In the spirit of the upcoming International Youth Day, let’s explore the many ways young people participate in their communities and how these connections shape their sense of belonging.
Youth participation in groups, organizations or associations leads to a stronger sense of belonging
Youth participation in groups, organizations or associations can help foster a strong sense of community belonging. In turn, a strong sense of belonging to a local community is a key sign of social connectedness, which plays a crucial role in an individual’s overall health and quality of life.
From 2021 to 2024, just under two-thirds (66%) of Canadian youth aged 15 to 19 participated in groups, organizations or associations. This is not surprising given that adolescents typically have greater access to sports and other extracurriculars in school, providing opportunities for social bonding and community involvement.
However, once young people transition to postsecondary education or the workforce, they are less likely to take part in activities like sports as built-in avenues for participation diminish. This is reflected in the data, where less than half (47%) of youth aged 20 to 24 or those aged 25 to 29 (42%) participated in groups, organizations or associations.
Still, one thing holds true for all young adults aged 15 to 29: those who get involved in their community have a stronger sense of belonging to their community than those who do not.
For example, almost four in five youths aged 15 to 29 (78%) who participated in a youth organization reported a strong sense of belonging to their community, compared with 57% who did not participate in groups. Young adults who participated in school groups, sports, community or religious organizations were 15 to 21 percentage points more likely to report a strong sense of belonging than those who did not.
Overall, the share of youth reporting a strong sense of belonging to their local community has been slowly increasing following the COVID-19 pandemic, rising by an average of 2 percentage points per year from 2021 to 2024.
A strong sense of belonging is associated with positive general health and mental health among youth
A strong sense of belonging is also associated with good physical and mental health.
Most youth aged 15 to 29 with a strong sense of belonging (96%) also reported being in good physical health, compared with 87% of youth with a weaker sense of belonging. This finding is consistent with previous studies that showed that a strong sense of belonging is positively associated with self-perceived health.
Similar patterns were seen for mental well-being; among youth with a strong sense of belonging, 86% reported positive mental health, compared with 59% of young people with a weaker sense of belonging.
Levels of sense of belonging among youth are as diverse as the country itself
Of course, not every young person aged 15 to 29 in every corner of the country has the same level of sense of belonging.
For example, young Canadians in Western Canada are more likely to report having a strong sense of belonging than those living in Eastern Canada. Similarly, rural youth are more likely to have a strong sense of belonging than those living in urban areas.
Some youth, however, face more systemic barriers or social challenges that may hinder their sense of belonging to their local communities. From 2021 to 2024, Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or who use other terms related to gender or sexual diversity (2SLGBTQ+) youth were less likely to report a strong sense of belonging than youth who were not 2SLGBTQ+ (35% versus 54%).
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).