Figure18-1Trends in the Canadian Poverty Rate, 1976–2011 Panel (a) shows how the overall poverty rate fluctuated between 1976 and 2011. Starting in the mid-1990s, a declining trend began, indicating the percentage of Canadians falling below the poverty line dropped. Panel (b) compares the poverty rates of various age groups using the after-tax LICOs. The poverty rate for the elderly shows a clear and significant downward trend. The poverty rate for children and teens under 18 moved from above the overall rate to slightly below the overall rate in recent years; however, the opposite holds true for those aged 18 to 64.