Canadian Social Statistics - Statistiques sociales du Canada

[ Go to Canadian Social Research Links Home Page ]

Lost and Found*

Historical Statistics of Canada (2nd edition, 1983)
Jointly produced by the
Social Science Federation of Canada
and Statistics Canada

* This isn't a new online resource, but it's definitely a valuable historical resource.
The URL was recently changed, but the content hasn't been updated or changed.
Scroll down this page for more historical resources on social programs in Canada
(such as Social Security Statistics, Canada and Provinces).

Click on one of the links immediately below to jump to specific sections further down on this page...
[use your browser's Back button to return to this part of the page]

Statistics Canada
===> The Mother of all government statistics sites in Canada. Just scroll down past the first red bar below for a large section of StatCan links
Canadian Economy Online
Social Security Statistics, Canada and Provinces
Historical Statistics of Canada
Population statistics
Census 2006 (and earlier)
Welfare statistics
Poverty/income statistics
Employment/unemployment statistics
Indicators of Well-being in Canada
Income tax statistics
Canadian health statistics
Canadian education statistics
Homelessness/housing statistics
Canadian income security statistics
Provincial/territorial government statistical information sources
Crime/Justice statistics
Miscellaneous Canadian stats links
American statistical links
European and other international statistical links
** UNdata - "A World of Information"<== this link takes you directly to the UN website

NOTE: For links to reports and statistics on poverty, low-income measures (LICO, LIM) and income inequality,
see the Canadian Social Research Links Poverty Measures page

Canadian Social Statistics

March 27, 2008
Canada's population estimates, fourth quarter 2007
As of January 1, 2008, Canada's population was estimated at 33,143,600, up by 52,400 from October 1, 2007. The nation's population increased 0.16%, the strongest fourth quarter growth rate since 1995. While natural growth remained stable, net international migration was up. Canada had a net inflow of 27,700 people, the highest fourth quarter net growth since 1988.

Statistics Canada Census Page
- links to Census pages for : 2006 - 2001 - 1996
- incl. recent releases :
* March 4, 2008 - Labour, education, language of work and place of work and commuting to work
* January 15, 2008 - Aboriginal peoples
* March 13, 2007 - Population and dwelling counts

Release topics and dates for 2006 Census data
[Click this link to access the datasets below]
* Release no. 1: March 13, 2007 - Population and dwelling counts
* Release no. 2: July 17, 2007 - Age and sex
* Release no. 3: September 12, 2007 - Families and households - Marital status (including common-law status) - Housing and shelter costs (including dwelling characteristics)
* Release no. 4: December 4, 2007 - Languages - Immigration and citizenship - Mobility and migration

SPECIAL NOTE TO NUMBER-CRUNCHERS:
The New Products page contains 100+ links to just-released Census 2006 data (some of the tables is free, and some is for sale. Below, you'll find just a few sample resources:

* Thematic Maps
A thematic map shows the spatial distribution of one or more specific data themes for standard geographic areas. The map may be qualitative in nature (e.g., predominant farm types) or quantitative (e.g., percentage population change).

* GeoSearch 2006
This interactive mapping application makes it easy to find many places in Canada, see them on a map, and get basic geographic and demographic data for those places. Click and zoom in on a map of Canada or search by place name, street name, street intersection or postal code. GeoSearch will display the appropriate map showing boundaries and other features. GeoSearch automatically displays population and dwelling counts for the selected places, and shows what kind of geographic area it is and its relationship to other geographic areas.

2006 Community Profiles, Census year 2006 (update)
These profiles present community-level information from the 2006 Census of Population. Users can search for an area of interest by typing its 'place name' in the box below or by clicking on a province or territory from the list below and selecting the area from a list.

Census Trends, 2006 Census
Census Trends presents a series of summary data trends spanning the 2006, 2001 and 1996 censuses. The product is designed to facilitate the analysis and comparison of the changing demographic and socio-economic composition of selected geographic areas across Canada. Summary data trends include percentage distributions and percentage change.

November 29, 2007
Canada's population by age and sex (as of July 1, 2007)
Canada's population continues to age, but it is still one of the youngest of the world's developed nations, according to new preliminary estimates. As of July 1, 2007, the population's median age was estimated at 39.0 years. In 2002, it was 37.6 years.

September 27, 2007
Canada's population estimates, as of July 1, 2007
Alberta has again led the provinces in population growth, according to preliminary demographic estimates for the year ending June 30, 2007. But indications are that the major component fuelling Alberta's gains—interprovincial migration—has started to ease off.

July 17, 2007
2006 Census: Age and sex
Statistics Canada today releases data from the 2006 Census on age and sex. A detailed analysis of how the nation's population age structure is changing is available in the online report Portrait of the Canadian Population in 2006, by Age and Sex, 2006 Census. Data from the census show large-scale changes in the age distribution of Canada's population as a result of population aging. The two main factors behind the population aging are the nation's low fertility rate and increasing life expectancy.
Source:
StatCan Census page

June 28, 2007
Canada's population estimates, First quarter 2007 (preliminary)
Statistics Canada today released population estimates for Canada, the provinces and territories, as of April 1, 2007. During the first quarter, Canada's population increased 0.23%. International migration accounted for two-thirds of the increase. As of April 1, Canada's population was estimated at 32,852,800, up 75,500 from January 1, 2007. Only the four westernmost provinces had growth rates at or above the national average.

See also:
Related products - links to free StatCan demographic info and vital statistics

October 26, 2006
Canada's population by age and sex, as of July 1, 2006
Canada's population keeps getting older, as is the case for almost every other developed nation in the world. As of July 1, 2006, the median age of the population reached a record high of 38.8 years, compared to 38.5 a year before and 37.2 in 2001.

Related Link:
Population Projections for Canada, Provinces and Territories, 2005-2031 (PDF file - 1.6MB, 216 pages)
[ HTML version ]
December 2005
This report presents the results of six population projection scenarios by age group and sex up to 2031 for the provinces and territories and up to 2056 for Canada. Using the July 1, 2005 population estimate as the starting point, these projections are based on assumptions that take into account the most recent trends relating to components of population growth, particularly fertility, mortality, immigration, emigration and interprovincial migration.

September 27, 2006
Canada's population, as of July 1, 2006
Net international migration continues to be the main engine of population growth in Canada, accounting for about two-thirds of the annual increase in 2005/2006.

Quarterly Demographic Estimates
Annual Demographic Estimates
NOTE: clicking each of the two links above will open a page that contains a description of the report as well as links to the most current issue/edition.
To see the most recent issue:
Once you've clicked on a link from the two immediately above and the next page is on your screen, click the "View" button, and then (on the next page that opens), left-click the PDF file link to read the file online OR right-click the file to save it to your hard drive. Clicking on "Chronological index" will open a list of all earlier editions of that report.
HINT: the "annual" version is the only edition available, but the quarterly estimates report goes back to 1996, and it's all free...

June 29, 2006
Canada's population, First quarter 2006 (preliminary) Previous release
Canada's population increased at its fastest first quarter rate in four years from January to March, surpassing the 32.5-million mark. Net international migration continued to be the main engine of growth. Population exchanges between Canada and the rest of the world accounted for nearly three-quarters of the estimated growth of 78,200 during the first three months of the year. It was the biggest first quarter increase since 2002, when the nation gained 83,400 people.
Source:
Quarterly Demographic Estimates This publication presents quarterly estimates of population for Canada, provinces and territories as well as statistics on the following components of population change: births, deaths, immigration, emigration, returning emigration, net temporary emigration, net non-permanent residents and interprovincial migration, the latter by origin and destination.
Earlier issues of Quarterly Demographic Estimates - links to issues right back to 1996!

June 29, 2006
Canada's population, First quarter 2006 (preliminary) Previous release
Canada's population increased at its fastest first quarter rate in four years from January to March, surpassing the 32.5-million mark. Net international migration continued to be the main engine of growth. Population exchanges between Canada and the rest of the world accounted for nearly three-quarters of the estimated growth of 78,200 during the first three months of the year. It was the biggest first quarter increase since 2002, when the nation gained 83,400 people.
Source:
Quarterly Demographic Estimates "This publication presents quarterly estimates of population for Canada, provinces and territories as well as statistics on the following components of population change: births, deaths, immigration, emigration, returning emigration, net temporary emigration, net non-permanent residents and interprovincial migration, the latter by origin and destination. "
Earlier issues of Quarterly Demographic Estimates - links to issues right back to 1996!

Socio-economic Conference 2006
May 15 and 16, 2006
Ottawa Congress Centre
"On May 15 and 16, 2006, Statistics Canada will hold its annual two-day socio-economic conference. This event will provide a stimulating and challenging environment for presenters and participants alike, while serving as an annual forum for empirical research focusing on issues of concern in Canadian public policy. The Socioeconomic Conference 2006 will include several plenary sessions featuring invited guest speakers who are leading authorities in their fields. Approximately 50 contributed papers, contributed sessions or posters will be presented, and targets studies discussing:
* Emerging Economic Trends and their Underlying Causes;
* The social Implications of Economic Trends and the Ability of Various Groups to participate in the Economy."
more...

March 10, 2006
Canada at a Glance 2006 (PDF file - 1MB, 27 pages)
(under "The Daily - New products")
"Canada at a glance presents the current Canadian demographic, education, health, justice, housing, income, labour market, economic, travel, financial, and foreign trade statistics. This booklet also includes important international comparisons, so that readers can see how Canada stacks up against its neighbours. Updated yearly, Canada at a glance is a very useful reference for those who want quick access to current Canadian statistics."

September 28, 2005
Demographic statistics, July 1, 2005
Canada had the second highest rate of population growth among the G8 countries between 1994 and 2004, exceeded only by that of the United States. Whereas US growth was primarily due to a high rate of natural increase, the growth of the Canadian population was largely due to its net international migration.
Source:
Statistics Canada

Below, you'll find links to two of the top statistical sources I'd recommend for current and historical Canadian social programs:
Social Security Statistics, Canada and Provinces and Historical Statistics of Canada

Social Security Statistics, Canada and Provinces
1978-79 to 2002-03

This is a goldmine of statistical information (beneficiary data and expenditure data) on current and defunct Canadian federal social programs, and even some on provincial/territorial programs.

This report offers 25 years of longitudinal data on costs and numbers of beneficiaries for most programs - over 100 tables - covering a large number of programs --- here's a partial list:
- Child Tax Benefit, Family Allowances, the Child Tax Credit, Old Age Security/Guaranteed Income Supplement/Spouse's Allowance ("The Allowance"), Federal Training and Employment Programs, Federal Goods and Services Tax Credit, the Canada/Quebec Pension Plans, War Veterans' and Civilian War Allowances, Veterans' and Civilians' Disability Pensions, Unemployment/Employment Insurance, the Canada Assistance Plan, Workers' Compensation, Youth Allowances, Social Assistance and Social Services for Registered Indians --- and more...
Source:
Social Policy
[ Human Resources and Social Development Canada ]

Preface (short blurb only)

List of Tables
[Read the Introductory notes at the top of the page and in Appendix A of this report for all methodological notes.]
"...Tables in this report have been organized into two parts. Part I presents three Overview Tables which illustrate the trends in social security expenditures by all levels of government for Canada. Part II comprises Component Tables which provide data on beneficiaries and expenditures for individual programs."

A number of tables were removed from this edition of the Social Security Statistics report, including some tables with info on Blind Persons' Allowances, Disabled Persons' Allowances and Unemployed Assistance.
Check older editions of this report for those data.

Many of the tables are historical and likely of little interest except to historians and CAP-o-philes --- they offer historical caseload and expenditure statistics on each of the CAP cost-sharing components (General Assistance - Homes for Special Care for Children and Adults - Child Welfare - Health Care - Other Welfare Services and Work Activity).

Scroll down the list of tables to find a particular program, then click on its name to access the HTML version of the table (the HTML page includes links to the PDF and Excel versions of the table).

You'll find many key stats tables and some interesting analyses here - only a few of which appear below
- includes links to over two dozen tables (Tables 352-911) with info on federal contributions under the Canada Assistance Plan (CAP) and the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST) to the cost of provincial and territorial welfare programs.
NOTE: for more info about CAP, the CHST and the Canada Social Transfer (CST, which replaced the CHST in April 2004), see the Canada Assistance Plan / Canada Health and Social Transfer / Canada Social Transfer Resources page of this site.

A few sample tables:

Table 360 - Total Federal-Provincial Cost-Shared Program Expenditures, 1978-79 to 2002-03
NOTE: Table 360 traces the evolution/devolution of transfers under the Canada Assistance Plan (in dollars) from 1976 to 1999. No new claims were paid out under CAP after the Canada Health and Social Transfer came into effect in April 1996; amounts shown as CAP expenditures for the fiscal years after 1995-96 are final settlements with each jurisdiction for all outstanding commitments by the federal government.

Table 361: Canada Assistance Plan (CAP) - Number of Beneficiaries of General Assistance (including dependants), as of March 31, 1979 to 1996
- This is a key table for research on welfare programs - welfare dependency statistics by jurisdiction over the years. These are the final, definitive numbers.

Table 362 : Total Federal-Provincial Cost-Shared Expenditures for General Assistance, by Province/Territory, 1978-79 to 1995-96
- this table should be of special interest for welfare historians and number-crunchers - it shows exactly when Canadian government spending on welfare (by the federal and provincial/territorial governments) started looking a little fuzzier. When the feds imposed the cap on CAP (max. 5% annual increase in total CAP payments) in Ontario, Alberta and BC in the early 1990s, those three provinces stopped reporting how much of their CAP dollars were going to welfare (vs. other CAP components covered under the same federal contribution). Table 362 shows that as of 1991-92, the federal contribution to those three provinces for General Assistance appears as "n/a" - so it's been impossible to produce a national figure since then. Unless, of course, one wanders over into the minefield of provincial government welfare statistics, where welfare programs (and related expenditures) have undergone a major transformation. If you *do* want to check out welfare stats for each Canadian jurisdiction, your best starting point is the Key Welfare Links Page of this website - http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/welfare.htm - which includes links to welfare stats in each province and territory where they're available.

Table 434
Total Federal Payments under CAP, 1978-79 to 1999-2000
[The note under table 360 also applies to this table. ]

Table 435
Number of Beneficiaries (including dependants) of Provincial and Municipal Social Assistance, as of March 31, 1997 to 2003

Table 438
Provincial and Municipal Social Assistance Program Expenditures, 1980-81 to 2002-03

Table 526
Provincial and Territorial Children's Benefits and Earned Income Supplements, Expenditures for Fiscal years 1978-79 to 2002-03

Source:
Social Policy
[ Policy and Strategic Direction ]
[ Social Development Canada ]

Historical Statistics of Canada (2nd edition, 1983)
Jointly produced by the Social Science Federation of Canada and Statistics Canada

Historical Statistics of Canada contains links to over 1,000 statistical tables (downloadable in Excel format) on the social, economic and institutional conditions of Canada from the start of the Confederation in 1867 to the mid-1970s. It's worth downloading the free Excel 97/2000 Spreadsheet File Viewer from Microsoft if you don't have Excel software on your machine.
Go to the home page and browse the table of contents of this excellent historical resource. Tables are arranged in sections with an introduction explaining the content of each section, the principal sources of data for each table, and general explanatory notes regarding the statistics. This online statistical collection complements and expands on Human Resources Development Canada's Social Security Statistics, Canada and Provinces report.

For a complete list of topics covered, see the Alphabetical Index - everything's there from Accidents and Fatalities to Zinc Production.

Here's a sample section:

Section C: Social Security - by T. Russell Robinson, Health and Welfare Canada
Contains seven pages of historical information on the evolution of Canadian social programs, plus links to over 180 tables organized under the following headings: Federal Income Security Programs - Federal and Provincial Income Insurance Programs - Cost-shared Federal-Provincial Income Security Programs - Federal and Provincial Social Service Programs - Provincial-Municipal Income Security Programs - Government Expenditures on Social Security by Broad Program Areas. Unfortunately, the section on the Canada Assistance Plan provides stats only from 1970 to 1975, but you'll find other historical gems here, like federal transfers to the provinces and territories, 1947 to 1975, Unemployment insurance account, 1942 to 1976, Old Age Pensions recipients for Canada and by province, March 1928 to 1951, and much more...
If you're looking for historical Canadian social program stats, this is the place to start!

Current/Historical Provincial/Territorial Welfare Statistics:
- see the Key Welfare Links page of this site - it contains links to welfare statistics in each jurisdiction, and these are usually more detailed than the stats that appear below.

Stats & Facts
Poverty, welfare and income stats
[Added to the CCSD site April 13, 2006]
Stats & Facts, a new on-line service of the Canadian Council on Social Development, provides accessible and accurate statistical information. This site is intended for anyone with an interest in timely data on social and economic indicators. We anticipate that Stats & Facts will be frequently used by policy analysts, community planners, activists, journalists, and students. Users will find informative facts sheets organized by topic areas covering demographics, families, and education. Plans are underway to add more fact sheets on the labour market, health, and economic security in the coming months. All of these fact sheets will be regularly updated to reflect the most current data available.

Poverty profile 2004 - Web-only data <=== links to over two dozen tables!
April 2008
Poverty Profile is a regular publication of the Council that is based on survey data from Statistics Canada.
NOTE : The NCW will not be publishing a 2004 issue of the report Poverty Profile, but clicking on the link above will take you to a page of links to over two dozen tables for 2004.
[For contextual and methodological information, see the 2002/2003 edition of this report (PDF - 3.5MB, 165 pages)]
- includes:
* Poverty rates, Canada (Trends - Persons, by age and sex - Families - Unattached individuals)
* Poverty rates by province (Persons - Families - Unattached individuals - Children - Seniors)
* Children (Family type - Ages of children)
* Depth of Poverty (Dollars below the poverty line - Percentage of the poverty line - Total poverty gap ($) - Incomes of less than half the poverty line)
* Persistence of Poverty (Age group - Education - Transitions in and out of poverty)
* Poverty and Paid Work (Number of earners - Weeks of work - Work patterns - Working poor
* Sources of Income (Transfer payments - Primary sources of income #1 - Primary sources of income #2
* Inequality (Income shares - Average income by quintile)
Source:
Poverty Profile <=== incl. links to four earlier online editions of Poverty Profile back to 1998.

"(...) How many Canadians have a paying job? What levels of education do we have, and how does that compare with other countries? What proportion of marriages end in divorce? How long can we expect to live? Have there been any big changes over the last 20 years or so? This website helps to answer such questions. Developed by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC), its purpose is to systematically present measures and report on various aspects of well-being that are important to Canadians."

Canadian Institute for Health Information
"The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) is an independent, national, not-for-profit organization working to improve the health of Canadians and the health care system by providing quality, reliable and timely health information. CIHI's mandate was established jointly by federal and provincial/territorial ministers of health to coordinate the development and maintenance of a comprehensive and integrated approach to health information for Canada, and to provide and coordinate the provision of accurate and timely data and information required for establishing sound health policy, effectively managing the Canadian health system, and generating public awareness about factors affecting good health."
See the Sitemap of this enormous site for an overview of its content incl. links to research & reports, the CIHI Data Collection, standards, statistics and client services.

Federation of Canadian Municipalities report says
affordable housing still scarce in Canada's cities
OTTAWA, Jan. 16 – Despite increased levels of homeownership, finding an affordable place to live is still a challenge for the most vulnerable in Canada’s big cities.
This was one of the principal findings of the fourth theme report in FCM’s Quality of Life series, Trends & Issues in Affordable Housing &Homelessness, released today in Ottawa. The report, looks at affordable housing and homelessness between 2001 and 2006 in the 22 large and medium-sized municipalities and urban regions that make up the Quality of Life Reporting System.

2008 Quality of Life (QOL) Report:
Trends & Issues in Affordable Housing & Homelessness (PDF file - 3.6MB, 40 pages)
January 2008
[NOTE: this file is S-L-O-W to open (on Jan. 16), likely because many people are trying to download the report at the same time...]
This publication, the fourth theme report published by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities as part of the Quality of Life Reporting System (QOLRS), focuses on trends related to housing and homelessness in 22 large and medium-sized municipalities and urban regions in Canada. The report's focus is the period 2000-2006, with some reference to trends dating back to 1991.
Source:
FCM Quality of Life Reports
[ Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)]

Income Security Statistics - from Social Development Canada
- includes current and historical stats and rates (benefit levels) for Canada Pension Plan, Quebec Pension Plan and Old Age Security benefits.

December 12, 2008
Police Resources in Canada, 2008
Police personnel and expenditures
Following a period of decline throughout the 1990’s, police strength in Canada has increased over the past decade. At 196 officers per 100,000 population, the 2008 rate was 8% higher than in 1998, although 5% lower than its peak in 1975. While police officer strength has been increasing, Canada's police reported crime rate has been decreasing. The 2007 crime rate was at its lowest point in over 30 years. At the same time, the proportion of crime solved by police reached a 30 year high.
- incl. two interesting charts:
* Rates of police officers and civilian personnel, 1963 to 2008
* Police officer strength among the provinces, 2008
Complete report (PDF - 427K, 60 pages)

December 9, 2008
Adult and youth correctional services: Key indicators, 2007/2008
Canada's incarceration rate in 2007/2008 rose by 2% from the previous year, the third consecutive annual increase. The gain was driven by the growing number of adults being held on remand in provincial/territorial jails while awaiting trial or sentencing.

May 20, 2008
Youth court statistics, 2006/2007
Fewer young people aged 12 to 17 have been appearing before a judge since the enactment of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) in April 2003, and fewer are being sent to custody. There were 56,463 youth court cases completed during the 2006/2007 fiscal year. Although virtually unchanged from the previous year, this amount was 26% lower than in 2002/2003, the year prior to the enactment of the new legislation.
Complete report (PDF - 236K, 23 pages)
Highlights (HTML)

May 20, 2008
Adult Criminal Court Statistics, 2006/2007
In 2006/2007, adult criminal courts in Canada processed 372,084 cases involving 1,079,062 charges. The number of cases processed was virtually unchanged from the previous year.
Complete report (PDF - 256K, 21 pages)
Highlights (HTML)

May 16, 2008
Youth crime, 2006
The crime rate among young people aged 12 to 17 climbed 3% between 2005 and 2006, but was 6% lower than a decade earlier, according to data reported by Canadian police services. While property crime rates among youth declined over the previous decade, rates for other types of offences, including violent crime, increased.

U.S. : Pew Report Finds More than One in 100 Adults are Behind Bars
Press Release
February 28, 2008
Washington, DC - For the first time in history more than one in every 100 adults in America are in jail or prison—a fact that significantly impacts state budgets without delivering a clear return on public safety. According to a new report released today by the Pew Center on the States’ Public Safety Performance Project, at the start of 2008, 2,319,258 adults were held in American prisons or jails, or one in every 99.1 men and women.

Source:
Public Safety Performance Initiative <=== incl. links to related reports and media coverage
[ Pew Center on the States ]
The Pew Charitable Trusts applies the power of knowledge to solve today's most challenging problems. Pew's Center on the States identifies and advances state policy solutions.

Canada:
U.S. Tops in the World in Incarceration Rate: Conservatives Hoping to Catch Up
By Brian Gordon
February 4, 2008
The United States has more people in prison, per capita, than any other country in the world. More than China, more than Iran, more than oppressive dictatorships the world over. And this is the model that Stephen Harper and the Conservatives want to follow by implementing 'tougher' drug laws.
Source:
Green Party of Canada

Adult and youth correctional services in Canada : Key indicators, 2005/2006
November 21, 2007
Canada's incarceration rate tends to be higher than most western European countries, yet far lower than that of the United States. For instance, Sweden posted an incarceration rate of 82 and France a rate of 85 per 100,000 population in 2005/2006. By comparison, the incarceration rate in Canada 110 prisoners per 100,000 population, England and Wales was 148, and in the United States the adult rate stood at 738 (the United States excludes youth from its rate).
Source:
Crime and Justice Statistics
[ Statistics Canada ]

Federation of Canadian Municipalities report says
affordable housing still scarce in Canada's cities
OTTAWA, Jan. 16, 2008
Despite increased levels of homeownership, finding an affordable place to live is still a challenge for the most vulnerable in Canada’s big cities. This was one of the principal findings of the fourth theme report in FCM’s Quality of Life series, Trends & Issues in Affordable Housing &Homelessness, released today in Ottawa. The report looks at affordable housing and homelessness between 2001 and 2006 in the 22 large and medium-sized municipalities and urban regions that make up the Quality of Life Reporting System.

Purchasing power parity: A Canada/US exploration
May 30, 2002
"Are Canadians paying more than Americans for the goods and services they purchase?
How have Canada-US free trade agreements affected the purchasing power of Canadian consumers relative to their American counterparts?"
- cross-country comparison of living standards based on a study that explores relative prices, adjusted by the exchange rate, on more than 168 commodities over four years (1985, 1990, 1993, 1996)
Abstract
Complete report (PDF file - 278K, 46 pages)
Source : The Daily, Statistics Canada

Economic Indicators (posted Dec. 12/08)
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/indicators/
Both scholars and those with a penchant for statistics will want to bookmark this fine website created and maintained by the federal government. The site provides monthly compilations of economic indicators covering prices, wages, production, business activity, purchasing power, credit, money, and Federal finance. Visitors can use the search engine to type in their desired terms, or they can browse every month from January 1998 forward via a series of drop down tabs. For those who might be looking for more specific data, the "Search Tips" feature is quite useful. The site also contains links to the Federal Reserve Archival System for Economic Research (FRASER), which contains economic indicators back to 1948. Overall, the site will be a real boon to those looking for high quality, accurate information regarding current and past economic trends and patterns in the United States.
Review by:
The , Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008

World Health Organization: Health Economics (posted Dec. 12/08)
http://www.who.int/topics/health_economics/en/
The World Health Organization (WHO) has created this site to provide the general public with high-quality information about their various research initiatives and reports related to the field of health economics. Given the nature of the WHO's mission, the work focuses on key challenges facing global health financing, with particular attention paid to healthcare systems in the developing world. The materials here include a nice fact sheet that provides a global overview of current spending on health care, along with links to related sites that deal with health financing policy and national healthcare systems. In the "Related Links" area, visitors can browse on over to a specialized site dedicated to the health economics of the European Union.

Gapminder
http://www.gapminder.org/
In London, riders on the Tube are reminded to "Mind the Gap". On the Gapminder website, visitors are reminded to mind a variety of gaps, whether they be in income inequality or quality of health care. This rather absorbing website was created as a non-profit venture to promote "sustainable global development and achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals by increased use and understanding of statistics and other information." The site makes use of Trendanalyzer software to offer visualizations related to questions that include "Which country has the best teeth in the world?" and "Who gets what: Farm subsidies". Visitors can find such information under the "Latest News" area, and they can also take advantage of the videos, "Gapcasts", and world charts offered here. The "Gapcasts" are quite good, and they cover carbon emissions, public services, and globalization. Also, if visitors have their own set of statistical indicators they can create their own unique Gapminder-like bubble graph on their website. It's a powerful tool, and one that might be important for other non-profits, think tanks, educators

**- Canadian (and more) Social Statistics -**

**- Statistiques sociales du Canada (et d'ailleurs) -**