No. 13 - Gender differences in income

As in other age groups, senior men have higher incomes than their female counterparts. In 1998, senior men had an average income of $26,800, almost $10,000 more than the figure for women in this age range, who had an average income of $16,900.

The incomes of both senior women and men, however, have risen since the early 1980s. Between 1981 and 1998, the average annual income of senior men rose 21%, once the effects of inflation have been accounted for, while the figure for senior women was up 22% in the same period.

Most of the difference in incomes of senior men and women is accounted for by those who live in families. In 1998, senior men in families had an average income of $26,800, almost twice the figure for comparable senior women ($14,300). In contrast, the average income of unattached senior men was only 30% greater than that of unattached senior women: $26,500 versus $20,400.

Average real income, 1981 and 1998

Source: Statistics Canada