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National Seniors Day... by the numbers

2013

Image: Government of Canada, National Seniors Day, October 1. Celebrating the continuing contributions of Canada’s seniors.

National Seniors Day is an occasion for all Canadians to appreciate and celebrate seniors.

Find out more about National Seniors Day at www.seniors.gc.ca.

Here are some selected facts related to the demographic, socio-economic and health portrait of seniors (persons aged 65 and over) in Canada.

(Last updated: September 20, 2013)

Demographics

The aging of the population in Canada will accelerate between 2010 and 2031, the period during which all baby boomers will reach age 65. Population aging will continue after 2031, but at a slower pace.

4,945,055 — The number of seniors aged 65 and over in Canada in 2011.
4,335,250 — The number of seniors aged 65 and over in Canada in 2006.

Today, 1 in 7 Canadians is aged 65 or over. By 2036, nearly 1 in 4 Canadians will be a senior.

Canada has proportionally fewer seniors and more young people in its population than the 15 European nations and Japan, while the reverse is true in relation to the United States.

However, the size of the baby-boom that Canada experienced following World War II should contribute to more rapid aging of the population in Canada than in other industrialized countries.

The world population also has a much larger proportion of young people than Canada, along with a smaller proportion of seniors.

Source: Population by broad age groups and sex, 2011 counts for both sexes, for Canada, provinces and territories; Population Projections for Canada, Provinces and Territories, 2009 to 2036; Canadian Demographics at a Glance.

Historical age pyramid

The Historical age pyramid uses a dynamic age pyramid to show the evolution of the age structure of the Canadian population over the period from 1921 to 2011.

Centenarians

5,825 — The approximate number of centenarians (seniors aged 100 and over) in 2011.
3,795 — The approximate number of centenarians (seniors aged 100 and over) in 2001.

According to population projections, the number of centenarians could reach 20,300 persons in 2036 and even more in future years, up to as many as 78,300 in 2061.

Source: 2011 Census, Centenarians in Canada.

Life expectancy

The main factors behind the aging of Canada's population are the nation's below-replacement-level fertility rate over the last 40 years and an increasing life expectancy.

79 years — Life expectancy for men in 2009.
83 years — Life expectancy for women in 2009.
69 years — Life expectancy for men in 1970, for comparison.
76 years — Life expectancy for women in 1970, for comparison.

Sources: 2011 Census: Age and sex; Life expectancy at birth, by sex, by province.

Health and well-being

Social participation is an important correlate of health and well-being in older adults. It may be that social support gained through social contacts is as important in these associations as the number of activities in which one participates frequently.

80% — The proportion of seniors who are frequent (at least monthly) participants in at least one social activity.

Source: “Social participation and the health and well-being of Canadian seniors,” Health Reports, October 2012.

Seniors are often impacted by multiple physical health issues, such as chronic conditions and reduced mobility and functioning, however, many feel healthy and are willing to take action to improve their health.

37% — The proportion of seniors in 2009 who reported they had taken some action to improve their health such as increasing their level of physical activity (71%), losing weight (21%) or changing their eating habits (13%).

Source: Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) – Healthy Aging.

Many seniors are affected by a combination of chronic conditions.

89% — The proportion of Canadian seniors in 2009 who had at least one chronic condition. Arthritis and rheumatism was identified as one of the more common chronic conditions, affecting 44% of seniors aged 65 and over.

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis seen in seniors aged 75 and older, affecting an estimated 85% of that population.

25% — The proportion of Canadian seniors in 2009 aged 65 to 79, versus 37% of seniors aged 80 and older, who reported having four or more of a wide-ranging list of chronic conditions (such as high blood pressure, arthritis, back problems and diabetes).

Source: “Study: Health-promoting factors and good health among Canadians in mid- to late life,” Health Reports, July 21, 2010.

44.2% — The proportion of seniors in 2012 who reported their health to be very good or excellent.
88.8% — The proportion of seniors in 2012 who reported they were satisfied or very satisfied with life.
5.7% — The proportion of seniors in 2012 who reported a mood disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, mania or dysthymia.

Source: CANSIM, table 105-0501.

63.7% — The proportion of seniors who reported that they were injured in a fall in 2009.

Source: “Activity-limiting Injuries, 2009,” Health Fact Sheets.

Caregiving

As the number of seniors increases, the need for home care is expected to rise.

Home care can help to maintain seniors’ health, independence and quality of life.

1 in 4 — The proportion of Canadian seniors who received home care, most commonly, housework and transportation, in 2009. Informal care from family, friends and neighbours predominates across most care types. About 180,000 (4%) seniors reported an unmet need for professional home care.

Source: “Seniors’ use of and unmet needs for home care, 2009,” Health Reports, December 2012.

See also: “Study: Caregivers in Canada, 2012,” The Daily, Tuesday, September 10, 2013.

Volunteering

Although seniors volunteer at a lower rate than the population as a whole, those seniors who do volunteer give many more hours on average than other age groups.

223 hours — The average number of hours that seniors volunteered in 2010, compared with 167 hours for the 45–54 age group and 130 hours for the 15–24 age group.

Source: Table 2 Volunteer rate, average and median annual volunteer hours, by personal and economic characteristics, population aged 15 and over, 2004, 2007 and 2010.

Labour force participation of seniors

12.6% — The labour force participation rate for seniors in 2012.
6.7% — The labour force participation rate for seniors in 2002.
584,000 — The number of seniors who were employed in 2012.
241,000 — The number of seniors who were employed in 2002.

Source: CANSIM, Table 282-0002.

See also: “Study: Years to retirement, 1998 to 2009,” The Daily, Tuesday, December 4, 2012.

In the 1970s, there were seven working-age Canadians for every person over the age of 65. In 1981, there were roughly six persons in the labour force for each person over the age of 65. There are currently four working-age Canadians per senior and in 2031 there will be only two.

Source: “Study: Projected trends to 2031 for the Canadian labour force,” The Daily, Wednesday, August 17, 2011.

Housing

92.1% — The proportion of seniors who lived in a private household in Canada in 2011.
7.9% — The proportion of seniors who lived in collective dwellings (such as residences for senior citizens or health care and related facilities) in Canada in 2011.

A higher share of seniors aged 65 and over lived as part of a couple in a private household in 2011 compared with 2001.

During the same period, the proportion of senior women who lived alone declined, while the proportion remained relatively stable for senior men.

Sources: Living arrangements of seniors; 2011 Census of Population: Families, households, marital status, structural type of dwelling, collectives.

Seniors on the Internet

In recent years, older Canadians have increased their Internet usage and are closing the gap with younger Canadians. However, older Canadians do not use the Internet as much for their consumption of some cultural items, namely music listening and video viewing.

60% — The proportion of people aged 65 to 74 who had used the Internet in the previous month in 2010.
29% — The proportion of people aged 75 and over who had used the Internet in the previous month in 2010.
10% — The proportion of people aged 65 to 74 who listened to music downloaded from the Internet on a weekly basis in 2010. In comparison, 87% of 15- to 24-year-olds listened to downloaded music at least once a week.

Source: “Consumption of culture by older Canadians on the Internet,” Insights on Canadian Society, January 2013.

Seniors’ transportation

3.25 million — The number of people aged 65 and over in Canada in 2009 who had a driver's licence.
200,000 — The number of people aged 85 and over in Canada in 2009 who had a driver's licence.
68% — The proportion of seniors aged 65 to 74 who reported that their main form of transportation was driving their own vehicle. Less than 6% used public transit and 3% walked or used a bicycle.

Source: “Study: Profile of seniors' transportation habits,” The Daily, Monday, January 23, 2012.

To look for more data and analyses on Canada’s seniors, consult Statistics by subject, Seniors, or take advantage of Statistics Canada’s search module.

For more information about this page or for help finding more data, contact Media Relations.

See features on many other subjects in Previous releases of By the numbers.