New data released by Statistics Canada (StatsCan) shows that more than one fifth (22.7 percent) of Canadians found most days were “quite a bit or extremely stressful” in 2012. This figure is down slightly from 23.6 percent in 2011. The numbers come from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), an on-going StatsCan survey that collects a range of information about Canadian health. Since 2003, women have been more likely than men to report that most days are “quite a bit or extremely stressful.” This difference was particularly marked for teenagers aged 15 to 19, of which 21.2 percent of young women reported daily stress, compared with 13.4 percent of young men.
The CCHS data also reveals a slight decrease in the number of Canadians that report heavy drinking (17.4 percent compared with 19 percent in 2011) and approximately the same rate (20.3 percent) of Canadians that smoke occasionally or daily since 2009.
It is important to note that the Canadian Community Health Survey does not include individuals who live on First Nations reserve, in health care institutions, in some remote areas and full-time members of the Canadian Forces.
For more information, visit the Statistics Canada website.