Poverty in Canada since 1989 The poverty rates across Canada have seen a rise and fall since 1989. The poverty rates are based on age, gender and family type. However, the poverty rates have seen a decline since 1989. The poverty for all persons in 1988 was 10.8% and in 2007 it was 9.2% (Statistics Canada, 2009, Table 202-0802). That is a 14.8% decrease in poverty for all persons in Canada over time (Statistics Canada, 2009, Table 202-0802). The decline in poverty could result for many reasons. Education, jobs and the economy of Canada may have improved a lot during the past twenty years. Canada is a developing country and is seeing improvements in social status of people. The class system plays a huge role. Could it be that families across Canada are moving up a class? Persons in economic families had a poverty rate of 8% in 1988 and it dropped to 6% in 2007 (Statistics Canada, 2009, Table 202-0802). It can be seen that there is a 25% decrease in poverty for persons in economic families over time (Statistics Canada, 2009, Table 202-0802). Therefore persons in economic families are doing well compared to how they were in 1989. It is pretty clear that the economy of Canada is developing. This would not be the case if poverty had increased during the past twenty years. Poverty still exists, no doubt about that but it will continue to decline if Canada continues to improve its economic situation. Poverty still exists for many reasons such as people in poor class work as much as other full-time workers, but jobs are much worse and the workers are paid lesser amounts (Fetner, 2009). If the people in poor class were paid more for their work, they could move up a class and it would definitely decline poverty rates across Canada. Poverty for persons of age 65 and over seems to have declined incredibly. In 1988, it was 13% and in 1998, 8.6% which is a decline of 33.8%