Did you know?
| indicator | value | unit |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 37.1 | mil. |
| Visitors per year | 25.3 | mil. |
| Renewable energy | 17.9 | % |
How’s Life?
Canada performs well in many dimensions of well-being relative to other countries in the Better Life Index. Canada outperforms the average in income, jobs, education, health, environmental quality, social connections and life satisfaction. These assessments are based on available selected data.
Money, while it cannot buy happiness, is an important means to achieving higher living standards. In Canada, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 34 421 a year, more than the OECD average of USD 30 490 a year.
In terms of employment, about 70% of people aged 15 to 64 in Canada have a paid job, above the OECD employment average of 66%. Some 73% of men are in paid work, compared with 67% of women. In Canada, 3% of employees work very long hours in paid work, below the OECD average of 10%, with 5% of men working very long hours in paid work compared with 1% of women.
Good education and skills are important requisites for finding a job. In Canada, 92% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, higher than the OECD average of 79%. However, completion varies between men and women, as 91% of men have successfully completed high school compared with 94% of women. In terms of the quality of the education system, the average student scored 517 in reading literacy, maths and science in the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This score is higher than the OECD average of 488. On average in Canada, girls outperformed boys by 9 points, above the average OECD gap of 5 points.
In terms of health, life expectancy at birth in Canada is around 82 years, one year higher than the OECD average of 81 years. Life expectancy for women is 84 years, compared with 80 for men. The level of atmospheric PM2.5 – tiny air pollutant particles small enough to enter and cause damage to the lungs – is 7.1 micrograms per cubic meter, below the OECD average of 14 micrograms per cubic meter. In Canada, 90% of people say they are satisfied with the quality of their water, higher than the OECD average of 84%.
Concerning the public sphere, there is a strong sense of community and moderate levels of civic participation in Canada, where 93% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in time of need, more than the OECD average of 91%. Voter turnout, a measure of citizens' participation in the political process, was 68% during recent elections, slightly lower than the OECD average of 69%. Social and economic status can affect voting rates; voter turnout for the top 20% of the population is an estimated 69% and for the bottom 20% it is an estimated 65%.
When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Canadians gave it a 7 grade on average, higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.
Topics
OECD in Action
OECD Economic Surveys: Canada
OECD’s periodic surveys of the Canadian economy. Each edition surveys the major challenges faced by the country, evaluates the short-term outlook, and makes specific policy recommendations. Special chapters take a more detailed look at specific challenges. Extensive statistical information is included in charts and graphs.
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Canada in Detail
Housing – Canada expand
Key Findings
Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.
Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Canada, households on average spend 23% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, above the OECD average of 20%.
In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Canada, the average home contains 2.6 rooms per person, more than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person and the highest rate in the OECD. In terms of basic facilities, nearly every dwelling (99.8%) in Canada contains private access to an indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Making rents affordable
In cities such as Toronto and Vancouver municipal governments rezoned all single family neighbourhoods in the 2000s to allow homeowners to rent out secondary/basement suites within their properties or "laneway" houses, thereby increasing affordable rental supply. Laneway houses are smaller detached dwellings usually located in the backyard of a single-family lot with access to a back lane. While secondary suites existed before, many were unauthorised and illegal.
Encouraging such forms of housing has been a major part of Vancouver's housing affordability strategy, since their rents tend to be lower. It has increased the supply of lower-cost rental housing, while helping homeowners pay down their own mortgages and increasing the social diversity of single-family neighbourhoods. Furthermore, because many secondary suites allow access to a yard, they may be more appealing to families than conventional rental apartments. These benefits suggest it would be worthwhile for other cities facing shortages of affordable rental housing to legalise secondary suites and laneway houses in all single-family zones, although homeowner resistance has been a major obstacle to change in many municipalities across Canada.
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How's Life?: Measuring Well-beingIndicators
Income – Canada expand
Key Findings
While money may not buy happiness, it is an important means to achieving higher living standards and thus greater well-being. Higher economic wealth may also improve access to quality education, health care and housing.
Household net adjusted disposable income is the amount of money that a household earns each year after taxes and transfers. It represents the money available to a household for spending on goods or services. In Canada, the average household net adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 34 421 a year, above the OECD average of USD 30 490.
Household wealth is the total value of a household's financial and non-financial worth, such as money or shares held in bank accounts, the principal residence, other real estate properties, vehicles, valuables and other non-financial assets (e.g other consumer durables). In Canada, the average household net wealth is estimated at USD 478 240, higher than the OECD average of USD 323 960.
For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Streamlining private schemes and improving pensions for middle-income earners
The pension system offers a diversified stream of income and relies more than in other OECD countries on private optional instruments. Reducing inefficiencies in private plans, mainly in terms of obstacles to portability and high fees, might increase their attractiveness. However, to improve the prospects of middle income earners, a more forceful intervention might be needed through either higher mandatory contributions or at least auto-enrolment in private pensions with targeted financial incentives.
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How's Life?: Measuring Well-beingIndicators
Jobs – Canada expand
Key Findings
Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Canada, about 70% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 66%.
Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and are actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Canada, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 0.5%, lower than the OECD average of 1.3%.
The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Canadians earn USD 55 342 per year on average, more than the OECD average of USD 49 165.
Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Canada, workers face an expected 3.8% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.
For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Targeted support for older workers
The Targeted Initiative for Older Workers (TIOW) programme was set up in 2007 to help older workers get a job. It targets unemployed people between 55 and 64 living in small, vulnerable communities. As of March 2015, the TIOW has helped more than 35 000 people find jobs in over 800 projects through group-based skills training and employment assistance. It also offers income support via allowances during training and support along with services in job search techniques, counselling, interview techniques and CV writing. This successful programme was extended over 2014-17 and eligibility has been broadened to reach more people. Based on the latest evaluation, about 75% of participants find a paid job after completion.
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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being OECD Job Quality DatabaseIndicators
Community – Canada expand
Key Findings
Humans are social creatures. The frequency of our contact with others and the quality of our personal relationships are thus crucial determinants of our well-being.
A strong social network, or community, can provide emotional support during both good and bad times as well as provide access to jobs, services and other material opportunities. In Canada, 93% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in a time of need, more than the OECD average of 91%.
A weak social network can result in limited economic opportunities, a lack of contact with others, and eventually, feelings of isolation. Socially isolated individuals face difficulties integrating into society as a contributing member and fulfilling personal aspirations.
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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being OECD Insights: Human CapitalIndicators
Education – Canada expand
Key Findings
A well-educated and well-trained population is essential for a country's social and economic well-being. Education plays a key role in providing individuals with the knowledge, skills and competences needed to participate effectively in society and in the economy. Having a good education greatly improves the likelihood of finding a job and earning enough money. Canadians can expect to go through 17 years of education between the ages of 5 and 39, similar to the OECD average of 18 years.
Graduating from upper secondary education has become increasingly important in all countries, as the skills needed in the labour market are becoming more knowledge-based. High-school graduation rates therefore provide a good indication of whether a country is preparing its students to meet the minimum requirements of the job market. In Canada, 92% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, much higher than the OECD average of 79%.
But graduation rates, while important, speak little to the quality of education received. The OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reviews the extent to which students have acquired some of the knowledge and skills that are essential for full participation in modern societies. In 2018, PISA focused on examining students' reading ability, skills in maths and level in sciences, as research shows that these skills are more reliable predictors of economic and social well-being than the number of years spent in school.
Canada is a top-performing OECD country in reading literacy, maths and sciences, with the average student scoring 517, above the OECD average of 488. The best-performing school systems manage to provide high-quality education to all students.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Supporting disadvantaged students
Canadian students perform well despite their socio-economic status, first language or whether they are native Canadians or recent immigrants. Targeted programmes have been successful supporting vulnerable populations attain higher levels of education.
For example, the Pathways to Education Program helps youth from underprivileged communities complete secondary education. Parents, community agencies, volunteers, local school boards and secondary schools work collaboratively to provide four main types of support: academic tutoring, group and career mentoring, advocacy, and financial aid.
In 2001, Pathways to Education was launched as a pilot in Toronto's Regent Park neighbourhood. By 2013, the programme expanded to an additional 12 neighbourhoods, including Aboriginal communities. A 2010 evaluation of the first five cohorts to participate in Pathways found that dropout rates fell from an exceptionally high 56% to less than 11.7%. Other positive results include reduced absenteeism rates, increased representation in the academic stream, and higher graduation and postsecondary education rates. In 2011/12, the amount of Pathways graduates enrolled in postsecondary education grew to 75%, compared to 61% of non-participants from the same neighbourhood.
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How's Life?: Measuring Well-beingIndicators
Environment – Canada expand
Key Findings
The quality of our local living environment has a direct impact on our health and well-being. Outdoor air pollution is one important environmental issue that directly affects the quality of people's lives. Despite national and international interventions and decreases in major pollutant emissions, the health impacts of urban air pollution continue to worsen, with air pollution set to become the top environmental cause of premature mortality globally by 2050. Air pollution in urban centres, often caused by transport and the use of small-scale burning of wood or coal, is linked to a range of health problems, from minor eye irritation to upper respiratory symptoms in the short-term and chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer in the long-term. Children and the elderly may be particularly vulnerable.
PM2.5 – tiny particulate matter small enough to be inhaled into the deepest part of the lung – is monitored in OECD countries because it can harm human health and reduce life expectancy. In Canada, PM2.5 levels are 7.1 micrograms per cubic meter, lower than the OECD average of 14 micrograms per cubic meter and lower than the annual guideline limit of 10 micrograms per cubic meter set by the World Health Organization.
Access to clean water is fundamental to human well-being. Despite significant progress in OECD countries in reducing water pollution, improvements in freshwater quality are not always easy to discern. In Canada, 90% of people say they are satisfied with water quality, higher than the OECD average of 84%.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Protecting the Great Lakes
Ontario's Great Lakes Strategy responds to public concerns about the deteriorating condition of the Great Lakes ecosystems. The Strategy consists of a multi-level engagement process which includes provincial ministries, municipalities, non-governmental organisation, industrial and commercial sectors, and First Nations and Métis communities. Stakeholders can influence the development of legally enforceable policies through this involvement with advisory committees.
The Lake Simcoe Protection Act and Lake Simcoe Protection Plan were established under the Great Lakes Strategy. This engagement process has been a good mechanism to set policy direction and implement solutions to complex environmental challenges. The resulting Protection Plan sets a target to reduce phosphorus by 40% to restore the cold water fishery. In support of the Great Lakes Protection Act, environmental NGOs formed the Great Lakes Alliance, which replicates the Lake Simcoe approach to stakeholder involvement in decision making.
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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being OECD Environmental Outlook to 2050Indicators
Governance – Canada expand
Key Findings
Trust in government is essential for social cohesion and well-being. High voter turnout is a measure of citizens' participation in the political process. In the most recent elections for which data are available, voter turnout in Canada was 68% of those registered. This figure is slightly lower than the OECD average.
Broader public engagement in the decision-making process is also important for holding the government to account and maintaining confidence in public institutions. The formal process for public engagement in developing laws and regulations is one way to measure the extent to which people can become involved in government decisions on key issues that affect their lives. In Canada, the level of stakeholder engagement in developing regulations is 2.9 (on a scale between 0 and 4), higher than the OECD average of 2.1.
For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.
Better Policies for Better Lives
E-Government in Canada
BizPaL is a Canadian collaborative partnership of between the federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal governments launched in 2005 that provides online information on the permits and licences required to start or expand a business. Over 34 federal departments and agencies, the 13 provincial and territorial governments and more than 750 municipalities participate in BizPaL. This project receives an annual budget of CAD 3 million, which enables an ongoing improvement of the service.
Through BizPaL, entrepreneurs and small business owners can identify which permits and licences they need and how to obtain them by selecting the business activities and geographical location of choice. BizPaL automatically generates a list of all required permits and licences from all levels of government, along with basic information on each with links to the specific government sites where the entrepreneur can learn more and, in some cases, apply online.
In developing the BizPaL service, the federal government (Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, ISED) has been responsible for securing the participation of all levels of government, which have been responsible for securing the participation of municipal governments. ISED manages the project centrally, but each jurisdiction is responsible for maintaining its own data within the system.
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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being Regulatory Policy Outlook: CanadaIndicators
Health – Canada expand
Key Findings
Most OECD countries have enjoyed large gains in life expectancy over the past decades, thanks to improvements in living conditions, public health interventions and progress in medical care. Life expectancy at birth in Canada stands at 82 years, one year above the OECD average of 81 years. Higher life expectancy is generally associated with higher health care spending per person, although many other factors have an impact on life expectancy (such as living standards, lifestyles, education and environmental factors).
When asked, "How is your health in general?" almost 89% of people in Canada reported to be in good health, much more than the OECD average of 68% and one of the highest scores across the OECD. Despite the subjective nature of this question, answers have been found to be a good predictor of people's future health care use. Gender, age and social status may affect answers to this question.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Monitoring the quality of long-term care
In Ontario, Canada's largest province in size of population, the government monitors the quality of long-term care (LTC). They look at accessibility, effectiveness, safety, and resource appropriateness. Access is measured through length of time waiting for nursing-home placement and the percentage of those who are placed in their first-choice LTC home.
Effectiveness is monitored by a set of health outcome indicators such as the percentage of LTC recipients with worsening symptoms of depression. Safety is presented by the number of LTC recipients prescribed a drug that should be avoided, and the percentage of LTC recipients started on certain drugs (such as antipsychotics) without clear reason. Resource appropriateness is measured by the expenditure as a percentage of GDP.
Promoting drug safety
Health Canada launched a public consultation to develop guidelines that effectively meet the needs of Canadians. The guidelines support the implementation of the Protecting Canadians from Unsafe Drugs Act. Health Canada used Twitter to facilitate consultations and find out more about what Canadians need when seeking information about drug safety. From this, the new Guide to New Authorities set out standards, policies and principles to support the implementation of the Act. These guidelines are available to industry, researchers and the public.
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How's Life?: Measuring Well-beingIndicators
Life Satisfaction – Canada expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Canadians on average gave it a 7 grade, higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Evaluating children's well-being for better outcomes
Ontario, Canada developed the Early Development Instrument (EDI) to measure children's development or well-being as they enter school. It also allows for the monitoring of child development from birth through to adolescence by providing a snapshot at the time of school entry.
The results are presented as average scores in five key domains of early childhood development: physical health and well-being; social competence; emotional maturity; language and cognitive skills; and communication skills and general knowledge. They also take the percentage of children vulnerable to academic and developmental challenges at school entry on each domain and overall.
In Canada, the EDI has been used for the past decade, collecting data for over 1 million children in 10 provinces and 2 territories. Data shows that 25% of Canadian children were considered vulnerable to academic and developmental challenges at school entry (on each domain and overall) over the past 12 years. The results from the collected data steer policy and programming to focus on areas where children need the most support, helping children achieve the best outcomes possible. EDI results are also being integrated with geographic information system mapping technology, socio-economic data, and linked to health and education datasets at local and provincial levels for further study.
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How's Life?: Measuring Well-beingIndicators
Safety – Canada expand
Key Findings
Personal security is a core element for the well-being of individuals. Do you feel safe out walking, alone at night, for example? In Canada, about 78% of people say that they feel safe walking alone at night, more than the OECD average of 74%.
The homicide rate (the number of murders per 100 000 inhabitants) is a more reliable measure of a country's safety level because, unlike other crimes, murders are usually always reported to the police. According to the latest OECD data, Canada's homicide rate is 1.2, lower than the OECD average of 2.6.
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How's Life?: Measuring Well-beingIndicators
Work-Life Balance – Canada expand
Key Findings
Finding a suitable balance between work and life is a challenge for all workers, especially working parents. The ability to successfully combine work, family commitments and personal life is important for the well-being of all members in a household. Governments can help to address the issue by encouraging supportive and flexible working practices, making it easier for parents to strike a better balance between work and home life.
An important aspect of work-life balance is the amount of time a person spends at work. Evidence suggests that long work hours may impair personal health, jeopardise safety and increase stress. In Canada, just 3% of employees work very long hours in paid work, much less than the OECD average of 10%.
The more people work, the less time they have to spend on other activities, such as time with others, leisure activities, eating or sleeping. The amount and quality of leisure time is important for people's overall well-being, and can bring additional physical and mental health benefits. In Canada, full-time workers devote 61% of their day on average, or 14.6 hours, to personal care (eating, sleeping, etc.) and leisure (socialising with friends and family, hobbies, games, computer and television use, etc.) – slightly less than the OECD average of 15 hours.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Full-day kindergarten
Ontario, Canada has invested heavily in providing early childhood education on a province wide basis by establishing full day kindergarten for four and five year old children. In September 2010, Ontario began phasing in the Full-Day Kindergarten Programme, with full implementation in all schools by September 2015. The schools day runs from 9:00 am-3:00 pm and each school is also encouraged to offer before and after school programming (e.g. childcare) on site outside of these hours, with the goal of creating a seamless day for children and parents. Four- and five-year-olds will learn under the guidance of a teacher and an early childhood educator. This will make it easier for parents to get to and from work and will ensure their children have an integrated learning programme for the whole day.