Canadian population, by age

The Canadian population is aging

• Several factors are contributing to the aging of the Canadian population. The major one is the relatively large baby boom generation (born from 1946 to 1966), which is fast approaching retirement age. Also contributing to the trend are the long-term decline in the total fertility rate, which hit the lowest point ever recorded—an average of 1.49 children in a woman's lifetime—in 2000, and longer life expectancy—82.1 and 77.2 years, respectively, for women and men born in 2002.
• It is anticipated that one in three Canadians will be 55 and over by 2021, compared with one in five in 2001. As the proportion of older people increases over the next quarter century, the corresponding shares accounted for by Canadian children, as well as young and middle-aged adults, will likely continue to decline. As a result, fewer young people are expected to enter the work force to take the place of retirees. In 2001, there were 2.7 people aged 20 to 34 in the labour force for every participant aged 55 and over, down from 3.7 in 1981.
• The imminent retirement of many baby boomers is projected to have a significant impact on the Canadian labour market. The exact nature of this impact is hard to predict since there are some important differences between the characteristics of today's older workers and tomorrow's—who will, on average, have more education and higher participation rates (particularly the women). One potential consequence could be that certain professional occupations may face shortages (e.g. nursing, medical specialties, general medical practice and education), as may a number of skilled trades (contractors and supervisors in construction, pipefitters, carpenters, bricklayers, plumbers and electricians).

Enlarge chart