- Life expectancy
- Self-rated health
- Healthy
lifestyles
- Waiting times
- Patient
satisfaction
- Health
expenditures (supplemental indicator)
- Infant mortality (supplemental indicator)
Life expectancy for Canadians reached a
record high of 79.9 years in 2003, compared with 77.8 years in 1991. A woman
born in 2003 can expect to live 82.4 years, while a man can expect to live 77.4
years. The gender gap has nevertheless significantly decreased in recent years.
While women were expected to live 7.1 years longer than men in 1981, today
women are expected to live 5.0 years longer than men. (Statistics Canada, The
Daily, December 21, 2005, and Statistics Canada
Database)
International
comparison
The remarkable gains in life expectancy in
the G-7 countries over the past four decades are due largely to rising
standards of living, public health interventions, and progress in medical care.
According to the OECD, Japan had the highest life expectancy among G-7
countries in 2003 (81.8 years), followed by Italy (79.9 years) and Canada (79.7
years). The U.S. ranked lowest among G-7 countries at 77.2 years. (OECD, Health
Data 2006: Statistics and Indicators for 30 Countries).
Additional information: Socio-economic determinants
The links between geography, socio-economic
characteristics, health behaviours, and health status are complex. Recent data
indicate that Canadian communities with the lowest life expectancies are in the
most northern and isolated parts of Canada and are also characterized by low
incomes and a high proportion of the population receiving government transfer
payments. Smoking, heavy drinking, and high mortality rates due to suicides and
accidents are also prevalent in these health regions. The health regions
enjoying the highest life expectancies, meanwhile, are typically urban
communities experiencing high population growth and that are characterized by
higher incomes and educational attainment. (Statistics Canada, The Daily,
February 1, 2005)
Between 2003 and 2005, the proportion of
Canadians describing their health as "excellent" or "very good"
increased.
In 2005, 65.5 per cent of Canadians aged 12
and older reported that they were in excellent or very good health, up from
59.6 per cent in 2003. However, the percentage of Canadians who rated their own
health as "good" declined, from 29.7 per cent in 2003 to 27.5 per
cent in 2005.
The percentage of Canadians who rated their
health as "fair" or "poor" fluctuated over the same period
from 10.6 per cent in 2003 to 6.9 per cent in 2005. People in Canada who
reported fair or poor health also reported lower income levels, infrequent
exercise, lower educational attainment, and older age. (Statistics Canada,
2006)
Internationally, Canada ranks third in the
percentage of the population reporting their health status as either good or
better, falling close behind New Zealand and the U.S. (OECD, Health Data
2005: Statistics and Indicators for 30 Countries)
According to the Joint
Canada/United States Survey of Health, the vast majority in both
countries—88.0 per cent of Canadians and 85.0 per cent of
Americans—reported that they were in good, very good, or excellent
health in 2003.
Americans were slightly more likely to
report excellent health than Canadians. This was mainly the result of the 15.0
per cent of Americans aged 65 and older that reported excellent health, almost
twice the proportion of Canadians (8.0 per cent) in the same age group.
Overall, the range of health status was more polarized in the U.S. than it was
in Canada. More Americans reported being at either end of the health status
spectrum, as 26.0 per cent stated they were in excellent health and 15.0 per
cent in fair or poor health compared with 24.0 per cent and 12.0 per cent
respectively for Canadians according to Statistics Canada's Joint
Canada/United States Survey of Health.
The prevalence of physical activity among
Canadians has significantly increased over the past decade. In 2005, 51.0 per
cent of Canadians aged 12 and over were at least moderately physically active
during their leisure time, up 8.4 percentage points from the 2000–01
survey and 11.6 percentage points from the 1994–95 survey.
(Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey, 2004)
Healthy lifestyles: Body
weight
From 1994–95 to 2005, the proportion
of Canadian adults considered obese grew from 12.7 per cent to 15.5 per cent,
approaching 3.8 million people. In 2005, about 16.8 per cent of adult men and
14.2 per cent of adult women were considered obese, indicating few differences
between the sexes. Rates of obesity were highest, however, for both men and
women in the age group of 45 to 64 years old.
The proportion of Canadians considered
overweight also increased slightly during the past five years. In 2005, 33.4
per cent of the adult population aged 18 and over was considered overweight,
compared to 32.4 per cent in 2000–01. (Statistics Canada, 2006)
Canada is experiencing what the World
Health Organization has called a "global epidemic of obesity." The
prevalence of obesity is rising not only in western countries such as the U.S.,
the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Finland,
but also in countries such as Brazil, China, and Israel. According to the OECD,
the U.S. has the highest proportion of adults considered overweight or obese,
followed by Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Australia. (OECD, Health Data
2006: Statistics and Indicators for 30 Countries)
Additional information: Obesity—A growing issue
A recent study based on the National
Population Health Survey found that once overweight, Canadians are far more
likely to continue to tip the scales into obesity than reverse the trend and
return to their normal weight. In fact, almost one quarter of Canadians who had
been overweight in 1994–95 had become obese by 2002–03. The
study also indicates that only half as many, about 10 per cent, who had been
overweight were in the normal weight range eight years later.
Over the eight years, this translates into
more than 1.1 million adult Canadians joining the ranks of the obese. Between
1994–95 and 2002–03, 38.0 per cent of the men whose weight
was normal had become overweight compared to 28.0 per cent of the women. Women
(28.0 per cent) were more likely to go from being overweight to being obese
than men (20.0 per cent), but for both men and women, being a member of a
high-income household was associated with a decreased likelihood of becoming
obese. (Statistics Canada, The Daily, April 7, 2005)
Another study also indicated that adults
who lived in large Canadian cities were far less likely to be obese than were
their counterparts who lived outside such metropolitan areas. In 2004, 20 per
cent of residents of Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) aged 18 or older were obese,
compared with 29 per cent of those who lived outside a CMA. Furthermore, as the
size of the city increased, the likelihood of being obese fell. In CMAs with a
population of at least 2 million (Toronto, Montréal, and Vancouver), only 17
per cent of adults were obese. The comparable figure for CMAs with a population
of 100,000 to 2 million was 24 per cent. In urban centres with populations of
10,000 to 100,000, 30 per cent of adults were obese. (Statistics Canada, The
Daily, August 22, 2006)
For more information on obesity, click on
the following:
Obesity:
A Growing Issue
Joint
Canada/United States Survey of Health
In 2005,
the median waiting time was about four weeks for specialist visits and
non-emergency surgery, and three weeks for diagnostic tests. The median is the
point where exactly one half of waiting times are higher and one half lower.
Nationally, median waiting times remained stable between 2003 and 2005, but
there were differences at the provincial level. The proportion of individuals
who reported that they were affected by waiting for care ranged from 11.0 per
cent for non-emergency surgery to 17.7 per cent for specialist visits.
The primary effects of waiting for
specialized care were worry, stress and anxiety, pain, and problems with
activities of daily living. The study also indicated that waiting times vary
across provinces for selected specialized services. (Statistics Canada, Access
to Health Care Services in Canada, January to December 2005)
Overall, the majority of Canadians who
accessed any of the three specialized services (visit to a specialist,
non-emergency surgery, and diagnostic tests) received such services within
three months. Individuals who waited to visit a specialist or get a diagnostic
test were more likely to get care within one month than those waiting for
non-emergency surgery.
Between 2000–01 and 2005, the
percentage of Canadians who rated the quality of overall health services as
being either "excellent" or "good" increased slightly from
84.4 per cent to 85.2 per cent. During the same time period, the percentage of
Canadians who reported that they were very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with
those services remained fairly constant, increasing from 84.6 to 85.3 per cent.
(Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey,2000–01
and 2005)
Health Expenditures (supplemental indicator)
Current performance and trends
The Canadian Institute for Health
Information (CIHI) estimated that in 2005 Canada spent $142 billion on
health care, a $12.0-billion increase from 2004. This brought health care's
share of the total economy—the GDP—to 10.4 per cent,
similar to the 2004 figures. CIHI estimates for 2005 also show health spending
in Canada at an average of $4,411 per person. (Canadian Institute for Health
Information, Health Care in Canada 2006)
Public-sector spending currently accounts
for seven out of every 10 dollars spent on health care. In 2005, governments
and social security programs spent $98.8 billion. Over the last three decades,
however, private-sector spending rose more quickly than public-sector
spending—4.4 per cent versus 3.5 per cent, respectively, on average,
per year.
Infant mortality (supplemental indicator)
Current performance and trends
With the exception of 2002, the Canadian
infant mortality rate has dropped steadily in the past decade from 6.4 deaths per
1,000 live births in 1991 to 5.3 per 1,000 in 2003. In 2002, however, infant
mortality in Canada increased 0.2 deaths from the previous year. (Statistics
Canada)
International comparison
Canada was tied with the United Kingdom in
fifth place among G-7 countries in 2003, with 5.3 infant deaths per 1,000 live
births. Only the U.S. had a higher rate at 6.9 per 1,000. (OECD, Health Data
2006 Statistics and Indicators for 30 Countries)
- Safety
- Housing conditions
Based on
data reported by police services, Canada's
national crime rate fell 5.0 per cent in 2005 despite increases in serious
crimes such as homicide, attempted murder, serious assaults, and robbery. With the
exception of a slight increase in 2003, the overall crime rate has generally
been falling since it peaked in 1991.
Following last year's increase of 13.0 per cent, the homicide rate rose
an additional 4.0 per cent in 2005, reaching its highest level in almost a
decade. Police reported 658
homicides last year, 34 more than in 2004.Most of this increase was
attributable to a rise in homicides in both Ontario and Alberta.
Crime committed by youth aged 12 to 17 fell 6.0 per
cent last year, the second consecutive decline. While violent crime among youth
was down 2 per cent, the number of young people accused of homicide rose from
44 in 2004 to 65 in 2005, putting the youth-accused homicide rate at its
highest point in more than 10 years.
As for property crimes, police reported nearly 1.2 million last year.
The property crime rate dropped 6.0 per cent, as most categories showed a
decline. Property crime has generally been decreasing since 1991, with the
exception of a notable increase in 2003. (Statistics Canada, The Daily,
July 20, 2006)
International comparison
A
comparison of police-reported crime rates between Canada and the U.S. for 2000
showed that the U.S. had much higher rates of violent crime, while Canada
generally had higher rates of property crime. The report indicated that the
U.S. showed a higher rate of robbery than Canada by 65.0 per cent and a
homicide rate (5.5 per 100,000 population) three times higher than Canada's
(1.8 per 100,000 population). Meanwhile, Canada reported 30.0 per cent more break-ins
and motor vehicle thefts per capita than the U.S. (Statistics Canada, Crime
Comparisons Between Canada and the United States, 2000)
According
to the 2004 General Social Survey, 94.0 per cent of Canadians were
satisfied that they were personally safe from becoming a victim. This
proportion was up from 86.0 per cent in 1993 and 91.0 per cent in 1999. Overall, 95.0 per cent of men were satisfied that they were
personally safe from becoming a victim, compared with 93.0 per cent of women.
This gap between sexes is narrowing, as the proportion for women rose by five
percentage points between 1999 and 2004, while the proportion for men went up
two points.
In
2004, 58.0 per cent of people believed that there had been no change in crime
levels, while 30.0 per cent felt that crime had worsened over the previous five
years. These views were fairly consistent with those reported in the 1999
survey. These perceptions on neighbourhood crime have improved, however, since
the 1993 survey, when Canadians were more likely to say crime was on the rise.
At that time, 46.0 per cent felt it had increased.
Safety: Victimization rates
Current
performance and trends
Six
of the 10 countries that participated in the International Crime
Victimization Survey in both 1996 and 2000, including Canada, experienced
no change in their victimization rate.
While
a total of 24.0 per cent of Canadians reported having been victimized,
Australia and England had the highest rates of all at 30.0 per cent and 26.0
per cent, respectively. Portugal, Japan, and Northern Ireland had the lowest
rates, all at 15.0 per cent. Results from the 2004 survey will be available in
the course of 2007.
Between
1996 and 2001, housing conditions have considerably improved in Canada's 27
largest metropolitan areas, after deteriorating earlier in the decade. Despite
this overall improvement, one out of six households in Canada's metropolitan
areas still lived below one or more housing standards (house adequacy,
affordability, and suitability) established by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
In
1996, 19.0 per cent of households in Canada's metropolitan areas and 17.9 per
cent of all of Canada's households were labelled "in core housing
need." Five years later, this proportion had dropped to 16.6 per cent
among Canada's metropolitan areas and to 15.8 per cent for all of Canada's
households. Of these households, more than three quarters were facing
affordability issues only. In fact, nine out of 10 households in urban centres
reported that their housing was not in need of major repairs and that they had
an appropriate "bedrooms-to-members" ratio in accordance with the
National Occupancy Standards.
- Attitudes toward
diversity
- Attitudes toward
linguistic duality
- Volunteerism
- Political participation
As an attitude toward diversity, personal
tolerance of others increased slightly between 1991 and 2004. For example, 29.0
per cent of Canadians believe they are more tolerant toward ethnic groups, an
increase of 6 percentage points; 65.0 per cent feel there has been no change,
an increase of 3.0 per cent; and 8.0 per cent believe they are less tolerant, a
decrease of 2.0 per cent.
Meanwhile, support for affirmative action
and employment equity declined between 1985 and 2004, falling from 44.0 per
cent to 28.0 per cent of Canadians agreeing with the idea that "Government
should require employers to advance non-whites to higher positions."
(Environics, 2004 Focus Canada—Multiculturalism and Ethnic
Tolerance)
Current
performance and trends
In 2006, 72 per cent of Canadians said they
personally favour bilingualism for all of Canada, representing a 16-per-cent
increase since 2003 (56 per cent).
This increase is due to greater support from
Anglophones. In fact, the gap
between Anglophones' and Francophones' support for bilingualism for all of
Canada has gradually diminished over the years. While the support among
Anglophones increased by 14per cent from 1991 to 2003 (a 12-year period),
it grew by a robust 19 per cent from 2003 to 2006. Meanwhile, the percentage of
Francophones in favour of bilingualism in Canada stayed relatively stable
between 2003 and 2006, moving from 88 per cent to 90 per cent.
Moreover, the Canadian public continues to view
bilingualism as an advantage, both in personal and economic terms. In 2006,
68.7 per cent of Canadians agree that having French as well as English spoken
in Canada enhances employment and business opportunities for all Canadians.
Finally, seven out of 10 Canadians think that
living in a country with two official languages is one of the things that
really define what it means to be Canadian. (Decima Research, The Evolution
of Public Opinion on Official Languages in Canada, 2006)
Nationally,
nearly 12 million Canadians, or 45 per cent of the population aged 15 and over,
volunteered through a group or organization during the 12-month period covered
by the 2004 Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and
Participating (CSGVP). Their contributions totalled almost 2
billion hours, which was equivalent to one million full-time jobs. On average,
volunteers contributed 168 hours each.
During the same
one-year period, more than 22 million Canadians—85 per cent of the
population aged 15 and over—made a financial donation to a charitable
or other non-profit organization. They donated an estimated $8.9 billion, an
average of $400 per person.
Rates
of donating and volunteering in 2004 are higher than those found in two similar
surveys in 1997 and 2000. However, because the 2004 CSGVP employs a different
survey approach and because it uses a somewhat different questionnaire than did
the previous surveys, it is not appropriate to compare results from the 2004
CSGVP with the two previous surveys.
After
declining steadily over the past decade, voter participation in general elections
has improved in 2006. From the lowest rate in recent Canadian history at 60.9
per cent in 2004, the voter turnout at the 2006 federal general election
reached 64.7 per cent. Factors such as age, education,
income, place of birth, and mobility significantly influence voter patterns.
A growing number of analysts tend to
suggest that the decline in voter turnout observed in the past decade does not
necessarily indicate a decline in civic participation but rather a significant
shift, as the political activities that people are engaged in outside of the
polling booth (e.g. signing of petitions, public demonstrations, boycotts) are
garnering more and more attention.
Additional Information: Official Languages and the Government's
engagement
A cornerstone of the Government of Canada's
engagement is an accountability and coordination framework for the Official
Languages Program that was tabled in Parliament in October 2005. It represents
the first government-wide legislative policy and program-based framework of the
Government of Canada. It connects and ensures coherence between priorities and
results, and allows for progress reporting. It will make it possible for the
government to manage the Official Languages Program in a comprehensive fashion.
Also
tabled in Parliament in October 2005, The Update on the Implementation of
the Action Plan for Official Languages—Midterm Report
reviewed the investments and results of the 10 federal institutions funded
under the Plan. Overall, the report concluded that, with the $123.4 million
spent out of a total of $787.3 million, the necessary structures had been
established and implementation was well under way. Monitoring and data
gathering will continue with a view to presenting a final report in 2008.
- Participation in cultural and heritage activities
From 1998 to 2005, cultural participation
among the Canadian population aged 15 and over was on the rise in almost all
areas. Professional concert and performance attendance increased from 35 per
cent to 41 per cent and public art gallery and art museum visits grew from 22
per cent to 26 per cent. Rates for reading newspapers, magazines, and books all
enjoyed increases and are now at 86 per cent, 77 per cent and 66 per cent,
respectively. Listening to music (excluding downloads) also increased, rising
from 77 per cent to 83 per cent. The movie-going rate, 60 per cent in 2005,
remained similar to the 1998 rate of 59 per cent. (Statistics Canada, General
Social Survey, Cycle 12 in 1998 and Cycle 19 in 2005)
Additional information: Reading habits
A 2005 Créatec + survey indicates that
reading for pleasure is a solidly established habit among all ages, with little
or no change over the last 15 years. Eighty-seven per cent of those polled said
they read at least one book per year, while 54 per cent said they read
virtually every day. Furthermore, the survey reveals that Internet chatting is
positively correlated with the general reading rate. In fact, a recent survey
by Statistics Canada observed that Internet users spend more time reading books
than non-users (Statistics Canada, 2006, The Internet: Is it Changing the
Way Canadians Spend Their Time?)
The Créatec + survey also highlighted the
fact that Canadians want to read Canadian books. Seventy-one per cent of
Canadians are interested in reading Canadian authors, while 72 per cent claim
to have read at least one book by a Canadian author. Forty-eight per cent
remember doing so in the past year, a rate that is higher for Francophones (55
per cent). Women and the most educated are the most interested in reading
Canadian books. (Créatec +, Reading and Buying Books for
Pleasure—2005 National Survey)
Additional Information: Movie-watching
and Music-listening Habits
A Decima Research survey was carried out in
2005 in order to determine what the attitudes and behaviours of Canadians are
toward Canadian feature film and Canadian music. Results of this survey showed
that, although half of Canadians go to the movies at least once every three
months, this rate varies widely with age, reaching a peak of 84 per cent for
Canadians aged 15–20, and dipping to a low of 24 per cent for those
over the age of 55. Twenty percent never go to theatres. When it comes to
Canadian feature film, 49 per cent of those in Quebec had high viewership,
compared to only 6 per cent for the rest of Canada.
However, due to various external factors
such as cost, time, and various matters of convenience, Canadians watch more
movies at home, on conventional and specialty television or on a movie channel,
by renting movies, or watching from their own personal movie collection.
Listening to music is a widespread habit in
Canadian society, with Canadians listening to music an average of 18.8 hours
per week using a variety of technologies. Radio was cited as their primary and
most frequent source, followed by CDs, mp3s, or cassettes. Canadians aged
15–20 spend the most amount of time listening to music, about 26.8
hours per week; however, they spend the least amount of time listening to the
radio and the most time listening on CDs, mp3s, or cassettes. On average,
Canadians buy about 10 CDs per year, four of which are by Canadian artists.
(Decima Research, Canadian Film and Music Opinion Study, prepared for
Canadian Heritage, 2005)
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