Population Aging in Atlantic Canada: A Regional Appraisal

In this study, we examine population aging at the sub-provincial level with a specific focus on Atlantic Canada. In so doing, we attempt to demonstrate here (i) the utility of small area estimates of demographic change to the study of population aging at the sub-provincial level, and (ii) the value of comparing traditional indicators of population aging (as based on chronological age) with alternative prospective indicators of population aging (as based on years of remaining life expectancy). In arguing that prospective measures provide a more accurate concept of the dependent older population and a more nuanced measurement of population aging over time, the current paper suggests that overall population aging in Atlantic Canada has been somewhat overstated in past research, as have many of the differences as observed in population aging across regions. This latter conclusion is shown through a comparison of traditional and prospective indicators of population aging over time – with a clear divergence over the 2003–2021 period. The implications of these patterns are discussed in light of how aging toward the top of Atlantic Canada’s age pyramid has impacted these indicators differently, with consequences as to how Atlantic Canada can be expected to age into the future.