Life satisfaction

Proportion of the population by level of satisfaction with their life as a whole at the time of the survey.

This indicator is measured in a number of Statistics Canada surveys, including selected iterations of the Canadian Social Survey (CSS), the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), General Social Survey (GSS) - Social Identity 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?

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)
  • Table 13-10-0843-01 – Life satisfaction by gender and province
  • Table 13-10-0844-01 – Life satisfaction by gender and other selected sociodemographic characteristics
• Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)
  • Table 13-10-0096-05 – Life satisfaction, satisfied or very satisfied, by age group
  • Table 13-10-0097-01 – Health characteristics, annual estimates, by household income quintile and highest level of education
  • Full list of CCHS tables that include life satisfaction
• General Social Survey (GSS) - Social Identity
• General Social Survey (GSS) - Canadians at Work and Home
• Canadian Perspectives Survey Series (CPSS)

• Interact with the latest life satisfaction estimates in the data visualization product Selected indicators of quality of life in Canada. (Statistics Canada – Data Visualization Products)
• Sense of meaning and purpose in Canada (Statistics Canada – Infographics, March 30, 2022)

• Navigating Socioeconomic Obstacles: Impact on the Well-being of Canadian Youth (The Daily, September 20, 2023)
• Chinese New Year and quality of life among Chinese in Canada (StatsCAN Plus, January 24, 2023)
• Sense of meaning and purpose in Canada, October to December 2021 (The Daily, March 30, 2022)
• Neighbourhood characteristics and life satisfaction of individuals in lower-, middle-, and higher-income families in Canadian metropolitan areas (Economic and Social Reports, May 26, 2021)

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).