No. 20 - Senior men and women - different income sources

The public income security programs represent the main source of income of senior women while the largest share of the income of senior men comes from non-governmental retirement plans and investments. Old Age Security benefits, for example, made up 36% of all income of senior women in 1998, compared with 21% of that of their male counterparts. In contrast, private employment-related retirement pensions and income from RRSPs, provided a much greater share of the income of senior men than that of senior women that year: 35% versus 22%.

At the same time, Canada/Quebec Pension Plan benefits accounted for about the same shares of the incomes of senior men and women. In 1998, 21% of all income of senior men and 20% of that of senior women came from this source. In terms of actual dollars, however, senior men received, on average, over $2,000 more per year in C/QPP benefits than senior women that year.

Sources of income of senior men and women, 1998

Source: Statistics Canada