Stats Canada put out it’s yearly population estimates for 2009, with the data showing sex and age correlations, and all I can say is I am starting to feel a lot older.
The Median age of a Canadian as of July 1, 2009 was 39.5 years (up about 0.2 years from last year and 3.1 years from 1999). This seems to suggest that the statement that the Canadian Population is aging (as a group) is a correct statement. Why are we getting older as a population?
Fertility rates persistently below the generation replacement level, and an increasing life expectancy are the main factors explaining the ageing process of the Canadian population.
Interesting since in my household we have 4 kids, so we have effectively a doubling fertility rate. The guess is that the Median Age by the 2030s may reach 44.0 years old (by then I’ll be in my 60s), and thus we all get that much older.
Working Age Population?
Yes the working age population is getting older (the median is at least) and this comprises the group of folks between 15 and 64 years old (I’d love to retire before 64, but my guess is I’ll be retiring much later than that). The median age in this group is 40.5 years old, which explains why more and more working folks are worried about: Pensions, Medical benefits and retirement savings plans.
The Big Table
This table I really like because it shows what I kept hearing, that women live longer than men, and from age 50 onward there are more women of that age group than there are men.
| Age group | Total | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 33,739,859 | 16,732,476 | 17,007,383 |
| 0 to 4 years | 1,837,724 | 943,435 | 894,289 |
| 5 to 9 years | 1,799,302 | 925,703 | 873,599 |
| 10 to 14 years | 1,974,580 | 1,011,814 | 962,766 |
| 15 to 19 years | 2,252,125 | 1,153,334 | 1,098,791 |
| 20 to 24 years | 2,321,435 | 1,192,583 | 1,128,852 |
| 25 to 29 years | 2,347,947 | 1,185,618 | 1,162,329 |
| 30 to 34 years | 2,261,715 | 1,131,696 | 1,130,019 |
| 35 to 39 years | 2,302,991 | 1,160,612 | 1,142,379 |
| 40 to 44 years | 2,484,703 | 1,251,761 | 1,232,942 |
| 45 to 49 years | 2,790,065 | 1,402,756 | 1,387,309 |
| 50 to 54 years | 2,575,414 | 1,282,937 | 1,292,477 |
| 55 to 59 years | 2,216,810 | 1,093,223 | 1,123,587 |
| 60 to 64 years | 1,887,602 | 925,914 | 961,688 |
| 65 to 69 years | 1,407,085 | 681,686 | 725,399 |
| 70 to 74 years | 1,080,820 | 507,295 | 573,525 |
| 75 to 79 years | 907,974 | 408,798 | 499,176 |
| 80 to 84 years | 675,584 | 275,225 | 400,359 |
| 85 to 89 years | 412,696 | 143,441 | 269,255 |
| 90 to 94 years | 155,198 | 43,951 | 111,247 |
| 95 to 99 years | 42,108 | 9,527 | 32,581 |
| 100 years and over | 5,981 | 1,167 | 4,814 |
What is also interesting to me is that there are over 1,000,000 Canadians 80 years and older and 5,000 of them 100+ years old, wow. All I need to do now is that I have enough money to live that long, and then figure out how to live that long. My firm belief is that death is the leading cause of mortality, but I am willing to listen to counter-arguments.
Where do you fit in this table?
