Canada Fact Sheet

Canada Elder Care Demographics

WHO NEEDS HOME CARE?

1. An estimated 4.3 million people - more than 13% of the population - are age 65 and older.
2. Approximately two million Canadians will be age 85 and older by 2051, almost five times the current figure.
3. The number of seniors is expected to double by 2026, with seniors accounting for 21% of the population.
4. By 2031, the number of Canadians age 65 and older could range from 8.9 million-9.4 million.
5. It is projected that by 2030, there will be 40 retirees for every 100 working-age persons - up from 21 in 2003.*
   
   Source(s):
   Statistics Canada unless otherwise indicated.
   * Summit on Mature Market Workforce, 2006

WHO PROVIDES HOME CARE?

1. More than 1.7 million adults age 45 to 64 provide informal care to almost 2.3 million seniors with long-term disabilities or physical limitations.*
2. Approximately 18% of women and 19% of men age 45 and older say they provide care to one or more seniors with a long-term health problem.
3. Approximately 39% of senior women and 45% of older men receive all of their care from informal sources.
   
   Source(s):
   Statistics Canada unless otherwise indicated.
   * "Balancing career and care," Perspectives on Labour and Income, 2006

WHO NEEDS HELP?

1. One in 10 men aged 45-64 reports that their sleep patterns have been disrupted because of their caregiving activities; while nearly two in 10 women experience these problems.¹
2. The majority of female caregivers aged 45-64 are working (63%), most in a full-time capacity (72%).¹
3. About 44% of caregivers incur extra financial costs associated with caregiving responsibilities, such as decreased salary due to absences; lost promotion opportunities; and reduced retirement benefits.²
4. Approximately 20% of women and 13% of men report that reducing hours of work is common as a result of caregiving.¹
5. Some 21% of women caregivers report that the need to provide care to a family member would be a likely reason for retirement, compared with 13% of women who were not providing care.³
6. More than one in 10 seniors receiving care reside with their children, with this proportion being highest for seniors age 85 and older.¹
   
   Source(s):
   1. Statistics Canada
   2. Economic Security for Caregivers: A Policy Development Process to Better Support Unpaid Caregivers, a report from the Unpaid Caregiving Forum, convened by the Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL) in partnership with The Canadian Caregiver Coalition (CCC-CCAN), 2003
   3. "Balancing career and care," Perspectives on Labour and Income, 2006