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Toronto’s shifting demographics:

The city continues to grow, with a population of 2,771,770 million in 2013. Toronto’s seniors account for 14.5% of the population and the city now has a “Seniors Strategy” aimed at making Toronto an “age-friendly city.” Toronto’s immigrant population also continues to grow, as 51% of Toronto’s residents were born outside of Canada.

Health and wellness:



The percentage of Toronto residents reporting good health remains stable, but four in 10 Torontonians reported health issues. Diabetes and youth inactivity are major concerns in some Toronto neighbourhoods. The percentage of youth who report being inactive during leisure time jumped from 31.9% in 2012 to 40.5% in 2013. Toronto’s seniors are living at home longer with the province’s expansion of “aging at home” and entering long-term care homes when they are more frail. The majority of Torontonians report good or excellent mental health, although 16.2% of residents heavily drink at least once a month and 16.8% smoke.

Safety

The majority of Torontonians feel safe and almost 80% of residents feel somewhat comfortable walking in their community at night. The total number of criminal offences, excluding traffic offenses, has dropped from 167,339 in 2010 to 150,808 in 2012. The crime rate in Canada in 2013 dropped to its lowest level since 1969 and the homicide rate fell to its lowest rate since 1966. The Toronto region has the lowest rate of police-reported crime among the 33 Canadian Census Metropolitan areas for the seventh straight year. However, victims of gun violence are becoming younger as seven teens 16 years old and under were killed in 2013.