Perceived health

Proportion of the population by perceived health.

Often reported as:

Proportion of the population reporting very good or excellent health.

Perceived health is an indicator of overall health status. Perceived health refers to the perception of a person's health in general, either by the person themselves, or, in the case of proxy response, by the person responding to the survey questionnaire on behalf of the intended respondent. Health means not only the absence of disease or injury but also physical, mental and social well-being. Perceived health reflects aspects of health not captured in other measures, such as: incipient disease, disease severity, aspects of positive health status, physiological and psychological reserves and social and mental function.

This indicator is measured in a number of Statistics Canada surveys.

In the Canadian Community Health Survey – Annual Component (CCHS) and the Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (CHSCY), survey respondents are asked:

In general, how is your health?

• Excellent
• Very good
• Good
• Fair
• Poor

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.

Surveys that measure this indicator include, but are not limited to:

• Canadian Community Health Survey - Annual Component (CCHS)
• Table 13-10-0905-01 - Health indicator statistics, annual estimates
• Table 13-10-0906-01 - Health indicator statistics, annual estimates, by household income quintile and highest level of education
• Table 13-10-0880-01 - Health indicators by visible minority and selected sociodemographic characteristics: Canada excluding territories, annual estimates
  
• Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (CHSCY)
• Table 13-10-0948-01 – Health indicator statistics for youth aged 12 to 17 years, youth reported
• Table 13-10-0947-01 – Health indicator statistics for children and youth aged 1 to 17 years, parent reported
• Table 13-10-0950-01 – Health indicator statistics for youth aged 12 to 17 years, youth reported, by household income quintile and highest level of parental education
• Table 13-10-0949-01 - Health indicator statistics for children and youth aged 1 to 17 years, parent reported, by household income quintile and highest level of parental education
• Table 13-10-0763-01 - Health characteristics of children and youth aged 1 to 17 years, Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth 2019
• Table 13-10-0904-01- Changes in the health characteristics of youth between 2019 and 2023, Canadian Health Survey of Children and youth, 2023 Longitudinal sample
• Canadian COVID-19 Antibody and Health Survey (CAHS)
• Canadian Health and COVID-19 Survey (CHCS)
• Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS)
• Canadian Housing Survey (CHS)
• Canadian Internet Use Survey (CIUS)
• Canadian Oral Health Survey (COHS)
• Canadian Sexual and Reproductive Health Survey (CSRHS)
• Canadian Social Survey (CSS)
• Table 45-10-0081-01 – Perceived health, by gender and province
• Table 45-10-0082-01 – Perceived health, by gender and other selected sociodemographic characteristic
• Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD)
• Canadian Veteran Health Survey (CVHS)
• General Social Survey (GSS) - Canadians at Work and Home
• General Social Survey (GSS) - Canadians' Safety (Victimization)
• General Social Survey (GSS) - Social Identity
• Impact of COVID-19 on Health Care Workers: Infection, Prevention, and Control (ICHCWIPC)
• Indigenous Peoples Survey (IPS)
• Table 41-10-0059-01 – Self-perceived general health of First Nations people living off reserve, Métis and Inuit by age group and gender
• Mental Health and Access to Care Survey (MHACS)
• Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces (SSPPS)
• Survey on Health Care Access and Experiences – Primary and Specialist (SHCAE-PSC)
• Survey on Health Care Workers' Experiences During the Pandemic (SHCWEP)
• Survey on Access to Health Care and Pharmaceuticals During the Pandemic (SAHCPDP)
• Survey on Mental Health and Stressful Events (SMHSE)
• Survey Series on First Nations People, Métis and Inuit (SSFNPMI)
• Survey Series on People and their Communities (SSPC)

• Selected indicators of quality of life in Canada (Statistics Canada – Data Visualization Products)
• Having someone to count on (Statistics Canada – Infographics, August 9, 2022)
• Sense of meaning and purpose in Canada (Statistics Canada – Infographics, March 30, 2022)
• Portrait of Youth in Canada: Physical Health & Behaviours (Statistics Canada – Infographics, February 1, 2021)

• Health of Canadians – Health outcomes (Health of Canadians, March 5, 2025)
• Perceived health and well-being indicators among racialized groups, 2023 (Ethnicity, Language and Immigration Thematic Series, February 13, 2025)
• Chinese New Year and quality of life among Chinese in Canada (StatsCAN Plus, January 24, 2023)
• Health of youth in Canada (Portrait of Youth in Canada: Data Report, February 1, 2021)