A day in the life of Canadian children and youth in 2023

Release date: March 31, 2026
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Infographic: A day in the life of Canadian children and youth in 2023
Description: A day in the life of Canadian children and youth in 2023

This infographic provides a snapshot of the daily lives and routines of children aged 5 to 11 and youth aged 12 to 17, using data from the 2023 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth.

Going to school

Children were more likely than youth to often or always look forward to going to school

Table 1
Table summary
This table displays the results of Table 1 , calculated using (appearing as column headers).
  Children Youth
Boys+ 79% 53%
Girls+ 88% 48%

Weekly activities and free time

Youth were less likely to participate in certain activities than children

Table 2
Table summary
This table displays the results of Table 2 , calculated using (appearing as column headers).
  Participated in an outdoor physical activity for at least 1 hour Read for enjoyment with a parent or on their own for at least 1 hour Participated in a physical activity with a coach or instructor
Children  
Boys+ 84% 73% 58%
Girls+ 82% 81% 57%
Youth  
Boys+ 69% 46% 55%
Girls+ 52% 59% 50%

Time spent online

Social networking and messaging were more common among girls+, while gaming was more common among boys+

Proportion of youth who did online activities constantly or several times a day

Table 3
Table summary
This table displays the results of Table 3 , calculated using (appearing as column headers).
  Social networking Video or instant messaging Gaming
Boys+ 59% 59% 33%
Girls+ 74% 71% 11%

Evening meal and family time
Children were more likely than youth to eat with their family in the evening 5 or more days a week

Children

82%

Youth

65%

Youth in Quebec were least likely to be allowed to use an electronic device during the evening meal

table 4
Table summary
The information is grouped by Region (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).
Region Proportion of youth who were allowed to use an electronic device during the evening meal
Canada 25%
British Columbia 29%
Prairies 29%
Ontario 25%
Quebec 18%
Atlantic 31%

Notes:

  • The data in this infographic are taken from the cross-sectional component of the 2023 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (CHSCY), which consisted of a random sample of respondents aged 1 to 17 as of January 31, 2023, who were living in the provinces. It excludes children and youth living in the territories, on First Nations reserves and other Indigenous settlements in the provinces, children and youth living in foster homes, and the institutionalized population.
  • In this infographic, the “girls+” category includes girls as well as some non-binary persons, while the “boys+” category includes boys as well as some non-binary persons.

Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, 2023.

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Copyright

Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2026

Use of this publication is governed by the Statistics Canada Open Licence Agreement.

Catalogue no. 11-627-M

Frequency: Occasional

Ottawa

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