Men and women in the Canadian Armed Forces, 2019
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Correction Notice
The percentage of CAF members who are in the Air and Land service elements was corrected to 27% and 57% from 33% and 51% in both English and French versions.
Description: Men and women in the Canadian Armed Forces, 2019
Men and women in the Canadian Armed Forces, 2019
1 in 7 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members are women and just over half of CAF members serve in the land element.
| Men | Women | Total CAF members | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air | 83% | 17% | 27% |
| Land | 87% | 13% | 57% |
| Sea | 81% | 19% | 16% |
Women are more likely to be officers than men, men are more likely to be senior non-commissioned members than women.
| Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|
| Junior non-commissioned member | 45% | 45% |
| Senior non-commissioned member | 25% | 22% |
| Officer (junior and senior) | 30% | 33% |
Women in the CAF were more likely than men to report high levels of life stress
Proportion of CAF members who reported that most days were "quite a bit" or "extremely" stressful
- Men: 22%
- Women: 28%
About 2 in 3 men and women stated that, in the past 12 months, they were satisfied or very satisfied with their job or main activity in the CAF. Those who are 50 years or older were more likely to report high job satisfaction.
| Age group | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 17 to 29 | 60% |
| 30 to 39 | 62% |
| 40 to 49 | 68% |
| 50 and older | 77% |
| Total | 65% |
Women were more likely than men to have joint pain or a repetitive strain injury. Men were more likely than women to have hearing problems.
| Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|
| Back problems | 28% | 26% |
| Repetitive strain injury (in the past 12 months) | 28% | 32% |
| Serious acute injury (in the past 12 months) | 22% | 22% |
| Joint pain (in the past 3 months) | 59% | 61% |
| Hearing problems (even if using a hearing aid) | 20% | 9% |
Unless otherwise noted, conditions are expected to last or have already lasted 6 months or more and have been diagnosed by a health professional
Source: Canadian Armed Forces Health Survey (CAFHS), 2019.
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