Québec, September 17, 2024. – The Institut de la statistique du Québec is launching a new statistical showcase on population aging and seniors in partnership with the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux’s Secrétariat aux aînés.
The showcase features many indicators related to demographics, material living conditions, work, retirement, lifestyle, health and well-being, and the social participation of seniors. The statistics in the showcase make it possible to perform comparisons between women and men and between different age groups. There are also statistics comparing Québec and Ontario.
These indicators are updated regularly and provide a wealth of information for anyone interested in the living conditions of seniors and their contribution to society.
Here is an overview of the information contained in the showcase.
Work
The number of people aged 65 and over in the active population has increased considerably over the past twenty years, from 29,000 in 2000 to 233,000 in 2023. Their share in total employment has increased fivefold, reaching 4.9% in 2023 from 0.8% in 2000.
Among those aged 65 and over, the employment rate continued its upward trend among both women and men, rising from 3.2% in 2000 to 12.3% in 2023. Despite this increase, it remains lower than in Ontario, where it has grown from 6.5% to 15.0%.
In 2023, people aged 65 and over who have a job worked an average of 28.1 hours per week. This number is significantly higher for men (29.8 hours) than women (24.2 hours).
Retirement
In Québec, in 2023, mean age at retirement was 64.7 years—65.5 years for men and 64.0 years for women. Mean age at retirement has been following an upward trend since the early 2000s among both men (+4.1 years) and women (+5 years).
Mean age at retirement tends to be slightly higher in Ontario than in Québec. In 2023, it stood at 65.1 years.
The situation of households
In 2021, about 91% of people aged 65 and over were living in a private household, and 9% in a collective dwelling such as a private seniors’ residence. While virtually all 65–74-year-olds lived in private households (98%), this percentage was 62% among those aged 85 and over, as a larger proportion of them live in collective dwellings.
People in private households are either living with a partner, alone, or with other people who are related or unrelated to them. In 2021, it was more common for people aged 65 and over in private households to be living with a partner (54%) than alone (28%) or with other people (9%).
Transportation
In 2019, travel by car was the preferred means of transportation for people aged 65 and over in Québec. About two thirds of them used a car most often for transportation, either as driver (64%) or passenger (23%).
About 9% of seniors used taxis or adapted or public transportation, and 3.0% of them biked, walked or used a wheelchair or mobility scooter.
Satisfaction with social life
In Québec, in 2020–2021, the proportion of people who were very satisfied with their social life was higher among those aged 65 and over (44%) than among younger age groups (between 27% and 35% depending on the age group for 15–64-year-olds).
Women aged 65 and over were more likely than men to be unhappy with their social life (10% vs. 7%), and this was also true among those aged 65–74 (10% vs. 8%).
Discover all the indicators included in the statistical showcase on population aging and seniors. New indicators will be added over the next few months. If you would like to receive updates about the showcase, sign up for email notifications.
For 25 years, the Institut de la statistique du Québec has been producing, analyzing, and disseminating official, objective and high-quality statistical information on various aspects of Québec society. It is responsible for conducting all statistical surveys of general interest. The relevance of its work makes it a strategic ally for decision makers and an essential source of information for all those wishing to learn more about Québec.