How happy are Canadians?

March 20 is the United Nations' (UN) International Day of Happiness, observed since 2013 as a way to recognize the importance of happiness in the lives of people around the world. Three key aspects recognized by the UN’s General Assembly include ending poverty, reducing inequality, and protecting the planet.

In 2023, Canada ranked 11th among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries for life satisfaction, according to the OECD’s Better Life Index.

Closer to home, how would Canadians rank their own life satisfaction, and in what ways? Canada’s Quality of Life Framework can help answer this question, as it brings together data from the Canadian Social Survey (CSS) and other sources to form 84 indicators that measure objective and subjective well-being.

One in two Canadians reported a high level of life satisfaction

In July to September 2023, we asked Canadians to report on their levels of life satisfaction as part of the CSS. About one in two men (51%) and one in two women (50%) had a high level of life satisfaction, scoring their satisfaction as 8 or higher on a 10-point satisfaction scale. Among both men and women who reported high life satisfaction, 84% reported a strong sense of meaning and purpose.

Nearly two-thirds (63%) reported excellent or very good self-rated health, while a slightly higher proportion (68%) reported excellent or very good self-rated mental health.

Differences among provinces, urban vs. rural areas, populations and age groups

About 6 in 10 rural residents (59%) reported high life satisfaction, compared with 5 in 10 urban residents (49%).

Among provinces, 61% of Quebec residents reported high life satisfaction, compared with less than half (46%) of those in British Columbia.

As people age, they are more likely to report high life satisfaction, ranging from 46% of those aged 35 to 44 to 60% of those aged 65 and over.

Trends in life satisfaction and other measures of well-being

While many Canadians report high levels of life satisfaction, other quality of life indicators are showing signs of strain when compared with previous years. For instance, trends in life expectancy and crime rates, which had been improving over the long-term, have worsened in recent years. People are also reporting lower levels of confidence in institutions and decreased levels of financial well-being.

Life satisfaction serves as a key measure to provide a pulse check on the combined effects of these strains on Canadian well-being. A study found that average life satisfaction in Canada declined from 8.09 out of 10 in 2018 to 6.71 in June 2020, making it the lowest level of life satisfaction observed in Canada over the 2003-to-2020 period. Post-COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian life satisfaction appears to be improving, when evaluating the indicator through the CSS. For instance, by the third quarter of 2023, 51% of Canadians reported high levels of life satisfaction compared with 42% of Canadians in the second quarter of 2021.

Quality of life

Canada's Quality of Life Framework brings together data from the CSS and other sources to form 84 indicators that measure objective and subjective measures of societal, environmental, and economic well-being.

These indicators focus on areas such as prosperity, health, society, the environment, good government, life satisfaction, and sense of meaning and purpose. Ultimately, the framework’s evidence-based approach strengthens policy development and the setting of budgetary priorities at the federal level, with the objective of improving Canadian well-being.