Aging of the population is probably one of the most discussed and debated subjects in Canada today.

Ce recueil de graphiques décrit la situation démographique, sociale, culturelle et économique des aînés âgés de 65 ans et plus, ainsi que leur situation dans le ménage et certains aspects de leur santé et de leur sécurité. Les trente-cinq graphiques couleurs et neuf tableaux statistiques, accompagnés de textes, présentent un tableau détaillé de la situation de la population aînée au Canada. Les informations sont tirées d'une vaste gamme de données parvenant des recensements et de plusieurs enquêtes.

Historically, Canada has been a nation of immigrants, with 16-20% of its citizens being foreign born. Most immigrant research addresses the issues of integration and adjustment of young and adult immigrants, with little work on aging. There are numerous books on immigrants and books on aging, but there are few that have considered the topics of both diversity and aging. Diversity and Aging among Immigrant Seniors in Canada breaks from that tradition and offers an eclectic collection of original research from among Canada's leading researchers on aging and immigrants. Some researchers refer to this emerging field as Ethno-gerontology. There are two interesting groups of immigrant seniors: those who entered Canada at over 65 years of age, and those who aged in Canada. Most Canadians are surprised to learn that the senior population of seniors has a higher percentage of immigrants (19.6%) than the general population (13.7%). As Canadians age, the country's composition of immigrant seniors has also changed from mainly European to greater cultural and ethnic diversity from Africa and Asia. This cultural and ethnic diversity has social/health/economic policy implications and impacts on programs and services delivered to seniors. Diversity and Aging among Immigrant Seniors in Canada is divided into two main sections. In Part 1, the chapters explore general and universal issues such as national trends and demographics, theoretical orientations, issues of culture and legal dimensions, poverty and income, and end-of-life care. In Part 2, the chapters examine issues pertaining to specific ethnic groups. For example, there are chapters on the social well-being of Chinese immigrants, determinants of mental health for Iranian seniors, family dynamics for aging Haitian elders, and emerging issues for Punjabi families. Diversity and Aging among Immigrant Seniors in Canada offers both breadth and depth to the topic of aging among immigrants, and is a must read for social work and health care professionals, students in health and social services, policy and program planners and families of aging immigrants. It is written in a language that crosses disciplines, shedding professional jargon, making it an informative and engaging read for professionals, researchers, and the general public.

This is one of a series of vignettes designed to provide a statistical portrait of seniors in Canada. These first 20 vignettes include data such as numbers of seniors in various age groups, geographic distribution, demographics, home ownership, housing, employment, life expectancy, health, and income.

NACA's [National Advisory Council on Aging] 2006 Report Card follows up on an examination of the situation of seniors in Canada undertaken several years ago, that culminated with the publication of a first Report Card on seniors, in 2001.