "series": [
            {
              "period": "2000",
              "value": 4.9
            },
            {
              "period": "2001",
              "value": 5.4
            },
            {
              "period": "2002",
              "value": 6.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2003",
              "value": 5.9
            },
            {
              "period": "2004",
              "value": 6.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2005",
              "value": 6.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2006",
              "value": 6.9
            },
            {
              "period": "2007",
              "value": 6.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2008",
              "value": 6.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2009",
              "value": 5.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2010",
              "value": 6.7
            },
            {
              "period": "2011",
              "value": 6.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2012",
              "value": 6.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2013",
              "value": 7.5
            },
            {
              "period": "2014",
              "value": 8.5
            },
            {
              "period": "2015",
              "value": 9.7
            },
            {
              "period": "2016",
              "value": 10.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2017",
              "value": 10.7
            },
            {
              "period": "2018",
              "value": 10.6
            },
            {
              "period": "2019",
              "value": 10.5
            },
            {
              "period": "2020",
              "value": 8.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2021",
              "value": 10.3
            },
            {
              "period": "2022",
              "value": 10.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2023",
              "value": 8.2
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "series": [
    {
      "period": "2000",
      "value": 23.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2001",
      "value": 20.8
    },
    {
      "period": "2002",
      "value": 21.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2003",
      "value": 21.5
    },
    {
      "period": "2004",
      "value": 21.4
    },
    {
      "period": "2005",
      "value": 21.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2006",
      "value": 20.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2007",
      "value": 19.2
    },
    {
      "period": "2008",
      "value": 18.6
    },
    {
      "period": "2009",
      "value": 19.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2010",
      "value": 19.4
    },
    {
      "period": "2011",
      "value": 19.2
    },
    {
      "period": "2012",
      "value": 19.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2013",
      "value": 18.9
    },
    {
      "period": "2014",
      "value": 18.8
    },
    {
      "period": "2015",
      "value": 17.7
    },
    {
      "period": "2016",
      "value": 16.1
    },
    {
      "period": "2017",
      "value": 15.1
    },
    {
      "period": "2018",
      "value": 14.7
    },
    {
      "period": "2019",
      "value": 14.2
    },
    {
      "period": "2020",
      "value": 10.7
    },
    {
      "period": "2021",
      "value": 11.4
    },
    {
      "period": "2022",
      "value": 12.7
    },
    {
      "period": "2023",
      "value": 12.4
    }
  ],
  "refresh_frequency": "Annually (tax-return data, about 18 months after the year)",
  "data_published": "2025-07-18",
  "source": {
    "name": "Statistics Canada, after-tax low income (CFLIM-AT), table 11-10-0018-01",
    "url": "https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1110001801",
    "dataset_url": "https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/9fca98d2-6f3e-47ff-b85f-b87963d29d9a",
    "table_url": "https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1110001801",
    "table": "11-10-0018-01",
    "publisher_page": "https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/subjects-start/income_pensions_spending_and_wealth",
    "locator": "Table 11-10-0018-01: Victoria, British Columbia; All family units in low income; Persons aged 0 to 17 years; Percentage of persons in low income; 2023",
    "reads": "2023: 12.4%; 2022: 12.7%"
  },
  "licence": {
    "name": "Open Government Licence - Canada",
    "url": "https://open.canada.ca/en/open-government-licence-canada"
  },
  "attribution": "Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 11-10-0018-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.",
  "retrieved_at": "2026-11-13T05:22:14Z",
  "licence_type": "open",
  "source_tier": 1,
  "measure_kind": "outcome",
  "better_measure": null,
  "status_rule": {
    "rule": "One rule for every measure: a change smaller than 5% of the earlier value, or smaller than the agency's own margin of error, is “About the same”; no change is calculated across a marked break in a series; homelessness estimates, prices, staffing and comparison pages are shown for context without a label.",
    "reason": "The change is 2.4% of the earlier value, below the 5% threshold.",
    "threshold_percent": 5.0
  },
  "changes": {
    "year": {
      "period": "Calendar year 2022",
      "value": 12.7,
      "text": "vs 2022: -2.4%"
    },
    "five_year": {
      "period": "2018",
      "years": 5,
      "value": 14.7,
      "comparable": true,
      "text": "vs 2018: −15.6%"
    }
  },
  "direction": {
    "type": "outcome",
    "rule": "Outcome measures read Better, Worse or About the same; published government targets read Ahead of, On or Behind target; value-judgement measures read Rising, Falling or Steady in a neutral colour. A change smaller than the agency's own margin of error, or otherwise smaller than 5% of the earlier value, is About the same (or Steady). No change is calculated across a marked break in a series.",
    "key": "same",
    "label": "About the same this year. Better over 5 years.",
    "arrow": "▼",
    "rel": -2.4,
    "delta": null,
    "vs": "Calendar year 2022",
    "cur": "Calendar year 2023",
    "why": "The change is 2.4% of the earlier value, below the 5% threshold. Over 5 years (since 2018) the change is 15.6% of the earlier value, at or above the 5% threshold, so the label also says Better over 5 years.",
    "change": "2.4%",
    "one_year": "−2.4%",
    "five": {
      "period": "2018",
      "comparable": true,
      "rel": -15.646258503401352,
      "text": "−15.6%",
      "years": 5
    },
    "label_one_year": "About the same",
    "long_key": "better",
    "long_label": "Better over 5 years"
  },
  "benchmark": {
    "rung": 5,
    "rung_name": "No target found",
    "as_of": "2026-11-12",
    "items": [
      {
        "kind": "related",
        "label": "Related target",
        "text": "Related target, not drawn: B.C.’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Act calls for initiatives to reduce the poverty rate for persons under 18 for 2034 by at least 75% below the 2016 rate. It is measured with the official poverty line (the Market Basket Measure), not with this low income measure, so it is not drawn.",
        "area": "British Columbia",
        "source": {
          "title": "Poverty Reduction Strategy Act (SBC 2018, c. 40), section 2",
          "publisher": "Province of B.C.",
          "date": "current to November 3, 2026",
          "url": "https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/18040",
          "terms": "https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/home/copyright",
          "refresh": "When the Act is amended",
          "licence": "Public document, not under an open licence. Quoted with attribution.",
          "checked": "2026-11-12",
          "key": "bc_prsa"
        },
        "documents_checked": null,
        "see": "income-assistance"
      },
      {
        "kind": "related",
        "label": "Related target",
        "text": "Related target, not drawn: Canada’s Poverty Reduction Act states an aim of 50% below the 2015 level of poverty by 2030, also measured with the official poverty line.",
        "area": "Canada",
        "source": {
          "title": "Poverty Reduction Act (S.C. 2019, c. 29, s. 315), section 6",
          "publisher": "Government of Canada",
          "date": "2019",
          "url": "https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/P-16.81/FullText.html",
          "terms": "https://www.canada.ca/en/transparency/terms.html",
          "refresh": "When the Act is amended",
          "licence": "Public document, not under an open licence. Quoted with attribution.",
          "checked": "2026-11-12",
          "key": "ca_pra"
        },
        "documents_checked": null
      },
      {
        "kind": "compare",
        "label": "Comparison, not a goal",
        "area": null,
        "source": null,
        "documents_checked": null,
        "text": "The British Columbia and Canada lines are shown for comparison. They are not a goal."
      }
    ],
    "drawn": [],
    "rule": "Highest rung found is shown; the site never sets a target. Methods, Targets."
  },
  "benchmarks": [
    {
      "rung": 2,
      "kind": "related",
      "label": "Related target, not drawn: B.C.’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Act calls for initiatives to reduce the poverty rate for persons under 18 for 2034 by at least 75% below the 2016 rate. It is measured with the official poverty line (the Market Basket Measure), not with this low income measure, so it is not drawn.",
      "short": null,
      "document": "bc_prsa",
      "page": null,
      "area": "British Columbia",
      "fit": "text_only",
      "same_area": false,
      "related_reason": "Different unit, definition, period or area; written under the chart, not drawn.",
      "document_url": "https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/18040",
      "applies_here": false,
      "same_measure": false
    },
    {
      "rung": 2,
      "kind": "related",
      "label": "Related target, not drawn: Canada’s Poverty Reduction Act states an aim of 50% below the 2015 level of poverty by 2030, also measured with the official poverty line.",
      "short": null,
      "document": "ca_pra",
      "page": null,
      "area": "Canada",
      "fit": "text_only",
      "same_area": false,
      "related_reason": "Different unit, definition, period or area; written under the chart, not drawn.",
      "document_url": "https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/P-16.81/FullText.html",
      "applies_here": false,
      "same_measure": false
    },
    {
      "rung": 4,
      "kind": "comparison",
      "label": "The British Columbia and Canada lines are shown for comparison. They are not a goal.",
      "fit": "full",
      "drawn": true,
      "area": null,
      "applies_here": false,
      "same_measure": true
    }
  ],
  "highest_rung": 4,
  "decided_by": [
    {
      "body": "NONE",
      "name": "No government decides this directly",
      "note": "Employers, workers and families decide most income. Federal and provincial tax and benefit rules also affect it; only the Province’s assistance laws are cited here."
    },
    {
      "body": "BC",
      "name": "Province of B.C.",
      "decides": "Provides income assistance and disability assistance, and sets who is eligible and how much, by law and regulation.",
      "laws": [
        {
          "key": "eaa4",
          "label": "Employment and Assistance Act, s. 4",
          "url": "https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/02040_01#section4"
        },
        {
          "key": "eapwda5",
          "label": "Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Act, s. 5",
          "url": "https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/02041_01#section5"
        }
      ],
      "last": null,
      "next": null
    }
  ],
  "main_decision_maker": "No government decides this directly",
  "label_1y": {
    "key": "same",
    "label": "About the same"
  },
  "label_long": {
    "key": "better",
    "label": "Better",
    "years": 5,
    "change": "−15.6%"
  },
  "target_line": {
    "form": 5,
    "text": "Related target only · B.C. 16.7%",
    "target": null,
    "gap": null,
    "comparison": "B.C. 16.7%",
    "applies_here": false,
    "note": null
  }
}