*NEW: Dynamic Population Pyramids
Overall
By Age 2016
By Age and Sex 2016
By Age and Sex 2015 & 2041
Overall
In 2016, the population of Simcoe Muskoka was older than Ontario’s overall population. This is reflected in both the median and average age. The District of Muskoka appears to have an older population (median age: 51.3 years, average age: 47.1 years) compared to Simcoe County (median age: 43.1 years, average age: 41.8 years) and Ontario (median age: 41.3 years and average age: 41.0 years).
The municipality with the highest average age in Simcoe County was Wasaga Beach with 50.0 years and the municipality with the lowest average age was Christian Island, a First Nations Reserve, with 35.0 years.
The municipality with the highest average age in the District of Muskoka was the Lake of Bays with 52.0 years and the municipality with the lowest average age was Moose Point 79, a First Nations Reserve, with 36.9 years. Moose Point 79 was the only municipality in the District of Muskoka below the provincial average.
By Age 2016
Compared to Ontario, a smaller percentage of the population in Simcoe County and the District of Muskoka were between the ages of 15-64 years and a higher percentage were aged 65 years and over. The District of Muskoka had a smaller proportion of their population between the ages of 0 to 14 and a larger proportion aged 65 years and over. This indicates that Simcoe and, particularly, Muskoka had an older population than Ontario in 2016.
Note: Historically, Statistics Canada used median age as the primary method to describe age. In 2016, this was changed to the mean or average age in order to better reflect the age distribution as Canada’s population ages. Therefore, the above section describes both median and average age.
By Age and Sex 2016
The overall sex ratio in Simcoe Muskoka is 97 males for every 100 females. This compares with 95 males for every 100 females in Ontario. The population pyramid chart below depicts the age and sex distribution of the populations of Simcoe Muskoka and Ontario for the year 2016. The distribution is mostly consistent with that of Ontario with most age groups within 0.25% of a difference between the two. By looking at whether the lines fall at the ends of the coloured bars (which would indicate no difference), we can identify where there are differences in the age of the population between Simcoe Muskoka (coloured bars) and Ontario (black lines) in 2016.
Population Pyramid:
We can look at this data in several different ways:
The differences between Simcoe Muskoka and Ontario:
The age groups between 20 to 39 years have smaller proportion percentages in Simcoe Muskoka (23%) than in Ontario (26%), meaning Simcoe Muskoka does not have as young of a population as Ontario on average. Conversely, Simcoe Muskoka has larger proportion percentages in the age range 55 to 69 (26%) compared to Ontario (23%); this larger proportion makes up for the smaller numbers in the lower age range, and tells us that we have an older population than Ontario. Overall, Ontario’s population is aging and Simcoe Muskoka’s population is slightly older than that of Ontario.
The differences between Males and Females in Simcoe Muskoka:
Most age groups show a fairly even proportion between males and females, within less than 1/3 of a percentage point difference between the two. There are slightly more males (3.1%) than females (2.8%) in the 20-24yrs age range, and the greatest difference is more females (1.5%) than males (0.8%) in the 85yrs and older age range.
Population Changes in Age and Sex over Time
By Age and Sex 2015 & 2041
The population pyramid chart below depicts the age and sex distribution of the population of Simcoe Muskoka for the years 2015 and 2041; the year 2015 is depicted using coloured bars, and the year 2041 is depicted by solid black lines. By looking at whether the lines fall at the ends of the coloured bars (which would indicate no change), we can identify where there are changes in the age of the population over time.
As seen in the chart below, the largest population decreases will occur among those 15 to 29 years of age, and 45 to 64 years of age. Perhaps the most striking difference is among seniors 65 years and older; in 2015, the senior population accounted for 18% (or just over 99,100) of the total population; this age group is expected to increase to 30% of the total population in 2041. Overall, what this tells us is that we live in an aging population.
Watch how the population in Simcoe Muskoka changes from 2000 to 2041!
What is a population pyramid? It is a chart that gives information about the proportion of males and females in a given age group. When we look at the changes in the population pyramid of a location over time, a story emerges about the past, present and future of the population in that location.
The story for Simcoe Muskoka presented here starts in 2000 with a beehive shaped pyramid. This tells us that there were low birth rates and that there was a large population who were of working age (15-59 years old). We see there are bars of equal length on both sides of the pyramid; this indicates that the sex ratio is balanced among males and females.
Now watch the Simcoe Muskoka population pyramid change from being wide in the middle in 2000 to increasingly top heavy by 2041—this indicates that we live in an aging society. Also by 2041, the pyramid shape changes to resemble a rectangle. This indicates that there is roughly an equal amount of young, middle aged and old people. Where that rectangle continues to the top of the chart this means that life-expectancy is high and the death rate low.
Therefore, the story for Simcoe Muskoka is that we live in an aging population.
The story for Simcoe Muskoka presented here starts in 2000 with a beehive shaped pyramid. This tells us that there were low birth rates and that there was a large population who were of working age (15-59 years old). We see there are bars of equal length on both sides of the pyramid; this indicates that the sex ratio is balanced among males and females.
Now watch the Simcoe Muskoka population pyramid change from being wide in the middle in 2000 to increasingly top heavy by 2041—this indicates that we live in an aging society. Also by 2041, the pyramid shape changes to resemble a rectangle. This indicates that there is roughly an equal amount of young, middle aged and old people. Where that rectangle continues to the top of the chart this means that life-expectancy is high and the death rate low.
Therefore, the story for Simcoe Muskoka is that we live in an aging population.