Well-being improves with age, suggests Quebec report
Posted July 30, 2026 1:45 pm.
Last Updated July 30, 2026 1:46 pm.
The older people are, the higher the proportion of people displaying a higher level of well-being tends to be, according to a report from the Quebec Institute of Statistics (ISQ) published Thursday.
The level of well-being reaches 84 per cent among those aged 65 and over, compared to 76 per cent among those aged 45 to 64. It reaches nearly 74 per cent for people aged between 30 and 44, and the level of well-being rises to 69 per cent among those aged 15 to 29.
People living as couples without children at home are proportionally more likely to have a higher level of well-being than those living in other types of households. The same is true for retired Quebecers, who are proportionally more likely to report a high level of well-being than those who are employed, studying, or unemployed.
The level of well-being was calculated using the World Health Organization’s five-item Well-being Index. This tool assesses the frequency of positive feelings over the past two weeks. For example, feeling good, calm, energetic, rested, or interested in life.
Overall, 74 per cent of women and 79 per cent of men are at a “good” or “very good” level on the well-being index scale.
The data also shows that 9 per cent of Quebecers felt they often lacked companionship in the two weeks preceding the survey. It also notes that 6 per cent often felt left out and 7 per cent felt isolated from others. In its report, the ISQ describes loneliness as “a subjective experience marked by a feeling of isolation from others and a lack of companionship.”
The feeling of loneliness affects women, young people aged 15 to 29, and those who are more physically inactive, among others.
When we cross-reference the data, we find that people with a higher level of well-being are proportionally the fewest among people who have often felt they lacked company, were left out, or were isolated from others.
The ISQ report was compiled using data from the Quebec Health Survey – A Look at Health, in which 2,113 Quebecers aged 15 and over participated. Data collection took place between November 3 and December 21, 2025.
—The Canadian Press’s health coverage is supported by a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for this journalistic content.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
