Low pay rate in Canada

Canada: Low pay rate was 20.11 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
20.11
Change on year
up 8.7%
World rank
38th
of 84 countries
All-time high
24.35
in 2016
All-time low
18.51
in 2024
Years of data
29
1997–2025

Low pay rate in Canada, 1997–2025

05101520251997201120251997: 22.61998: 23.51999: 23.12000: 22.22001: 21.82002: 21.22003: 23.32004: 23.52005: 22.92006: 22.72007: 22.42008: 232009: 23.52010: 23.62011: 22.72012: 22.12013: 222014: 232015: 22.72016: 24.32017: 23.32018: 21.62019: 21.42020: 20.32021: 19.62022: 202023: 19.62024: 18.52025: 20.1

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for low pay rate in Canada is 20.11, measured in 2025.

The figure is up 8.7% on the previous year and down 11.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, low pay rate in Canada peaked at 24.35 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 18.51, in 2024.

That places Canada 38th out of 84 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.

Low pay rate in Canada, year by year

Annual values for Low pay rate in Canada, 1997 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1997 22.57
1998 23.49 +4.1%
1999 23.11 -1.6%
2000 22.2 -4.0%
2001 21.8 -1.8%
2002 21.24 -2.5%
2003 23.3 +9.7%
2004 23.49 +0.8%
2005 22.86 -2.7%
2006 22.68 -0.8%
2007 22.38 -1.4%
2008 23 +2.8%
2009 23.47 +2.0%
2010 23.64 +0.7%
2011 22.67 -4.1%
2012 22.13 -2.4%
2013 22.03 -0.5%
2014 23.02 +4.5%
2015 22.7 -1.4%
2016 24.35 +7.2%
2017 23.28 -4.4%
2018 21.57 -7.4%
2019 21.39 -0.8%
2020 20.32 -5.0%
2021 19.64 -3.3%
2022 19.98 +1.7%
2023 19.61 -1.9%
2024 18.51 -5.6%
2025 20.11 +8.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 23.06 22.57 23.49 3
2000s 22.64 21.24 23.49 10
2010s 22.68 21.39 24.35 10
2020s 19.69 18.51 20.32 6

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 35 Jamaica 20.85 compare
  2. 36 Egypt 20.39 compare
  3. 37 Philippines 20.36 compare
  4. 39 Bangladesh 19.87 compare
  5. 40 Lithuania 19.59 compare
  6. 41 Mexico 19.13 compare

See the full ranking of 84 places →

More gender data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is low pay rate in Canada?
Low pay rate in Canada was 20.11 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest low pay rate recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 24.35 in 2016.
What is the lowest low pay rate recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 18.51 in 2024.
How does Canada rank for low pay rate?
Canada ranks 38th out of 84 countries with data for 2025.
Is low pay rate rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Canada data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Low pay rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Low pay rate in Canada. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/stat/low-pay-rate/canada/

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About this data

Indicator
Low pay rate
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
84 places, 1,566 data points, 1990–2026
Last refreshed

With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This measure of earnings dispersion refers to the proportion of employees whose hourly earnings at all jobs were less than two-thirds of median hourly earnings. For more information, refer to the Wages and Working Time Statistics (COND) database description.