Abstract

      This, our fourth monograph on the overall well-being of Canada's population, applies to the adult population aged 15 and over resident in Canada's provinces. Like our monographs on the well-being of Canada's young adults, #6, seniors, #7, and the employed, #8, this study combines indicators of well-being in the three major domains of life - personal well-being, community or altruistic well-being, and religious or spiritual well-being - in order to produce an overall measure of well-being.

      Each of the four well-being indices - personal, community, spiritual and overall -- has a potential maximum of 100 and minimum of 0. If you claimed to be very satisfied with your life in general, not concerned at all about money in the future, volunteered 60 or more hours a year, donated $350 in 2000, attended religious services at least weekly, and considered yourself to be very religious, then all of your well-being indices would equal 100. The overall well-being index is 45 for Canada's adults, 46 for women and 44 for men. It ranges from 40 in British Columbia and 42 in Quebec, to 53 in Prince Edward Island, and 48 to 50 in the other Atlantic Provinces and the Prairie Provinces. It rises with age from 40 for the 15 to 24 age group, to 51 for the 65 plus age group.

      The index ranges widely by a number of social and economic characteristics. For example, concerning marital status, the index is lowest for persons living in common law, 37, and those separated, 39, and highest for widows/widowers, 51, and married persons, 49. Overall well-being increases with education, from 42 for those with less than high school graduation, to 52 for those with a university degree. The index increases with household income, from 39 among those with under $20,000 a year, to 51 among those with $80,000 or more income.

      Religion is also very important when it comes to overall well-being. The index is relatively high for all types of volunteers, especially volunteers in both religious and secular organizations, 79, and only religious organizations, 73; it is 57 for those volunteering only in secular organizations, and 39 for non-volunteers. Those without ever having a religious affiliation have the lowest index of any of the groups examined, 32, compared with 40 among those with no present affiliation. Among faith communities, the index is lowest for Quebec Catholics, 43, followed by 49 for non-Christians, 51 to 52 for United Church affiliates, Anglicans, Presbyterians, and non-Quebec Catholics; 57 for Lutherans; and relatively high for conservative Christian faiths: 59 for Baptists, 65 for Pentecostals, and 60 for smaller Christian faith communities. Adults with a religious background when young have an index of 57, compared with 41 for the other adults.

      The personal well-being index is the most important component of the overall index. It comprises 48% of the overall well-being index, while the altruism index comprises 21% and the spiritual index 31% -- these shares of the total reflect in part the weights assigned to the components of each of the index, as well as the choice and definition of the component indicators. Detailed tables supplemented by summary charts are presented showing the component indicators, personal, altruistic and spiritual well-being indices, and the overall well-being index, for many subpopulations of women and men. Regression results for each of the six component indicators, life satisfaction and worry over finances, the components of personal well-being; volunteer time and charitable donations, the components of community well-being or altruism; and religiosity and worship frequency, the components of spiritual well-being, are presented in appendices, for women and men separately.