Veterans Affairs Canada Veterans Affairs Canada / Anciens Combattants Canada

1.0 Demographics

The estimated Veteran population tables below include all Veterans who are VAC clients, as well as those who are not.

War Service Veteran population estimates are based on the 1971 Statistics Canada Census and the 1988 Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey and are updated annually using survival rates from Statistics Canada life tables.

CAF Veteran population estimates are based on the 2003 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) conducted by Statistics Canada. The information is updated annually with release information from the Department of National Defence and survival rates from Statistics Canada life tables.

Table 1.1 Estimated Veteran Population by ProvinceFootnote2

Province War Service Veterans
(Second World War,
Korean War)		 Canadian Armed Forces Veterans
(Regular and Primary Reserve)		 Total Estimated Veterans
Newfoundland and Labrador 400 15,300 15,700
Prince Edward Island 300 3,700 4,000
Nova Scotia 2,000 39,000 41,000
New Brunswick 1,400 28,500 29,900
Quebec 3,000 116,800 119,800
Ontario 17,000 215,200 232,200
Manitoba 1,700 19,000 20,700
Saskatchewan 1,300 14,700 16,000
Alberta 3,300 65,000 68,300
British Columbia 8,700 81,100 89,800
Territories 0 1,900 1,900
Foreign Countries 600 n/a 600
Total: Estimated Canadian Veteran PopulationFootnote 1 39,700 600,200 639,900

Source: Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Services Branch

Table 1.2 Estimated Veteran Population by Average AgeFootnote 1

The total estimated Canadian Veteran population (War Service Veterans and Canadian Armed Forces Veterans) is 639,900 as of March 2019.

Estimated War Service Veteran Population
Type of Service Average Age March 2019
Second World War Veterans 94 33,200
Korean War Veterans 87 6,500
Total: Estimated War Service Veteran Population 93 39,700
Estimated Canadian Armed Forces Veteran Population
Type of Service Average Age March 2019
Regular Forces 61 318,700
Primary Reserves 56 281,400
Total: Estimated Canadian Armed Forces Veteran PopulationFootnote 3 58 600,200

Source: Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Services Branch

Veterans Affairs Canada

Since November 2010, the Department has been serving more modern-day Canadian Armed Forces Veterans than traditional War Service Veterans.

Table 1.3 Veterans and Survivors Served by VAC (Unique)

VAC Unique Veterans and Survivors by Service Type
Actuals as of March 31, 2019
Type of Service 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 Average Age
(March 31, 2019)		 YTD
Dec 2019
War Service Veterans 35,449 29,740 25,016 20,273 15,644 94 12,807
Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Veterans 83,872 88,301 93,123 97,231 101,049 60 104,635
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Veterans 11,005 11,743 12,482 13,169 13,136 60 13,956
Subtotal: Veterans 130,326 129,784 130,621 130,673 129,829 64 131,398
War Service Survivors 59,136 55,371 51,471 47,375 43,184 88 39,294
CAF Survivors 8,876 9,257 9,560 9,847 11,928 74 13,402
RCMP Survivors 816 877 945 1,032 1,139 74 1,194
Subtotal: Survivors 68,828 65,505 61,976 58,254 56,251 85 53,890
Total: VAC Veterans and Survivors 199,154 195,289 192,597 188,927 186,080 70 185,288
VAC Unique Veterans and Survivors by Service Type
ForecastFootnote 4
Type of Service 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24
War Service Veterans 13,300 10,500 8,200 6,300 4,700
Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Veterans 107,300 111,600 115,700 119,600 123,300
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Veterans 14,700 15,400 16,200 17,000 17,700
Subtotal: Veterans 135,500 137,500 140,100 142,800 145,800
War Service Survivors 39,500 35,600 31,700 28,000 24,600
CAF Survivors 11,400 12,200 13,000 13,800 14,700
RCMP Survivors 1,300 1,400 1,600 1,800 1,900
Subtotal: Survivors 52,100 49,200 46,300 43,700 41,200
Total: VAC Veterans and SurvivorsFootnote 1 187,400 186,700 186,400 186,500 187,000

Source: Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Services Branch

Table 1.4 Total Number of Veterans by Gender, Service Type, and Age – March 2019

All Veterans
All Veterans by Gender War Service CAF RCMP Total % Total
Male 10,876 93,544 11,797 116,217 88%
Female 1,931 11,091 2,159 15,181 12%
Total 12,807 104,635 13,956 131,398 100%
Male Veterans
Age War Service CAF RCMP Total % Male
29 and under 0 1,619 30 1,649 1% 1,730 18 1,748 1%
30 to 39 0 9,227 777 10,004 8% 8,738 711 9,449 7%
40 to 49 0 12,215 1,582 13,797 11% 12,104 1,437 13,541 10%
50 to 59 0 22,304 2,341 24,645 19% 21,900 2,234 24,134 19%
60 to 69 0 15,878 3,526 19,404 15% 14,829 3,495 18,324 14%
70 to 79 0 17,239 2,553 19,792 15% 17,275 2,386 19,661 15%
80 to 89 1,448 13,960 909 16,317 12% 13,339 859 16,082 12%
90 and over 9,428 1,102 79 10,609 8% 816 51 12,397 10%
Total 10,876 93,544 11,797 116,217 88% 90,731 11,191 115,336 89%
Female Veterans
Age War Service CAF RCMP Total % Female
29 and under 0 309 18 327 0%
30 to 39 0 1,526 290 1,816 1%
40 to 49 0 2,549 698 3,247 2%
50 to 59 0 3,806 725 4,531 3%
60 to 69 0 1,765 366 2,131 2%
70 to 79 0 480 57 537 0%
80 to 89 44 575 5 624 0%
90 and over 1,887 81 0 1,968 1%
Total 1,931 11,091 2,159 15,181 12%

Source: Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Services Branch

Table 1.5 Veterans Served by Area Office as of March 2019

The table below provides a breakdown of Veterans by VAC Area Office and lists Veterans who have active case plans with a departmental Case Manager.

Area Office War Service CAF RCMP Total Veterans with
Active Case PlansFootnote5
Halifax 589 12,339 989 13,917 1,742
Sydney 91 1,230 105 1,426 166
Subtotal: Nova Scotia 680 13,569 1,094 15,343 1,908
Campbellton 88 857 96 1,041 98
Charlottetown 90 1,138 189 1,417 159
Oromocto 111 4,088 226 4,425 833
Saint John 269 3,953 450 4,672 368
St John's 91 1,662 347 2,100 373
Subtotal: NF and LAB, NB, PEI 680 12,272 1,399 14,351 2,034
Montreal 547 3,310 329 4,186 528
Quebec 202 8,292 109 8,603 1,772
St-Jean 105 2,045 120 2,270 300
Subtotal: Quebec 854 13,647 558 15,059 2,600
Gatineau 64 2,033 221 2,318 275 6,472 820 8,002 861
Ottawa 645 7,786 1,025 9,456 1,046 6,472 820 8,002 861
Pembroke 116 3,500 128 3,744 537 3,371 121 3,627 488
Subtotal: National Capital Area 825 13,319 1,374 15,518 1,858 12,899 1,121 15,352 1,747
Kingston 252 4,160 123 4,535 508 3,980 114 4,392 443
Peterborough 332 968 35 1,335 151 935 34 1,385 109
Thunder Bay 173 573 19 765 75 572 19 797 86
Toronto 1,363 1,967 100 3,430 349 1,927 97 3,655 288
Trenton 152 2,960 29 3,141 278 2,935 26 3,145 289
Subtotal: Central Ontario 2,272 10,628 306 13,206 1,361 12,899 1,121 15,352 1,747
Hamilton 521 1,725 86 2,332 223 1,668 79 2,365 175
London 326 1,310 91 1,727 215 1,272 80 1,754 200
North Bay 196 1,595 25 1,816 282 1,272 80 1,754 200
Mississauga 1,116 4,220 256 5,592 430 4,117 242 5,736 389
Windsor 323 1,370 63 1,756 154 1,329 60 1,789 166
Subtotal: South Western Ontario 2,482 10,220 521 13,223 1,304 8,386 461 11,644 930
Brandon 142 1,034 198 1,374 168 1,013 180 1,368 156
Calgary 668 4,652 1,325 6,645 449 4,604 1,277 6,678 386
Edmonton 388 6,502 1,044 7,934 1,005 6,237 956 7,672 865
Regina 179 737 491 1,407 108 727 463 1,414 102
Saskatoon 231 738 334 1,303 124 730 317 1,349 124
Winnipeg 392 2,311 428 3,131 274 2,220 395 3,104 236
Subtotal: Prairies 1,190 4,690 1,355 7,235 618
Kelowna 259 1,210 705 2,174 157 1,150 672 2,135 123
Penticton 368 1,617 875 2,860 119 1,576 829 2,864 78
Prince George 67 435 278 780 64 419 253 760 49
Surrey 632 1,927 1,337 3,896 166 1,989 1,267 4,018 208
Vancouver 572 1,316 579 2,467 274 1,242 534 2,511 193
Victoria 921 7,269 1,021 9,211 799 7,173 984 9,243 726
Subtotal: British Columbia and the North 2,819 13,774 4,795 21,388 1,579 6,376 3,555 12,288 651
Subtotal: Foreign Country Operations 179 1,124 59 1,362 92 1,162 59 1,443 105
Subtotal: Unknown/Missing 16 104 30 150 25 82 18 115 29
Total 12,807 104,631 13,956 131,394 14,889

Source: Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Services Branch

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