Alaska News

In Canada's North, population remains younger than national average

While the latest census figures show Canada has a higher proportion of seniors than ever before, the North's population is still younger than the national average, according to new data available from the 2011 census.

Statistics Canada defines median age as the point where exactly one half of the population is older than the median age and the other half is younger. Nationally, the median age in 2011 was 40.6 years.

According to the Statistics Canada census, the median age in Nunavut is 24, the lowest in the country, and the largest group in Nunavut's population is children ages zero to four at more than 3,900. The number of children ages zero to 14 grew by 4.3 per cent between 2006 and 2011, while the number of seniors over 65 grew by 30.9 per cent.

In the N.W.T. the median age is 32. The number of children ages zero to 14 in the territory dropped about nine per cent between 2006 and 2011, while the number of seniors over 65 increased by 21.3 per cent.

Yukon has the oldest population in the North, with a median age of 39. The number of children ages zero to 14 in the territory increased by 2.6 per cent while the number of seniors over 65 grew by 35 per cent between 2006 and 2011.

ADVERTISEMENT