New census figures show that Port Alberni’s population is aging.
The average age of the Port Alberni census agglomeration in 2021 was 46.8 years old. This is an increase from 2016, when the average age was 45.6 years old. The city’s overall population has also grown by 4.5 percent since 2016.
READ MORE: Census data shows Port Alberni’s population rose by 4.5 percent
Census figures show that the working age population (15 to 64) made up 58.9 percent of the total population in 2021. This is a decrease from 61.1 percent in 2016. In comparison, the proportion of the population aged 15 to 64 across Canada was 64.8 percent in 2021.
Around 7,000 people in Port Alberni are 65 years and over, representing approximately 27.1 percent of the total population. In comparison, the proportion of seniors across Canada made up 19 percent of the population in 2021.
Port Alberni has also seen an increase in the population of people aged 85 years and over. The number is up to 745 people, an increase from 695 people in 2016.
In this aspect, Port Alberni is following a trend seen across the country. The number of people aged 85 and older grew by 12 percent in Canada—more than twice as high as the overall growth of the Canadian population at 5.2 per cent.
This year’s census data also offered a snapshot of Canada’s transgender population, showing that 100,815 people across the country identify as a gender that differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.
Because it is a small population, data aggregation was necessary to protect the confidentiality of responses, so Port Alberni’s 2021 census information only included two genders (men and women).
The 2021 census data will be released in batches throughout the year. The next scheduled release date is July 13, 2022. This will offer a portrait of Canada’s families and households, Canadian military experience and the income profile of Canadians.
elena.rardon@albernivalleynews.com
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