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Life satisfaction
Indicator
Life satisfaction
Note: This indicator is a headline indicator. Headline indicators are intended to provide a high-level assessment of overall quality of life in Canada.
Description - Life satisfaction over time
46.1% of the population reported high life satisfaction (score of 8, 9 or 10) in Q2 2025.
| High life satisfaction (score of 8, 9 or 10) | |
|---|---|
| Q2 2021 | 42.0% |
| Q3 2021 | 54.2% |
| Q4 2021 | 52.1% |
| Q1 2022 | 51.7% |
| Q2 2022 | 51.4% |
| Q3 2022 | 55.4% |
| Q4 2022 | 45.8% |
| Q1 2023 | .. |
| Q2 2023 | 51.4% |
| Q3 2023 | 50.6% |
| Q4 2023 | 47.6% |
| Q1 2024 | 48.6% |
| Q2 2024 | 40.4% |
| Q3 2024 | 46.8% |
| Q4 2024 | 46.0% |
| Q1 2025 | 48.6% |
| Q2 2025 | 46.1% |
| .. Not available for this reference period | |
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Social Survey, 2021 to 2025.
Definition
Proportion of the population by level of satisfaction with their life as a whole at the time of the survey.
Measurement
This indicator is measured in a number of Statistics Canada surveys, including Canadian Social Survey (CSS), the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), General Social Survey (GSS) - Social Identity, the Survey Series on People and their Communities (SSPC), the Survey Series on First Nations People, Métis and Inuit (SSFNPMI) and others. Survey respondents are asked:
Using a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 means "Very dissatisfied" and 10 means "Very satisfied", how do you feel about your life as a whole right now?
Data sources
This indicator is measured through multiple Statistics Canada surveys. Estimates can vary between data sources due to differences in reference periods, targeted or sampled populations, data collection and other methodology.
- Canadian Social Survey (CSS)
- Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)
- General Social Survey (GSS) - Social Identity
- General Social Survey (GSS) - Canadians at Work and Home
- Canadian Perspectives Survey Series (CPSS)
- Survey Series on People and their Communities (SSPC)
- Survey Series on First Nations People, Métis and Inuit (SSFNPMI)
Data tables and analysis
For products related to life satisfaction, including data tables, data visualizations, articles, and other product types see Analytical releases: Life satisfaction or view all analytical releases.
Frameworks
This indicator aligns with the following frameworks:
- Canadian Indicator Framework (CIF) for the Sustainable Development Goals
- Social inclusion indicators for Canada's ethnocultural groups
- Health and well-being
- Life satisfaction, satisfied or very satisfied
- Health and well-being
Additional information
Life satisfaction is considered a personal or subjective well-being measure. Such measures take into account what matters to people by allowing them to decide what is important to them as they respond to survey questions. More information on life satisfaction as an indicator of subjective well-being is available in the report Moving Forward on Well-being (Quality of Life) Measures in Canada (Analytical Studies Branch Research Paper Series, July 12, 2021).
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