The statistic is generated by taking the median income in each country, dividing it in half, and calculating how many children live in families within that income range. The Fraser Institute's Chris Sarlo has measured the number of children living in poverty based on the cost of providing children with basic needs. There was, however, no long term trend, either upward or downward. In fact, the 1995 level of 17.8 percent is lower than the 1984 business cycle high of 18.8 percent. Ironically, the anti-poverty campaign is based on the premise that being poorer than one's neighbour, i.e. relative poverty, is damaging.
Teens are more likely to end up unemployed.
We know there's a cycle of poverty. We are concerned with long-term trends. It promises to answer how many families cross the low income line each year, and why, and how long low income spells last. It will also answer what proportion of families are persistently poor, although it cannot answer such questions at present. However, the study does provide evidence of upward income mobility in Canada through its survey of eduction levels.