In less than 10 years, about one-quarter of Canada’s population will be aged 65 years and older. The choices we make and the actions we take over the next decade will define the experience of ageing for older Canadians today and for generations to come. Adequately understanding the circumstances and evolving needs of the ageing population requires collecting regular and reliable data from older Canadians themselves. For this reason, the NIA and the Environics Institute for Survey Research have partnered on both developing and delivering an annual survey of ageing in Canada to track, over the next decade, how Canadians feel about both their experience and expectations of growing old in Canada. The 2022 Ageing in Canada Survey is representative of the community-dwelling population aged 50 years and older living in Canada’s 10 provinces. The NIA’s annual survey can help address the issues related to population ageing in Canada by providing critical information and insights about the needs and experiences of Canada's ageing population. The NIA’s annual survey provides reliable data and information that can be used to help inform policy and program decisions and more effectively allocate resources to address the challenges faced by older adults and improve their quality of life. The NIA’s annual survey can thus help shape a more age-friendly society and improve the future health and well-being of Canada’s ageing population.

Older people in general, Older people with chronic health conditions or disability, Older people with vulnerabilities, Both older and younger people

Education, Health, Housing, Information and Communication, Labour, Long-term care, Social protection, Transportation, Other

Academia, Health Care

Older people helped to implement the project

To plan and produce the first annual survey, the NIA connected with experts, organizations and community groups working in field of ageing across Canada to develop the framework for our survey, which focused on the three dimensions of ageing: social well-being, financial security, and health and independence. The NIA also relied on these stakeholders to generate a roster of the most pressing and impactful ageing-related issues for which additional data, research and insights were needed in the Canadian context. In addition, the NIA partnered with the Environics Institute for Survey Research (“Environics Institute”) to develop its inaugural 2022 and future annual national Ageing in Canada survey and report. The Environics Institute is a not-for-profit organization specializing in public survey-based research, with particular expertise in multi-year "tracking" surveys. This collaborative relationship involved the Environics Institute providing expert advice to the NIA to determine the appropriate framework for a survey that will be fielded and reported upon annually over the next decade. The Environics Institute also assisted and the development of the inaugural survey’s questionnaire and the selection of 10 key Ageing in Canada indicators. Finally, the Environics Institute was responsible for fielding the survey and collaborated with the NIA on the development of the first public-facing report summarizing the findings from the 2022 Ageing in Canada Survey. Finally, the collaborative process underpinning the NIA’s Ageing in Canada Survey initiative has involved reaching out to stakeholders following the NIA’s publication of the report and knowledge mobilization materials to gain and incorporate feedback into next year’s and future annual surveys and reports.

The 2022 NIA Ageing in Canada Survey contributes critical insights into the experience of growing older in Canada and makes important contributions to the Canadian research and policy landscape. The survey data gauges how older Canadians feel about their personal circumstance, their access to community programs, and perceptions about government services and policies. It therefore provides the NIA and broader ageing sector valuable insights into how we can improve policies and programs to better support older adults to live long and healthy lives. In addition, it has identified gaps in services and supports for older adults, highlighting where improvements must be made to better support the needs of Canada’s ageing population. Moreover, because the survey generated rich and reliable data, it provides the public and governments information to support evidence-based decision-making and effective resource allocation moving forward. Finally, the 2022 NIA Ageing in Canada Survey helped raised public awareness of both the challenges older Canadians are facing as well as their triumphs, and promoted their empowerment by giving them a voice to bring attention to which issues require most attention.

Not applicable.

1. Older Canadians are generally doing well and have confidence about the future. Despite the toll the COVID-19 pandemic has taken since March 2020 particularly for older Canadians, they appear to be reporting better outcomes more often than not in terms of their social well-being, financial security, and health and independence. Older Canadians were also found to be confident about the future in terms of being able to remain in their own homes and access the health and community support services they expect to need as they age. They also tend to think that those ageing around them are doing well, and that their generation is doing better or about the same as previous generations. 2. Canadians aged 80 years and older consistently stand out as faring the best. Contrary to what many may expect, Canadians aged 80 years and older consistently reported better circumstances in terms of social well-being, financial security, and health and independence. They reported having the strongest social networks and were more engaged in terms of frequent social participation. They also reported having better access to health care services and treatments, and better overall financial security. 3. Older Canadians in poor health and without adequate income are the most vulnerable. Older Canadians who reported that their incomes consistently reported worse outcomes across indicators of social well-being, health and independence and retirement readiness. Similarly, older Canadians who reported that their health was fair or poor fared worse across most measures of social well-being, access to key services and financial resources.

The UN's Decade of Healthy Ageing has inspired the NIA’s ambitious goal of leading a Decade of Healthy Ageing in Canada. The NIA’s goal is to unite and align our work with the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing to be a driver of progress and support healthy ageing for older Canadians through a decade of concerted action and advocacy. The NIA’s Annual Survey on Ageing in Canada is the starting point and cornerstone of its broader Decade of Healthy Ageing in Canada initiative, meaning that the UN Decade has been foundational to the work being pursued. Through its annual Ageing in Canada Survey, the NIA will continue to make important contributions to the Canadian research and policy landscape and support the Decade’s overall vision of achieving a world in which all people can live long and healthy lives. The annual Ageing in Canada Survey will enable the NIA to generate key metrics and reliable data to chart national progress, inform key NIA policy recommendations, enable necessary advocacy efforts, while simultaneously creating issue-specific resources to enable older adults and their loved ones to make the best possible choices about their social well-being, health and independence, and financial security today and in the future.