Newfoundland and Labrador topped the Canadian provinces with the highest satisfaction with life in the country, according to a survey of Canadian statistics earlier this year.
Taken from the Canadian Social Survey – which collects data every three months from people aged 15 and over on health, well-being, the impact of COVID-19, activities, time use and emergency preparedness – figures show that 61.7% of people in Newfoundland and Labrador reported high life satisfaction, above the Canadian average of 51.7 percent.
They are followed by Prince Edward Island (59.7%), Quebec (58.7), New Brunswick (56.8), Manitoba (56.1), Alberta (52.2) and Saskatchewan (51.2).
Provinces with a lower proportion of residents reporting high life satisfaction include Nova Scotia (49.9), Ontario (48.4) and British Columbia (46.5).
Life satisfaction is measured on a scale from zero to 10, with zero meaning “very dissatisfied” and 10 being “very satisfied”.
The scores are then divided into three categories: between zero and five, from six to seven and from eight to 10.
The latest data reflects Canadian attitudes in the first quarter of 2022, and more people are generally reporting greater life satisfaction than the previous year.
In the second quarter of 2021, for example, 42% of Canadians reported high life satisfaction.
But since March 2022, although provinces and territories have lifted most of their pandemic restrictions, inflation in Canada has continued to rise, with gas prices reaching record highs just last weekend.
The Bank of Canada also raised its key interest rate in mid-April to one percent and again by 50 basis points to 1.5 percent in June.
Another recent study by StatCan found that most Canadians are adjusting their spending habits and are worried about whether they can afford housing or rent.
Survey data also shatters life satisfaction by gender.
In the first three months of 2022, 52.6% of men reported high life satisfaction, compared to 44.5% in the second quarter of 2021.
Meanwhile, 50.8% of women in Canada report high life satisfaction in the first quarter of 2022, compared to 39.5% in the second quarter of 2021.
With files from CTV News and The Canadian Press
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