Low income lines (LIM, LICOs, MBM), annual

In order to provide a holographic or complete picture of low income, Statistics Canada implements an approach that uses three complementary low income lines: the Low Income Cut-offs (LICOs), the Low Income Measures (LIMs) and the Market Basket Measure (MBM). While the first two lines were developed by Statistics Canada, the MBM is based on concepts developed by Human Resources and Skill Development Canada. Though these measures differ from one another, they give a generally consistent picture of low income status over time.

The following low income cut-off tables are available online through the Statistics Canada website, with data up to 2019:

• Table 11-10-0232-01: Low income measure (LIM) thresholds by income source and household size (1976 to 2019)
• Table 11-10-0241-01: Low income cut-offs (LICOs) before and after tax by community size and family size, in current dollars (1976 to 2019)
• Table 11-10-0066-01: Market Basket Measure (MBM) thresholds for the reference family by Market Basket Measure region, component and base year (2002 to 2019)