A high level of life satisfaction measures many things. It could mean good mental and physical health, financial prosperity, living in a pleasant environment, feeling cared for by your government, enjoying a sense of meaning and purpose — the list goes on.
“Quality of life (well-being) refers to the wealth and comfort of individuals, communities and society based on both material and non-material factors that are important to people’s lives, such as health and social connections,” states Statistics Canada.
This year, the stats agency shared results from a life satisfaction survey conducted in Q3 of 2023, using several indicators.
Factors varied significantly across Canada as survey participants rated their life satisfaction levels from zero to 10.
Nationally, across genders, 20.3% of Canadians had a dismal life satisfaction rating between 0 and five, and it looks like things have only gotten worse with time.
Compared to Q3 of 2021, when StatCan launched the Quality of Life survey, the group above saw an overall increase of 3% (up from 17.3%).
Just over 29% had satisfaction levels of six to seven, and 50.6% reported being pretty satisfied with life, leaving eights, nines, and 10s on the survey. In 2021, this statistic stood at 54.2%.
Statistics Canada
Satisfaction levels dropped provincially as well. In 2021, Ontario was the least satisfied province, followed closely by Alberta, New Brunswick, and BC.
Here’s how things have changed over time:
Ontario
It might not surprise Ontarians, but the least satisfied Canadians still live in Ontario, where 23.3% of residents left a rating of 0-5, and less than half were in the 8-10 rating range.
Historical data also shows a decline in satisfaction here, too.
The pool of the least satisfied residents has grown by 3.6% since 2021, and the most satisfied have shrunken by 3.7%.
New Brunswick
The second least satisfied province in Q3 of 2023 was New Brunswick, where 23% rated their satisfaction with life between 0-5, growing 4.6% in two years.
Since the inception of the Quality of Life survey, New Brunswick’s position has risen from the third most unsatisfied province.
Only 51.6% of ratings were in the 8-10 range, down from 55.8% in 2021.
British Columbia
BC was the third most unsatisfied province, with 21.9% of ratings ranging between zero and five, up 4.3% from 17.6% during the same period in 2021.
A decrease was also observed in groups with higher satisfaction levels; ratings of 8-10 nosedived from 51% to 45.6%, and ratings of 6-7 dipped by 1.1%.
Statistics Canada
Wait, what about Alberta?
Though Alberta was the second most unsatisfied province in 2021, it is no longer even in the top five.
After BC, Nova Scotia and Manitoba are in fourth and fifth place, with 0-5 ratings of 21.3% and 20.8%, respectively.
Alberta’s satisfaction levels haven’t increased dramatically, but they’re worsening much more slowly than some other provinces.
In 2021, 19.5% of Albertans surveyed left a rating of 0-5 — now that number is 20.1%, a slight increase of 0.6%.
The happiest Canadian province
Quebec reigns supreme with the lowest number of unsatisfied residents.
Only 13.8% gave their life a satisfaction rating between zero and five, and a whopping 61.1% reported satisfaction levels of 8-10. That’s 10.1% above the national average.
Over the years, Quebecers have consistently reported the highest satisfaction levels in this Statistics Canada survey.
For more in-depth information, check out this interactive tool by the national statistics agency or look at regional stats here.