Data by Population Groups
Metro Vancouver’s Vital Signs reports on key areas and indicators that evaluate the overall livability and wellness of our region. This year, Vancouver Foundation took a closer look at issues and trends for five population groups:
Children and Youth
Metro Vancouver is home to 482,925 youth and children under the age of 20, according to 2006 data. Their numbers grew 7% since 1996. However, as the population as a whole ages, children and youth proportionally make up a smaller percentage, from 25% in 1996 to 23% in 2006.
Children Living in Poverty
- Almost a quarter of metro Vancouver’s children age 17 and under lived in poverty in 2006.
- Metro Vancouver’s child poverty rate of 24% exceeded the national rate of 16% and provincial rate of 22% in 2006. BC also had the highest child poverty rate of all provinces for the fifth year in a row.
Infant Mortality Rate
- Metro Vancouver’s infant mortality rate in 2006 – 4 deaths per 1,000 live births – rose slightly from the rate between 2001 and 2005. However, the rate varied widely throughout the region.
Licensed Child Care
Finding and paying for child care is a major challenge for families, and hinders women from participating in the workforce.
- Demand exceeds availability: only 14% of estimated child care needs in Vancouver were met by existing services in 2005. For children aged 1 to 3, only 6% of estimated child care needs were met.
- The cost of child care increased 50% for ages 6 to 12 from 2005 to 2007, while the cost for younger children rose 13% to 17%, depending on the age group.
Gaps in High School Graduation Rates
- A higher proportion of special needs students graduated from high school over the past five years, narrowing the graduation rate gap between special needs and other students.
- The gap in graduation rates between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students widened. Only 57% of Aboriginal students graduated in 2006/07, compared to 79% of non- Aboriginals. Graduation rates for Aboriginal students also varied widely throughout the region.
Employment for Youth
Youth employment prospects are improving as the boomers age and more workers retire.
- Over half of metro Vancouver youth age 15 to 24 were employed in 2007. The youth unemployment rate was 7%, down from 17% twenty years ago.
Mode of transportation
- Commuting patterns varied significantly by age. Youth between the ages of 15 and 24 were most likely to take public transit (25%), bike (2%) and walk (9%).
Seniors
In 2006, there were 271,460 people age 65 and older in metro Vancouver, making up 13% of the total population.
As the baby boomer generation ages, senior population growth outpaces that of the Canadian population as a whole. The number of seniors increased 25% in metro Vancouver between 1996 and 2006, while the entire region’s population only grew 16%.
Proportion of Seniors Living Alone
More seniors live on their own compared to the rest of the population and this can be isolating.
- In 2006, 27% of seniors over age 65 in metro Vancouver lived alone. This compares to 9% of the population under 65.
Source of Seniors’ Income
Understanding where seniors get their income helps society design and assess policies to ensure their economic security.
- In 2006, 98% of metro Vancouver seniors received income from the government: 92% from Old Age Security and 82% from the Canadian Pension Plan/Quebec Pension Plan.
- Over half received income from private pension plans, 61% had income from investments, and nearly a quarter reported employment income.
Elderly Poverty Rate
- The proportion of seniors living in poverty has decreased dramatically in metro Vancouver, and as of 2006 was at the lowest rate in 30 years. From 1976 to 2006, it fell 70%. Now 15% of seniors fall below the poverty line.
- The region’s rate is still higher than the provincial average of11% and the national average of 13%.
Mode of Transportation
- Metro Vancouver seniors were less likely than the average resident to use public transit as their main mode of transportation to work, but were the second most likely age group after youth to walk.
Immigrants
Immigrants are an increasingly critical part of the labour force in metro Vancouver. They also contribute to the cultural richness and vitality of our region.
As of 2006, four out of ten metro Vancouver residents were born outside of Canada. Over the last five years, the immigrant population increased 13% while the Canadian-born population only increased 2%.
New Immigrants
- Over 18% of immigrants living in metro Vancouver in 2006 arrived since 2001. Another 18% arrived between 1996 and 2000.
- Since 2001, the majority of immigrants to metro Vancouver came from China (26%), India (12%), the Philippines (11%) and South Korea (8%).
Immigrant Incomes
- Immigrants who arrived in metro Vancouver between 2000 and 2004 earn less than half of their Canadian-born counterparts. The gap is even greater for those without degrees. However, the discrepancy appears to diminish over time.
- The median income for all immigrants was notably lower than the median income for Canadian-born residents in 2005.
Immigrant Unemployment
- The unemployment rate for immigrants in metro Vancouver who entered the country in the last five years was double that of people born in Canada.
- In 2006, the unemployment rate for immigrants arriving to Canada between 2001 and 2006 was 11%. The rate for immigrants here more than five years was 7% while the rate for the non-immigrant population was 5%.
Ethnic Media Outlets
- In 2007, there were 144 different media sources in languages other than English in BC. More than half were newspapers; there were also 15 TV channels and 15 radio stations.
Language Used Most Often at Work
- As of 2006, a language other than English or French was the main language used at work by 6% of Vancouver’s labour force. English was the main language at work for 93% of people, compared to 95% in BC overall. Less than 1% used French.
First Nations and Aboriginal People
First Nations peoples are an essential part of metro Vancouver’s culture and heritage. With almost one quarter of their population under age 15, they are a growing part of this region’s future and emerging labour force.
Breakdown by age
- As of 2006, Aboriginal people made up 2% of metro Vancouver’s population. The median age of the Aboriginal population was 30.6 years, compared to 39.1 years for the total metro Vancouver population.
Homelessness
- Aboriginal people are disproportionately represented in the region’s homeless population. While only 2% of the overall population is First Nations, 32% of respondents in the 2008 regional Homeless Count said they were First Nations.
