Community Well-Being

The Community Well-Being (CWB) index is a useful method of assessing socio-economic well-being at the community level. The information it provides can help inform policies and programs that are aimed at improving the well-being of Aboriginal people. The CWB index helps show where improvements in well-being have been achieved and where significant gaps still exist.

The CWB index is made up of the following four components, measured using Statistics Canada’s Census of Population (1981-2006) and National Household Survey (2011):

• Income is calculated based on total income per capita.
• Education looks at how many community members have at least a high school education and how many have attained a university degree.
• Housing looks at the number of community members whose homes are in an adequate state of repair and are not overcrowded.
• Labour force activity looks at how many community members participate in the labour force and how many labour force participants have jobs.