Sense of belonging to your local community

The festive season is a time of get-togethers with family, friends and community, and an ideal moment to reflect on the importance of belonging. Indeed, a strong sense of belonging to one’s local community is a key sign of social connectedness, which plays a crucial role in an individual’s overall health and quality of life.

A recent study, (Community and well-being: Exploring sense of belonging among youth), tracked the sense of belonging among young people aged 15 to 29 from 2021 to 2024 and explored its links to mental and physical health. Here are some of the key findings.

In general, the percentage of youth and young adults reporting a strong sense of belonging to their local community has been trending upward since 2021, by an average of about 2 percentage points per year.

The sense of belonging to a community is strongest among younger and older Canadians. Indeed, almost two-thirds of youth aged 15 to 19 reported a strong sense of belonging to their local community (63%) from 2021 to 2024, a rate comparable with those aged 60 to 64 (61%) and just below the record high 67% reported by seniors.

This finding is perhaps not surprising given that youth aged 15 to 19 are more likely to live at home and may feel more rooted in the community where they grew up and continue to live.

While a strong sense of belonging also trended upward among young adults aged 20 to 34 from 2021 to 2024, it remained well below those of younger and older Canadians.

Indeed, less than half of adults aged 20 to 34 reported a strong sense of belonging to their local community, ranging from 43% of adults aged 25 to 29 to 46% of those aged 30 to 34 and 47% of those aged 20 to 24.

A strong sense of belonging is associated with positive general health and mental health among youth and young adults aged 15 to 29. Indeed, most youth and young adults (96%) with a strong sense of belonging also reported being in good physical health, while 86% reported positive mental health.

By way of comparison, 87% of youth and young adults with a weaker sense of belonging reported good physical health, while 59% reported positive mental health.

Our most recent published data from the end of 2024 show that just over half (54%) of Canadians aged 15 and older living in the provinces reported a strong sense of belonging to their community.

While a similar proportion of men (54%) and women (53%) reported a strong sense of belonging to their local community at the end of 2024, there was a notable variation among the provinces, ranging from 50% in Alberta to 60% in neighbouring Saskatchewan. 

Learn about Canada’s Quality of Life Framework, and find the latest releases, data publications and reference material on subjective and objective measures of well-being through our Quality of Life Hub.