Canada Today VS Canada in 2060
By Maha Mustafa
Do you ever wonder what Canada will be like in the next 35 years?
Current Population Trends
The Canadian Population is Aging
- In 2011, the median age in Canada was 39.9 years, meaning that half of the population was older than that, and half was younger
- The demographic dependency ratio for seniors in 2006 was just over 5 working age-persons (aged 15 to 64 years) for each retired person (aged 65 years and over)
Low Birth Rates
- financial constraints since raising one child to the age of 18 will cost approximately $300 000
- women are too busy with education which makes them start families even later in life, leaving less time to have more kids
- workplaces often discourage children because there is only a 55% wage replacement while on maternity leave, only 6% of Canadian business provide women of child care and only 36% offer flexible work schedules
Low Death Rates
- availability of healthcare
- proper hygiene
- availability of fresh drinking water
- political stability
- advanced technology
- cures
- social security
- medicine
key predictions of the population in 2060
How will this higher dependency load affect Canada?
- Higher demand for elderly facilities such as retirement homes and hospitals
- Higher taxes to support the elderly
- Low birth rates will leave fewer people to support the growing population of the post-reproductive group
- More workers will be hired in the healthcare industry to take care of them
- Businesses that specialize in baby products will suffer because of the fewer children born
Current immigration Trends
Asia, The Largest Source of Immigrants
- Among all recent immigrants, roughly 661,600 or 56.9% came from Asia
- The three countries that most emigrate from are China, India and the Philippines
- This is because a lot of Asia is overcrowded and/or underdeveloped. People emigrate from there to avoid poverty and for better opportunities.
The Four Provinces that Attract Immigrants
Number of people migrating to the following provinces each year in 2013:
- British Columbia - 36 210
- Alberta - 36 636
- Quebec - 51 983
- Ontario - 103 494
Therefore, Ontario is the most popular destination in Canada, making it the most multicultural province in the country.
Immigrants usually choose these provinces based on their climate and job opportunities.
Pull Factors of Canada
- free healthcare
- better economy
- more job opportunities
- religious freedom
- democratic government
- diversity
- better education
key predictions of canada's immigration trends in 2060
- In the future, Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta will become overcrowded due to all the attraction by the labor deficit
- Our economy will further improve
- Our taxes will reduce because there will be more people and a larger tax paying base
- More diversity with more places of worship and people that speak a common language
FMNI current trends
High Fertility Rates
- Poor education
- Women have no careers
- No contraception
- They need many children to work land or other chores
- High infant mortality rates so women have more babies to ensure enough babies survive
- In some communities, large families give status
High Death Rates
- The life expectancy for males is 68.9 years and 76.6 years for females but this is still about 9 years shorter than the Canadian average for men, and 5 years shorter for women
- This is because pf poverty, poor food supply, poor hygiene and lack of healthcare
In the chart below, the different population growth is evident between the FMNI community and the rest of Canadians. You can see the higher percentage of kids within the Aboriginals vs the non-Aboriginals and the fewer Aboriginals in the post-reproductive age group.
Urban Migration
- There is a lack of economic opportunity in or near reserves and other remote Aboriginal communities
- They feel that it is important for Aboriginals to have a strong presence in the cities and an Aboriginal representative in every head office
- Need education to apply for jobs
KEY PREDICTIONS OF THE FMNI TRENDS IN 2060
- Already 55% of Aboriginals live in poverty and the number will only go higher as time goes on. This will only lead to more babies since kids will have a lesser chance of survival.
- In the future, the cost of living will only increase and the education will become too expensive for the Aboriginals. This leads to less job opportunities until Aboriginals stay and overpopulate in the small reserves
- The death rate will remain high because the community will still be uneducated about healthcare and the more people living in a small area, the higher the chance of a disease or illness spreading
However, with these statistics and conflicts in mind, Canada might update the Indian Act so that Aboriginals can keep their land and express their culture. This will limit future challenges and better our economy
bibliography
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