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Canada's Population is Aging at an Alarming Rate: 2006 Census

Abortion a key factor in the demographic shift

By Elizabeth O'Brien

OTTAWA, ON, July 26, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - According to the most recent 2006 Census, Canada's population is aging rapidly, presenting serious concerns both economically and about the sustainability of the national health system.

Released on July 17 by Statistics Canada, the 2006 Census states that the number of people over age 64 has increased by 11.5% in the last 5 years. Of the total 32,973,546 Canadians, "the number of people aged 55 to 64, many of whom are workers approaching retirement, has never been so high in Canada, at close to 3.7 million in 2006." At the same time, those younger than 15 years old make up only 17.7% of the population, another record-breaking low for Canadians. By 2022 it is predicted that "seniors will outnumber children in every province", and by 2031 the median age will be 44.

At present the Territories have the youngest population in Canada with one in four people being younger than 15. The report states, "The territories' relative 'youth' is attributable to the high fertility rate, particularly among the Inuit population, and lower life expectancy than in the provinces."

The four Atlantic provinces, on the other hand, are the "oldest" provinces in the nation. The census calls this a "sharp contrast" from 50 years ago when Atlantic women were having more children than the rest of the country, and seniors made up only 7.8% of the population. Similarly, in Quebec the number of seniors has more than quadrupled in the past 50 years, and in the entire province, there are only 1.3 million people under the age of 15. Quebec also has one of the highest abortion and contraception rates in the Western World (see http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/oct/05102501.html).

Referring to the recent "large-scale changes in the age distribution" of the population, Statistics Canada Daily notes, "The two main factors behind the population aging are the nation's low fertility rate and increasing life expectancy." At present, the average birth rate is at a low of 1.53 children per woman.

Abortion figures are key to understanding this startling demographic shift. According to the most-recent statistics (2004), the number of abortions is 11.4 for every 1,000 women below the age of 20. There are also 14.6 abortions for every 1,000 women aged 15 to 44, a number which has dropped slightly from 15.1 in 2003. Nevertheless, in 2004 a total of 100,039 babies were aborted in Canada.

Commenting on the number of annual abortions, a Campaign Life Coalition news article stated, "We estimate the total number of babies slaughtered in the womb since abortion on demand was permitted in 1969 to be more than 3 million. That's roughly equivalent to the population of Toronto permanently lost. That's about a million fewer university and college graduates in the workforce and more than 2 million missing elementary, high school and post-secondary students."

The report continued, "The future of our country is literally being destroyed and there is no great public outcry (other than by the pro-life movement) or political will to do anything about the means being used to do so. The magnitude of this atrocity is lost on the average Canadian and I dare say even on most of our religious leaders who still don't seem to comprehend the very high priority and bold actions that should be given to the issue. As Stalin said, 'one death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic.'"

"The historical ratios between young and old would not have been thrown into flux if it were not for abortion, birth control and a materialistic philosophy that favors small families of one or two children (with increasing numbers of couples avoiding children altogether). In fact, the policies of government and many other Canadian institutions have for decades strongly discouraged having more than one or two children."

Studies predict that the rapidly changing demographics within the nation will take a large toll on the economy and burden the health care system. As a result, the situation has become a cause for major concern throughout Canada. The change will also place a heavy burden on the labor force and all taxpayers, who will be forced to support the aging generation. Nevertheless, any proposed solutions continue to avoid the key issues of contraception or abortion (see http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jun/07061804.html).

Read highlights from the 2006 Census: http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/analysis/agesex/highlights.cfm  

2006 Census Index:  http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/analysis/agesex/index.cfm

Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Aging of World Population, Not Population Growth, is Cause for Alarm http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jul/06072102.html

Study Shows More Immigration Won't Fix Demographic Implosion in Canada
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/sep/06092706.html

Canada in Population Crisis: Seniors to Outnumber Children in a Decade
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/dec/05121504.html

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