Overview of the Community Well-Being index, 1981 to 2021
A summary report
The Community Well-Being (CWB) index measures the socio-economic well-being of individual communities across Canada. It provides a systematic and reliable way to track the socio-economic well-being of communities over time. It also illustrates gaps in well-being between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, as well as variations across First Nations and Inuit communities. Focusing on the population's socio-economic conditions, the CWB index is one of many comprehensive ways to measure well-being in Canada.
This report focuses on long-term trends in CWB scores and changes in the gap between First Nations and Inuit communities and non-Indigenous communities over a 40-year period (1981 to 2021), with emphasis on the 2 most recent censuses (2016 and 2021). Findings are presented at the national, regional and community levels.
Table of contents
- Summary of key findings
- Findings: National overall CWB scores
- Key considerations of the findings
- For more information
- Keywords
- Appendix A: Methodology
- Appendix B: Overall CWB changes, non-Indigenous communities, 1981–2021 and 2016–2021
- Appendix C: Regional overall CWB changes and gaps, 1981–2021 and 2016–2021
Summary of key findings
- National CWB scores
- Overall CWB scores and all 4 component scores for First Nations communities increased over the long term (1981 to 2021) and the short term (2016 to 2021). Significant gaps between First Nations and non-Indigenous communities persisted between 1981 and 2021. However, between 2016 and 2021, the gap in overall CWB scores narrowed, marking the largest gap closure in the past 4 decades. For CWB components, gaps were largest for housing and smallest for labour force activity for First Nations communities. However, gaps narrowed in income and housing over the long term and in labour force activity, income and housing over the short term.
- Overall CWB scores for Inuit communities increased over the long term (1981 to 2021) but decreased over the short term (2016 to 2021). Significant gaps persisted between Inuit and non-Indigenous communities, and the gap in overall CWB scores has been steadily widening since 2001 and widened even more between 2016 and 2021. Only the gap for the CWB income component narrowed between 2016 and 2021.
- Regional CWB scores
- There were significant regional differences in the overall CWB scores among First Nations communities. The Atlantic region had the highest score, while the Prairie provinces had the lowest scores. Nevertheless, First Nations communities in the Prairie provinces experienced the largest gap reductions with non-Indigenous communities between 2016 and 2021.
- While overall CWB scores increased in all 4 Inuit regions between 1981 and 2021, scores in Nunavut and Inuvialuit Settlement Region decreased between 2016 and 2021. The gap between Inuit and non-Indigenous communities widened for all 4 Inuit regions between 2016 and 2021.
- Community-level CWB scores
- The number of First Nations communities with an overall CWB score below 50 has dropped significantly since 1981. There was greater variation in overall CWB scores in First Nations communities compared with non-Indigenous communities. However, the range for First Nations communities decreased between 2016 and 2021, indicating growing equality among First Nations communities.
- The number of Inuit communities with a CWB score below 50 has decreased significantly since 1981 but increased between 2016 and 2021. The variation in overall CWB scores for Inuit communities increased between 2016 and 2021, indicating increasing inequality among Inuit communities over this period.
The CWB index and data sources
The overall CWB score for a community is derived from 4 components: education, labour force activity, income and housing. Three of these components are further divided into 6 related subcomponents (see Appendix A). CWB scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores representing better socio-economic well-being. These scores are calculated using data from Statistics Canada's Census of Population (1981, 1991–2006, 2016, 2021) and the National Household Survey (2011). CWB scores for 1981 to 2021 are available for every census subdivision (referred to as "community" in this report) in Canada that was enumerated in the census, had a census population of at least 65, and met the census confidentiality rule for disclosing income information.
In 2021, 607 of 1,066 First Nations communities and 50 of 75 Inuit communities received an overall CWB score, compared with 3,725 of 4,020 non-Indigenous communities. The index cannot be calculated for Métis nations. While there are 8 Métis-designated settlement areas recognized by the Province of Alberta, they are not part of Statistics Canada's standard geography (census subdivisions) used to identify municipalities (as determined by provincial/territorial legislation) or areas treated as municipal equivalents for statistical purposes (e.g., Indian reserves, Indian settlements and unorganized territories). Nonetheless, Indigenous Services Canada produces another well-being measure—the Application of the Human Development Index—that includes the Métis population.Footnote 1 For more details on how CWB scores are calculated and to gain further insights into why certain communities may not have received a CWB score, please refer to Appendix A.
Findings: National overall CWB scores
Score trends
Overall CWB scores for First Nations, Inuit and non-Indigenous communities increased over the 40-year period from 1981 to 2021 (see Figure 1). During this period, First Nations communities' overall CWB scores increased from 45.0 to 62.4. The 2021 score for First Nations communities is 4.0 points higher than the 2016 score of 58.4, representing a notable improvement in socio-economic well-being. This progress is the most substantial improvement for First Nations communities between consecutive censuses in the last 4 decades.
The overall CWB scores for Inuit communities also increased significantly between 1981 (46.1) and 2021 (60.6). However, the pace of this increase slowed from 2001 to 2016, and the Inuit score declined slightly in 2021 (see Figure 1).
Source: Indigenous Services Canada, Custom Tabulations, Censuses of Population, 1981, 1991 to 2006, 2016, 2021 and National Household Survey, 2011.
Text alternative for Figure 1: Overall CWB scores and trends, 1981–2021
| Year | Overall CWB scores by community type | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Indigenous Communities | Inuit Communities | First Nations Communities | |
| 1981 | 64.5 | 46.1 | 45.0 |
| 1986 | |||
| 1991 | 68.0 | 54.5 | 49.3 |
| 1996 | 68.9 | 57.5 | 52.7 |
| 2001 | 70.7 | 58.5 | 54.9 |
| 2006 | 73.8 | 58.9 | 55.4 |
| 2011 | 75.8 | 59.8 | 56.4 |
| 2016 | 77.5 | 61.3 | 58.4 |
| 2021 | 78.7 | 60.6 | 62.4 |
Socio-economic gaps
Although the period between 1981 and 2021 is marked by significant gaps between the overall CWB scores of First Nations and non-Indigenous communities, the 2021 gap is among the smallest recorded. Between 2016 and 2021, the gap between these communities narrowed by 2.8 points, decreasing from 19.1 to 16.3 points, representing the largest gap closure between 2 consecutive censuses in the past 40 years (see Figure 1).
There were also significant gaps in socio-economic well-being between Inuit communities and non-Indigenous communities between 1981 and 2021. However, the gaps for Inuit communities were generally smaller than for First Nations communities, except for 2021, when the gap for Inuit communities widened from 16.2 points in 2016 to 18.1 in 2021. In fact, the gap for Inuit communities has been steadily widening since 2001.
Given these notable differences in CWB score trends and gaps for First Nations and Inuit communities, findings for these 2 groups of communities are presented separately.
First Nations – National CWB component and subcomponent scores
Score trends
Scores for most CWB components and subcomponents increased in First Nations communities over the 40-year period between 1981 and 2021, except for the employment and housing quality subcomponents (see Table 1, column B). The income and education components increased the most over this period, with a sizable increase in the high school plus subcomponent. In contrast, the 2021 labour force activity component is only slightly higher than in 1981. More recently, trends between 2016 and 2021 were somewhat different, with the income and housing components increasing the most (see Table 1, column C). Interestingly, the housing quality subcomponent was an important driver for the recent housing score increase. For comparison, CWB scores for non-Indigenous communities are shown in Table 3 of Appendix B.
| CWB components and subcomponents | 2021 CWB gap between First Nations and non-Indigenous communities (A) |
CWB score changes in First Nations communities | CWB gap changes between First Nations and non-Indigenous communities | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981–2021 (B) |
2016–2021 (C) |
1981–2021 (D) |
2016–2021 (E) |
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| Education | 15.6 | 28.3 increase | 2.2 increase | 1.3 widening gap | 0.2 widening gap |
| High school plus | 19.8 | 40.4 increase | 3.0 increase | 0.4 narrowing gap | 0.3 narrowing gap |
| University | 7.1 | 4.3 increase | 0.8 increase | 4.6 widening gap | 0.9 widening gap |
| Labour force activity | 14.2 | 2.6 increase | 0.9 increase | 1.2 widening gap | 0.7 narrowing gap |
| Employment | 8.0 | 0.2 decrease | 6.4 increase | 0.5 widening gap | 5.8 narrowing gap |
| Participation | 20.4 | 5.3 increase | 4.7 decrease | 2.0 widening gap | 4.3 widening gap |
| Income | 15.2 | 27.3 increase | 8.9 increase | 7.7 narrowing gap | 6.9 narrowing gap |
| Housing | 20.4 | 11.4 increase | 3.9 increase | 7.7 narrowing gap | 3.6 narrowing gap |
| Quantity | 15.6 | 31.7 increase | 1.7 increase | 26.4 narrowing gap | 2.1 narrowing gap |
| Quality | 25.2 | 8.8 decrease | 6.1 increase | 11.1 widening gap | 5.0 narrowing gap |
| Source: Indigenous Services Canada, Custom Tabulations, Censuses of Population, 1981, 1991 to 2006, 2016, 2021 and National Household Survey, 2011. Note: In columns B and C, an upward arrow (↑) indicates increasing scores over time, while a downward arrow (↓) indicates decreasing scores. In columns D and E, a downward arrow (↓) indicates a narrowing gap over time, while an upward arrow (↑) indicates a widening gap over time. |
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Socio-economic gaps
In 2021, the CWB component with the largest gap between First Nations and non-Indigenous communities was housing, while labour force activity had the smallest gap (see Table 1, column A). Although large gaps remained in 2021, the gaps for labour force activity, income and housing narrowed between 2016 and 2021 (see Table 1, column E), with income having the largest reduction. This recent reduction in the income gap is the largest improvement in income for First Nations communities over one census period in the past 40 years. Gaps for the labour force activity and education components did not narrow between 1981 and 2021 (see Table 1, column D).
First Nations – Regional CWB scores
Score trends
Overall CWB scores for First Nations communities increased in all regions of Canada between 1981 and 2021, including between 2016 and 2021 (see Appendix C, Table 4, columns C and D). In 2021, the Atlantic region had the highest overall CWB scores for First Nations communities, while the Prairie provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta) had the lowest. However, Manitoba and Saskatchewan had some of the largest CWB score increases between 2016 and 2021 (see Appendix C, Table 4, column D).
Socio-economic gaps
In 2021, the largest gaps between the overall CWB scores of First Nations and non-Indigenous communities were in the Prairie provinces, and the smallest gap was in the Atlantic region (see Appendix C, Table 4, column B). Despite these notable differences, the gaps narrowed in most regions between 2016 and 2021, with the largest gap reductions observed in the Prairie provinces (see Appendix C, Table 4, column F). The only exception was the territories, where the gap increased slightly during this period.
First Nations – Community-level CWB scores
In 2021, First Nations communities had the widest spread of CWB scores (see Figure 2), with 95% of scores falling within a 35-point range, compared with a 19-point range for non-Indigenous communities. However, the range for First Nations communities has decreased since 2016, indicating growing equality among First Nations communities.
The proportion of First Nations communities with a CWB score below 50 points has decreased significantly over time, plummeting from 70.5% in 1981 to 8.2% in 2021. Of the 607 First Nations communities with a CWB score in 2021 (see Appendix A), 2 ranked among the top 100 highest-scoring communities, while 21 exceeded the average overall CWB score for non-Indigenous communities across Canada. Despite this progress, 93 of the 100 lowest CWB scores in Canada belonged to First Nations communities.
Source: Indigenous Services Canada, Custom Tabulations, Census of Population, 2021.
Text alternative for Figure 2: Distribution of CWB scores by community type, 2021
| 2021 CWB Score | Distribution of CWB scores by community type | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Inuit Communities (n = 50, mean = 60.6) | First Nations Communities (n = 607, mean = 62.4) | Non-Indigenous Communities (n = 3725, mean = 78.7) | |
| 20 - 24 | NA | NA | NA |
| 25 - 29 | NA | NA | NA |
| 30- 34 | NA | 0% | NA |
| 35 - 39 | NA | 0% | NA |
| 40 - 44 | NA | 2% | NA |
| 45 - 49 | 4% | 6% | 0% |
| 50 - 54 | 16% | 13% | 0% |
| 55 - 59 | 30% | 18% | 0% |
| 60 - 64 | 26% | 16% | 0% |
| 65 - 69 | 10% | 22% | 3% |
| 70 - 74 | 8% | 15% | 12% |
| 75 - 79 | 2% | 6% | 40% |
| 80 - 84 | 4% | 2% | 38% |
| 85 - 89 | NA | 0% | 7% |
| 90 - 94 | NA | 0% | 1% |
| 95 - 99 | NA | NA | NA |
Inuit – National CWB component and subcomponent scores
Score trends
For Inuit communities, all CWB component scores increased over the 40-year period between 1981 and 2021 (see Table 2, column B). The income component increased the most during this period. The increase in the education component was mainly due to a rise in the high school plus score, while housing's increase was entirely due to an increase in the housing quantity score. Between 2016 and 2021, Inuit communities experienced an increase in their income score, while education and labour force activity scores decreased, owing to notable drops in the scores of the high school plus and labour force participation subcomponents, respectively. The housing component score did not change during this period. For comparison, CWB scores for non-Indigenous communities are provided in Table 3 of Appendix B.
Socio-economic gaps
In 2021, the gaps between Inuit and non-Indigenous communities for the CWB components were largest in housing and education and smallest in income (see Table 2, column A). Between 1981 and 2021, the gaps for income and housing narrowed (see Table 2, column D), while only the gap for income narrowed between 2016 and 2021 (see Table 2, column E).
Inuit – Regional CWB scores
Score trends
Overall CWB scores increased in all 4 Inuit regions between 1981 and 2021 (see Appendix C, Table 5, column C). These increases were uneven, with scores for Nunavik increasing the most. Between 2016 and 2021, the overall CWB score for Nunatsiavut and Nunavik (east of Hudson Bay) increased, while scores for Nunavut and Inuvialuit Settlement Region (north and west of Hudson Bay) decreased (see Appendix C, Table 5, column D). In 2021, Nunatsiavut had the highest overall CWB score in Inuit Nunangat (see Appendix C, Table 5, column A).
| CWB components and subcomponents | 2021 CWB gap between Inuit and non-Indigenous communities (A) |
CWB score changes in Inuit communities | CWB gap changes between Inuit and non-Indigenous communities | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981–2021 (B) |
2016–2021 (C) |
1981–2021 (D) |
2016–2021 (E) |
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| Education | 25.8 | 16.3 increase | 3.3 decrease | 13.3 increasing gap | 5.7 increasing gap |
| High school plus | 35.2 | 23.8 increase | 4.3 decrease | 16.2 increasing gap | 7.0 increasing gap |
| University | 7.1 | 1.4 increase | 1.4 decrease | 7.5 increasing gap | 3.1 increasing gap |
| Labour force activity | 10.6 | 0.1 increase | 1.9 decrease | 3.7 increasing gap | 2.1 increasing gap |
| Employment | 8.3 | 4.6 decrease | 5.2 increase | 4.9 increasing gap | 4.6 narrowing gap |
| Participation | 12.8 | 4.8 increase | 9.0 decrease | 2.5 increasing gap | 8.6 increasing gap |
| Income | 7.3 | 30.3 increase | 2.5 increase | 10.7 narrowing gap | 0.5 narrowing gap |
| Housing | 28.7 | 11.4 increase | 0 | 7.7 narrowing gap | 0.3 increasing gap |
| Quantity | 33.1 | 32.6 increase | 1.2 increase | 27.3 narrowing gap | 1.6 narrowing gap |
| Quality | 24.4 | 9.8 decrease | 1.1 decrease | 12.1 increasing gap | 2.2 increasing gap |
| Source: Indigenous Services Canada, Custom Tabulations, Censuses of Population, 1981, 1991 to 2006, 2016, 2021 and National Household Survey, 2011. Note: In columns B and C, an upward arrow (↑) indicates increasing scores over time, while a downward arrow (↓) indicates decreasing scores. In columns D and E, a downward arrow (↓) indicates a narrowing gap over time, while an upward arrow (↑) indicates a widening gap over time. |
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Socio-economic gaps
In 2021, the largest gaps between the overall CWB scores of Inuit and non-Indigenous communities were in Nunavut and Nunavik, and the smallest gaps were in Inuvialuit Settlement Region and Nunatsiavut (see Appendix C, Table 5, column B). Gaps in all regions except for Nunavut narrowed between 1981 and 2021 (see Appendix C, Table 5, column E), while gaps widened for all 4 Inuit regions between 2016 and 2021 (see Appendix C, Table 5, column F).
Inuit – Community-level CWB scores
In 2021, the overall CWB scores for 95% of Inuit communities fell within a 33-point range, up from a 30-point range in 2016. This increase indicates growing inequality among Inuit communities over this period.
The proportion of Inuit communities with a CWB score below 50 points has decreased considerably over time, declining from 79.5% in 1981 to 4.0% in 2021. Between 2016 and 2021, this percentage increased by 2.0 points. Despite this long-term progress, 8 of the 100 lowest CWB scores in Canada belonged to Inuit communities.
Key considerations of the findings
This summary report provides the key findings of the 2021 update to the Community Well-Being index at the national, regional and community levels over a 40-year period (1981 to 2021). It is important to contextualize the 2021 findings.
These data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, interpretation of 2021 CWB scores should take into account the varying effects of pandemic restrictions, changing mobility patterns and pandemic-related government transfers on all 4 CWB components. The upcoming 2026 Census should provide insights into ongoing changes in community socio-economic well-being and the impacts of the pandemic.
This report lays the foundation for further inquiry into the socio-economic well-being of First Nations, Inuit and non-Indigenous communities, particularly with regard to (i) assessing the impact of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and changing patterns of mobility on well-being, and (ii) exploring the connections between socio-economic well-being and geography (for example, remoteness and road access), among other factors.
For more information
For inquiries about this report or to receive more detailed technical and methodological reports, contact instat@sac-isc.gc.ca.
Keywords
Community Well-Being; socio-economic well-being; education; labour force activity; income; housing; First Nations communities; Inuit communities; non-Indigenous communities.
Appendix A: Methodology
The methodology used to calculate CWB index scores in 2021 is the same as in 2016. A detailed methodological report for the 2021 CWB index is available upon request.
The 4 components of the CWB index have further subcomponents:
- Education is based on the proportion of community residents aged 20 years and over with at least a high school education and the proportion of those aged 25 and over with a university degree.
- Labour force activity is based on the proportion of community residents (aged 20 to 64) participating in the labour force and the proportion of labour force participants (aged 20 to 64) who are employed.
- Income is calculated based on a community's total income per capita.
- Housing is based on the proportion of community residents living in homes that do not require major repairs (quality) and are not overcrowded (quantity).
The CWB subcomponent and component scores are combined to give each community an overall well-being score ranging from a low of 0 to a high of 100. Since every resident contributes to a community's well-being, CWB scores are calculated at the community level and include the entire resident population, regardless of Indigenous identity or status.
CWB scores for 1981 to 2021 are available for every community in Canada that had a census population of at least 65, was enumerated in the census and met the census confidentiality rule for disclosing income information. For some communities, overall CWB scores are available, but component scores have not been released publicly (i.e., have been suppressed) in order to preserve confidentiality. Statistics Canada suppresses census income information for communities with populations of less than 250 and for communities that contain fewer than 40 households. In these cases, a community's overall CWB index is rounded and its 4 CWB component scores are suppressed. Thus, if a community's population is between 65 and 250, overall CWB scores are available to the public, but component scores are not released.
Appendix B: Overall CWB changes, non-Indigenous communities, 1981–2021 and 2016–2021
| CWB components and subcomponents | CWB score changes in non-Indigenous communities | |
|---|---|---|
| 1981–2021 | 2016–2021 | |
| Education | 29.6 increase | 2.4 increase |
| High school plus | 40.0 increase | 2.7 increase |
| University | 8.9 increase | 1.7 increase |
| Labour force activity | 3.8 increase | 0.2 increase |
| Employment | 0.3 increase | 0.6 increase |
| Participation | 7.3 increase | 0.4 decrease |
| Income | 19.6 increase | 2.0 increase |
| Housing | 3.7 increase | 0.3 increase |
| Quantity | 5.3 increase | 0.4 decrease |
| Quality | 2.3 increase | 1.1 increase |
| Source: Indigenous Services Canada, Custom Tabulations, Censuses of Population, 1981, 1991 to 2006, 2016, 2021 and National Household Survey, 2011. Note: An upward arrow (↑) indicates increasing scores over time, while a downward arrow (↓) indicates decreasing scores over time. |
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Appendix C: Regional overall CWB changes and gaps, 1981–2021 and 2016–2021
| Regions with First Nations communities | 2021 CWB score (A) |
2021 CWB gap (B) |
CWB score changes | CWB gap changes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981–2021 (C) |
2016–2021 (D) |
1981–2021 (E) |
2016–2021 (F) |
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| Atlantic region | 69.4 | 6.8 | 21.1 increase | 4.6 increase | 4.6 decreasing gap | 3.2 decreasing gap |
| Quebec | 66.9 | 11.7 | 22.0 increase | 5.6 increase | 7.0 decreasing gap | 3.5 decreasing gap |
| Ontario | 62.3 | 17.7 | 15.7 increase | 3.0 increase | 3.2 decreasing gap | 2.1 decreasing gap |
| Manitoba | 54.5 | 24.1 | 14.1 increase | 5.2 increase | 0.6 increasing gap | 4.6 decreasing gap |
| Saskatchewan | 56.5 | 23.0 | 17.7 increase | 5.5 increase | 3.7 decreasing gap | 5.0 decreasing gap |
| Alberta | 56.5 | 22.8 | 12.0 increase | 3.6 increase | 0.9 decreasing gap | 3.9 decreasing gap |
| British Columbia | 67.0 | 13.5 | 18.4 increase | 4.1 increase | 8.3 decreasing gap | 3.0 decreasing gap |
| Territories | 67.2 | 15.2 | 21.1 increase | 0.9 increase | 5.2 decreasing gap | 0.1 increasing gap |
| Source: Indigenous Services Canada, Custom Tabulations, Censuses of Population, 1981, 1991 to 2006, 2016, 2021 and National Household Survey, 2011. Note: In columns C and D, an upward arrow (↑) indicates increasing scores over time. In columns E and F, a downward arrow (↓) indicates a narrowing gap over time, while an upward arrow (↑) indicates a widening gap over time. Gap changes represent the difference between the overall CWB scores for First Nations and non-Indigenous communities located within the same region. |
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| Regions with Inuit communities | 2021 CWB score (A) |
2021 CWB gap (B) |
CWB score changes | CWB gap changes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981–2021 (C) |
2016–2021 (D) |
1981–2021 (E) |
2016–2021 (F) |
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| Nunatsiavut | 67.7 | 11.0 | 18.6 increase | 0.8 increase | 4.4 decreasing gap | 0.4 increasing gap |
| Nunavik | 60.8 | 17.9 | 23.6 increase | 0.4 increase | 9.4 decreasing gap | 0.8 increasing gap |
| Nunavut | 57.7 | 21.0 | 10.4 increase | 1.6 decrease | 3.8 increasing gap | 2.8 increasing gap |
| Inuvialuit Settlement Region | 64.5 | 14.2 | 14.3 increase | 2.0 decrease | 0.1 decreasing gap | 3.2 increasing gap |
| Source: Indigenous Services Canada, Custom Tabulations, Censuses of Population, 1981, 1991 to 2006, 2016, 2021 and National Household Survey, 2011. Note: In columns C and D, an upward arrow (↑) indicates increasing scores over time, while a downward arrow (↓) indicates decreasing scores. In columns E and F, a downward arrow (↓) indicates a narrowing gap over time, while an upward arrow (↑) indicates a widening gap over time. Gap changes represent the difference between the overall CWB scores for an Inuit region and the overall CWB score for non-Indigenous communities across Canada. |
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