---
canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/research/well-being-trends-in-canada-and-the-provinces/"
title: "Trends in Well-Being in Canada and the Provinces Through the Lens of the Index of Economic Well-Being"
author:
  name: "shomp"
  url: "https://csls.ca/author/shomp/"
date_published: "2025-11-20T10:00:00+00:00"
date_modified: "2026-07-16T15:34:24+00:00"
post_type: "research"
summary: "Growth in wealth and consumption has been partly offset by rising economic insecurity and inequality."
post_tag:
  - "consumption flows"
  - "economic equality"
  - "economic security"
  - "IEWB"
  - "Index of Economic Well-Being"
  - "provinces"
  - "wealth"
  - "well-being"
country_focus:
  - "Canada"
province_region:
  - "Multi-province"
research_category:
  - "Well-being"
research_theme:
  - "Economic Well-Being"
  - "Regional Economic Development"
featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/research-financial.webp"
status: "publish"
---

# Trends in Well-Being in Canada and the Provinces Through the Lens of the Index of Economic Well-Being

Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/research/well-being-trends-in-canada-and-the-provinces/

# Trends in Well-Being in Canada and the Provinces Through the Lens of the Index of Economic Well-Being

[Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2025-05.pdf)

Cite this report

×
Cite this report as:

Sharpe, Andrew, and Paul Pietraru. 2025. “Trends in Well-Being in Canada and the Provinces Through the Lens of the Index of Economic Well-Being.” CSLS Research Report 2025-05. Ottawa: Centre for the Study of Living Standards. https://csls.ca/research/well-being-trends-in-canada-and-the-provinces/

## Authors:

-
Andrew Sharpe
Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS)

-
Paul Pietraru
Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS)

## Report 2025-05

November 2025 94 pages

## Related research

[Living Standards Domain of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing

Andrew Sharpe, Christopher Ross

November 2011 | Report 2011-17 | 124 pages](https://csls.ca/research/living-standards-domain-of-the-canadian-index-of-wellbeing-2011-17/)
[Apprenticeship in Canada:
A Training System Under Siege?

Andrew Sharpe

December 1999 | Report 1999-03 | 59 pages](https://csls.ca/research/apprenticeship-in-canadaa-training-system-under-siege/)

[A Survey of Indicators of Economic and Social Well-being

Andrew Sharpe

July 1999 | Report 1999-cprn | 72 pages](https://csls.ca/research/a-survey-of-indicators-of-economic-and-social-well-being/)
[Productivity Trends in the Construction Sector: A Case of Lagging Technical Progress

Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS)

November 2001 | Report 2001-03 | 177 pages](https://csls.ca/research/productivity-trends-in-the-construction-sector-a-case-of-lagging-technical-progress/)

[Productivity Trends in Natural Resources Industries in Canada

Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS)

February 2003 | Report 2003-01a | 69 pages](https://csls.ca/research/productivity-trends-in-natural-resources-industries-in-canada/)
[An Analysis of Productivity Trends in the Forest Products Sector in Canada

Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS)

February 2003 | Report 2003-01b | 64 pages](https://csls.ca/research/an-analysis-of-productivity-trends-in-the-forest-products-sector-in-canada/)

[Human Well-being and Economic Well-being: What Values Are Implicit in Current Indices?

Lars Osberg, Andrew Sharpe

August 2003 | Report 2003-04 | 60 pages](https://csls.ca/research/human-well-being-and-economic-well-being-what-values-are-implicit-in-current-indices/)
[Exploring the Linkages between Productivity and Social Development in Market Economies

Andrew Sharpe

February 2004 | Report 2004-02 | 70 pages](https://csls.ca/research/exploring-the-linkages-between-productivity-and-social-development-in-market-economies/)

[Literature Review of Frameworks for Macro-indicators

Andrew Sharpe

February 2004 | Report 2004-03 | 79 pages](https://csls.ca/research/literature-review-of-frameworks-for-macro-indicators/)
[Methodological Choices Encountered in the Construction of Composite Indices of Economic and Social Well-Being

Julia Salzman

March 2003 | Report 2004-05 | 33 pages](https://csls.ca/research/methodological-choices-encountered-in-the-construction-of-composite-indices-of-economic-and-social-well-being/)

## Abstract

## Résumé

EN
FR

Copy link

Email

LinkedIn

This report provides estimates for the Index of Economic Well-being (IEWB) for Canada for the 1981-2023 period. The IEWB is a composite measure developed by the Centre for the Study of Living Standards that assesses the economic well-being of Canadians through the lens of consumption flows, stocks of wealth, economic equality, and economic security. The report finds that the IEWB increased in Canada at a compound annual growth rate of 0.62 per cent between 1981 and 2023, well below that of GDP per capita (1.12 per cent). The rise was driven by increased consumption and stocks of wealth. Both economic equality and especially economic security declined and thus hindered advancement in the index.

Ce rapport présente des estimations de l’Indice de bien-être économique (IBEE) pour le Canada pour la période 1981-2023. L’IBEE est une mesure composite élaborée par le Centre d’étude des niveaux de vie qui évalue le bien-être économique des Canadiens à travers les flux de consommation, les stocks de richesse, l’égalité économique et la sécurité économique. Le rapport révèle que l’IBEE a augmenté au Canada à un taux de croissance annuel composé de 0,62 % entre 1981 et 2023, bien en deçà de celui du PIB par habitant (1,12 %). Cette hausse a été tirée par l’augmentation de la consommation et des stocks de richesse. L’égalité économique et, surtout, la sécurité économique ont toutes deux reculé, freinant ainsi la progression de l’indice.

[Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2025-05.pdf)
