Average Canadian family income, 2025 (Fraser Institute, Canadian Consumer Tax Index)
Estimate
$121,111
- Period
- 2025
- Unit
- Canadian dollars
- Stored value
- 121111
Fraser Institute analysis, not an official statistic. A national average for Canadian families on Fraser's broad income measure; there is no Alberta-specific figure in this edition.
Total taxes paid by the average Canadian family, 2025 (Fraser Institute, Canadian Consumer Tax Index)
Estimate
$50,721
- Period
- 2025
- Unit
- Canadian dollars
- Stored value
- 50721
Fraser Institute analysis, not an official statistic. Counts every tax paid to federal, provincial and local governments, visible and hidden: income, payroll, health, sales, property, fuel, carbon, vehicle, import, alcohol and tobacco taxes, among others (third paragraph). drained.ca's calculator counts only one earner's income tax, CPP and EI.
Tax Freedom Day 2026, Canada (Fraser Institute: all taxes, families of two or more)
Estimate
June 9, 2026
- Period
- 2026
- Unit
- Date
Fraser Institute analysis: the day the average Canadian family of two or more has earned enough to pay all of its 2026 taxes, including income, payroll (with the CPP), health, sales, property, fuel and "sin" taxes. Not comparable with drained.ca's Tax Freedom Day, which counts only one earner's income tax, CPP and EI.
Tax Freedom Day 2026, Alberta (Fraser Institute: all taxes, families of two or more)
Estimate
May 25, 2026
- Period
- 2026
- Unit
- Date
Fraser Institute analysis: Alberta's date is the second earliest after Saskatchewan's. It counts every tax the average Alberta family of two or more pays, so it falls much later than drained.ca's date, which counts only one earner's income tax, CPP and EI.
Standard hours of work in a day (Canada Labour Code)
Actual
8
- Period
- 2026
- Unit
- Count
- Stored value
- 8
The federal standard workday. Alberta's Employment Standards Code starts overtime after 8 hours in a day or 44 in a week; drained.ca uses the federal 8-hour day and 40-hour week for every per-day and per-hour figure.
Standard hours of work in a week (Canada Labour Code)
Actual
40
- Period
- 2026
- Unit
- Count
- Stored value
- 40
The federal standard work week, the basis of drained.ca's working-hours convention (see the full-time year below).
RRSP dollar limit, 2026
Actual
$33,810
- Period
- 2026
- Unit
- Canadian dollars
- Stored value
- 33810
The most anyone can deduct in RRSP contributions for 2026 from their own earnings, whatever their income.
- Canada Revenue Agency, MP, DB, RRSP, DPSP, ALDA, TFSA limits, YMPE and the YAMPE (opens in a new tab)Table "MP, DB, RRSP, DPSP limits, YMPE and the YAMPE", row 2026, column "RRSP dollar limit"Published December 1, 2025. Accessed September 28, 2026.
Food spending for an average family of four, 2026 (Canada's Food Price Report forecast)
Forecast
$17,572
- Period
- 2026
- Unit
- Canadian dollars
- Stored value
- 17571.79
University researchers' forecast (analysis), not an official statistic. A national average for a family of four.
Working hours in a full-time year (drained.ca convention)
DerivedActual
2,080
- Period
- 2026
- Unit
- Count
- Stored value
- 2080
Formula: standard work week under the Canada Labour Code × 52 weeks
Inputs
The one hours basis for every per-hour figure on drained.ca: 52 weeks of the 40-hour standard week. It counts holidays and vacation as working time, so for most full-time workers it gives a lower per-hour figure than dividing by the hours they actually work.
Share of the average Canadian family's income paid in taxes, 2025 (Fraser Institute)
DerivedEstimate
41.9%
- Period
- 2025
- Unit
- Ratio, shown as a percentage
- Stored value
- 0.418797631924433
Formula: the average Canadian family's total taxes ÷ its income, 2025
Inputs
Fraser Institute analysis; the release rounds this to 42 per cent.
Taxes paid per day by the average Canadian family, 2025 (from Fraser Institute figures)
DerivedEstimate
$139
- Period
- 2025
- Unit
- Canadian dollars
- Stored value
- 138.961643835616
Formula: the average Canadian family's total taxes, 2025 ÷ 365 days
Inputs
Weekly food spending for an average family of four, 2026 (forecast)
DerivedForecast
$338
- Period
- 2026
- Unit
- Canadian dollars
- Stored value
- 337.919038461538
Formula: forecast food spending for a family of four, 2026 ÷ 52 weeks
Inputs
Monthly saving needed to reach the 2026 RRSP dollar limit
DerivedActual
$2,818
- Period
- 2026
- Unit
- Canadian dollars
- Stored value
- 2817.5
Formula: RRSP dollar limit, 2026 ÷ 12 months
Inputs
- Canada Revenue Agency, MP, DB, RRSP, DPSP, ALDA, TFSA limits, YMPE and the YAMPE (opens in a new tab)Table "MP, DB, RRSP, DPSP limits, YMPE and the YAMPE", row 2026, column "RRSP dollar limit"Published December 1, 2025. Accessed September 28, 2026.