Composite Index

Once the CIW framework has been fully developed, it will include a composite index – with a single number that moves up or down like the TSX or Dow Jones Industrial, giving a quick snapshot of whether the overall quality of life of Canadians is getting better or worse.  

For the purposes of calculating and testing the composite index, the plan is to track each domain from the same ‘baseline year’ which is1994. 1994 is assigned a value of 100. Movement upward from 100 in later years signals improvement in quality of life, while movement downward indicates decline. The baseline year that has been chosen for the CIW is 1994, the first year of the National Population Health Survey. A detailed description of the methodology can be found in the Approach Paper.

The composite is scheduled for release in 2010. We have included an illustration using two of the CIW domains to show what is possible in a trend line. The results will look different once all eight domains are included.