Market incomes in most provinces, government transfers in every province and total family incomes across the board in Canada were lower in 2022. In inflation-adjusted terms, family total income fell by 3.4 per cent, according to Statistics Canada in its report Data on income of families and individuals: Subprovincial data from the T1 Family File, 2022.

Average family total income was down in every province and territory in 2022, they add. The report breaks down incomes by both market incomes and income derived from government transfers. They say the largest decreases, adjusted for inflation, occurred in the Northwest Territories where total family incomes declined 6.2 per cent, Prince Edward Island where incomes declined 5.4 per cent and in Ontario where family total income declined 5.1 per cent.

While more people received government transfers in 2022 – 93.2 per cent received some form of payment from the government, up 6.2 per cent year-over-year – average government transfers and benefits were also down in every province and territory in 2022. They say Nunavut transfers declined 23.6 per cent, followed by British Columbia and Ontario which fell 20.4 per cent and 19.4 per cent, respectively.

Only market incomes increased in a few provinces during 2022: Nunavut market incomes inched ahead 0.9 per cent, followed by Quebec and Alberta which reported 0.4 per cent and 0.2 per cent increases, respectively. Average family market incomes moved downward overall, however, dropping 1.3 per cent during the year.