Canadian Index of Wellbeing
University of Waterloo
Faculty of Health Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA
The CIW draws from almost 200 reliable data sources,
primarily from Statistics Canada.
Click on a domain to view its indicators and data sources:
- Community Vitality
- Democratic Engagement
- Education
- Environment
- Healthy Populations
- Leisure and Culture
- Living Standards
- Time Use
| Domain and indicator | Source of data | Years covered |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of population reporting unpaid, formal volunteering for groups or organizations | Canadian Survey of Giving, Volunteering, and Participating / GSS, Social Engagement | 1997, 2000, 2003, 2008, 2013 |
| Percentage with 5 or more close friends | GSS, Social Engagement, Cycles 11, 17, 22 | 1996, 2003, 2008, 2013 |
| Crime Severity Index | Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (Stats Can, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics) | 1993 to present |
| Percentage experiencing discrimination in past 5 years based on ethno-cultural characteristics | Ethnic Diversity Survey; GSS Victimisation, Cycles 18 and 23 | 2002, 2004, 2009, 2014 |
| Percentage of population that feels safe walking alone after dark | GSS, Victimisation, Cycles 8, 11, 18, 23 | 1993, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014 |
| Percentage of population that believe that most or many people can be trusted | GSS, Social Engagement, Cycles 17, 22, 27; GSS, Time Use, Cycle 19 | 2003, 2005, 2008, 2013 |
| Percentage of population that provides unpaid help to others on their own | Canadian Survey of Giving, Volunteering, and Participating / GSS, Cycle 27, Social Engagement | 1997, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013 |
| Percentage of population that reports very or somewhat strong sense of belonging to community | NPHS / Canadian Community Health Survey | 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007 to 2013 |
| Democratic Engagement | ||
| Percentage of voter turnout at federal elections | Elections Canada | Each federal election year |
| Percentage of population that volunteers for a law, advocacy or political group | Canadian Survey of Giving, Volunteering, and Participating | 1997, 2000, 2003, 2008, 2013 |
| Gap in percentage turnout between older and younger voters | Elections Canada | Each federal election year |
| Percentage of population that is very or fairly satisfies with way democracy works in Canada | Canada Election Study (Pre-Election Survey) | 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2011 |
| Percentage of population with a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in Federal Parliament | GSS, Social Support/Engagement Cycles | 2003, 2008, 2013 |
| Ratio of registered to eligible voters | Elections Canada | Each federal election year |
| Percentage of women in Federal Parliament | Elections Canada | Each federal election year |
| Percentage of Members of Parliament's office budget devoted to sending communications to constituents | Members’ Expenditures Reports, Board of Internal Economy, Parliament of Canada | 2001 to 2014 |
| Education | ||
| Percentage of children aged 0 to 5 years for whom there is a regulated centre-based child care space | Childcare Canada (Childcare Resource and Research Unit) | 1992, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014 |
| Amount of time spent in talk-based activities with children aged 0 to 14 years | GSS, Time Use, Cycles 7, 12, 19, 24 | 1992, 1998, 2005, 2010 |
| Ratio of students to educators in public schools | Centre for Education, Statistics Canada | 1997 to 2010 |
| Average expenditure per public school student ($2013) | Elementary-Secondary Education Survey; Survey of Uniform Financial System – School Boards | 1997/1998 to 2013/2014 |
| Percentage of population aged 25 and older participating in education-related activities | GSS, Time Use, Cycles 7, 12, 19, 24 | 1992, 1998, 2005, 2010 |
| Tuition and Living Accommodation Costs Survey | 1994/95 to 2014/2015 | |
| Percentage of Canadians 20 to 24 years of age in labour force completing high school | Labour Force Survey | 1994 to 2014 (annual) |
| Percentage of 25 to 64 year olds in population with a university degree | Labour Force Survey | 1994 to 2014 (annual) |
| Environment | ||
| Ground level ozone (population weighted in parts per billion) | Environment Canada – Environmental Indicators | 1994 to 2012 |
| Absolute greenhouse gas emissions (megatonnes of CO2 per year) | Environment Canada – Environmental Indicators | 1994 to 2013 |
| Primary energy production (petajoules) | Statistics Canada – Energy Statistics | 1995 to 2014 |
| Residential energy use | Statistics Canada – Energy Statistics; Census of Canada | 1995 to 2014 |
| Total farm land (hectares) | Census of Agriculture | 1991 to 2011 |
| Viable Metal Reserves Index | Statistics Canada – Metal Reserves Statistics | 1994 to 2011 |
| Ecological footprint | Global Footprint Network | 1961 to 2011 |
| Annual water yield in Southern Canada (km3) | Canadian System of Environmental and Resource Accounts – Natural Resource Asset Accounts | 1994 to 2013 |
| Healthy Populations | ||
| Percentage of population that rates their overall health as very good or excellent | NPHS / Canadian Community Health Survey | 1994 to 1999 / 2001 to 2014 |
| Percentage of population with self-reported diabetes | NPHS / Canadian Community Health Survey | 1994 to 1999 / 2001 to 2014 |
| Life expectancy at birth in years | Vital Statistics Birth and Death Databases, Statistics Canada | 1992 to 2010 |
| Percentage of daily or occasional smokers among teens aged 12 to 19 years | NPHS / Canadian Community Health Survey | 1994 to 1999 / 2001 to 2014 |
| Percentage of population that rates their mental health as very good or excellent | NPHS / Canadian Community Health Survey | 1994 to 1999 / 2001 to 2014 |
| Percentage of Canadians with a regular medical doctor | NPHS / Canadian Community Health Survey | 2003 to 2014 |
| Percentage of population getting influenza immunization in past year | NPHS / Canadian Community Health Survey | 1994 to 1999 / 2001 to 2014 |
| Percentage of population with an absence of health or activity-based limitations | Canadian Community Health Survey | 2002 to 2014 |
| Leisure and Culture | ||
| Average percentage of time spent on the previous day in social leisure activities | GSS, Time Use, Cycles 7, 12, 19, 24 | 1992, 1998, 2005, 2010 |
| Average percentage of time spent on the previous day in arts and culture activities | GSS, Time Use, Cycles 7, 12, 19, 24 | 1992, 1998, 2005, 2010 |
| Average number of hours volunteering for culture and/or recreation organizations | Canadian Survey of Giving, Volunteering, and Participating | 1997, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013 |
| Average monthly frequency of participation in physical activity lasting over 15 minutes | NPHS / Canadian Community Health Survey | 1994 to 1999 / 2001 to 2012 |
| Average attendance per performance in past year at all performing arts performances | Survey of Service Industries, Performing Arts | 1998 to 2012 |
| Average visitation per site to all National Parks and National Historic Sites | Parks Canada visitation data (online) | 1995 to 2013 |
|
Average number of nights away on vacation trips to destinations at least 80km from home |
Travel Survey of Residents of Canada (Canadian Travel Survey pre-2006) | 1994 to 2013 |
| Expenditures on all culture and recreation as a percentage of total household expenditures | Survey of Household Spending | 1997 to 2014 |
| Living Standards | ||
| Gini coefficient (income gap) | Survey of Consumer Finances / Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics / Canadian Income Survey | 1994 to 2014 |
| After-tax median income economic family ($2013) | Survey of Consumer Finances / Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics / Canadian Income Survey | 1994 to 2013 |
| Percentage of persons in low income based on low income cut-off (LICO) | Survey of Consumer Finances / Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics / Canadian Income Survey | 1994 to 2013 |
| Percentage of households that are moderately or severely food insecure | Canadian Community Health Survey | 2004 to 2013 |
| Percentage of labour force in long-term unemployment | Labour Force Survey | 1994 to 2014 |
| Percentage of labour force employed | Labour Force Survey | 1994 to 2014 |
| CIBC index of employment quality (1994 QI=100) | CIBC Employment Quality Index | 1994 to 2014 |
| Housing affordability based on Shelter Consumption Affordability Ratio (SCAR) | Unpublished data – Centre for for Economic Analysis | 1994 to 2014 |
| Time Use | ||
| Percentage of Canadians 25 to 64 years of age working over 50 hours per week at main job | Labour Force Survey | 1994 to 2014 |
| Percentage of 15 to 64 years old reporting high levels of time pressure | GSS, Time Use, Cycles 7, 12, 19, 24 | 1992, 1998, 2005, 2010 |
| Average daily amount of time with friends (minutes per day) | GSS, Time Use, Cycles 7, 12, 19, 24 | 1992, 1998, 2005, 2010 |
| Percentage of labour force working under 30 hours per week, not by choice | Labour Force Survey | 1997 to 2014 |
| Percentage of Canadians who report 7 to 9 hours of good quality essential sleep | GSS, Time Use, Cycles 7, 12, 19, 24 | 1992, 1998, 2005, 2010 |
| Mean workday commute time for individuals working for pay | GSS, Time Use, Cycles 7, 12, 19, 24 | 1992, 1998, 2005, 2010 |
| Percentage of individuals working for pay with flexible work hours | GSS, Time Use, Cycles 7, 12, 19, 24 | 1992, 1998, 2005, 2010 |
| Percentage of labour force with regular, weekday work hours | GSS, Time Use, Cycles 7, 12, 19, 24 | 1992, 1998, 2005, 2010 |