Personal relationships can add value to life in many different ways. For most, family and friends can provide an important sense of comfort and belonging. Satisfaction with personal relationships can also influence other factors, such as mental health and overall well-being.
For many, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a renewed appreciation for time spent with loved ones. Social distancing measures, school closures and restrictions on events and other activities meant that time to interact with those special people was limited in some cases and increased in others, both situations that could affect personal relationships.
Nearly two-thirds (63%) of the population aged 15 years and over reported high levels of satisfaction with their personal relationships, based on data collected from the Canadian Social Survey from August to September 2021.
People in a couple are more likely to report high satisfaction with relationships
In 2021, nearly three-quarters (73%) of seniors aged 65 years and over reported high satisfaction with their personal relationships. In comparison, just over half (54%) of those aged 15 to 24 years and a little under two-thirds (61%) of those aged 25 to 64 years rated their personal relationships highly. The share of people reporting high satisfaction with personal relationships was about the same among women and men across these age groups.
People who were in a couple—that is, either married or living common law—were more likely to report high satisfaction with personal relationships (72%) compared with those who were not in a couple, regardless of whether they were never married (49%) or if they had been married but were now separated, divorced or widowed (52%). This pattern held for both men and women.
In terms of living arrangements, people who lived alone (51%) were less likely to report a high sense of satisfaction with their personal relationships compared with those who lived with others, whether all other members of their household were adults (64%) or whether their household included children (66%).
Just over 4 in 10 people in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Two-Spirit (LGBTQ2+) population (41%) rated their level of satisfaction with personal relationships highly compared with just under two-thirds (64%) of non-LGBTQ2+ people. This is partly due to the relative youth of the LGBTQ2+ population: about 1 in 3 LGBTQ2+ adults aged 15 years or older was aged 15 to 24 years, compared with around 1 in 10 adults in the non-LGBTQ2+ population. Among youth aged 15 to 24 years within the LGBTQ2+ population, 37% reported high satisfaction with personal relationships, while this figure was 57% for the non-LGBTQ2+ population in the same age group.
As satisfaction with work-life balance goes up, so does satisfaction with personal relationships
People aged 15 years and older who reported that they worked at a job or business were asked to rate their work-life balance. Just over two-thirds (68%) of those who were satisfied or very satisfied with this balance also rated their satisfaction with personal relationships highly in 2021. In contrast, less than half (44%) of those who reported that they were less satisfied with their work-life balance rated their personal relationships highly.
Among people who rated their satisfaction with personal relationships highly, 4 in 10 (40%) said they worry they don’t spend enough time with friends or family, compared with nearly 6 in 10 of those who did not rate their satisfaction with personal relationships highly (58%).
Satisfaction with personal relationships linked to better overall well-being
Fulfilment from personal relationships may lead to more positive feelings of overall personal well-being. Among people who rated their personal relationship satisfaction highly, more than three-quarters (77%) reported a high sense of meaning and purpose in their lives, and just under three-quarters (73%) reported being highly satisfied with their life as a whole.
In contrast, among those who did not rate their satisfaction with personal relationships highly, less than one-third (32%) reported a high sense of meaning and purpose in their life and less than one-quarter (22%) reported high overall life satisfaction.
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Satisfaction with personal relationships, life satisfaction and sense of meaning and purpose are indicators in Canada’s Quality of Life Framework.
Contact information
For more information, contact the Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).