Growing older shouldn’t mean losing connection with friends, family, and community. But for many Canadians, staying engaged becomes more difficult as they age.
The Challenge of Staying Connected
The 2025 Ageing in Canada Survey, just released by the National Institute on Ageing(NIA), highlights the challenges many older Canadians are facing, including the persistence of isolation and loneliness. As a national organization dedicated to strengthening social connection, wellbeing, and community participation among older men, Men’s Sheds Canada is paying close attention to these findings – and to the need for practical, community-based responses.
More than half of the survey respondents (57%) said they were somewhat or very lonely, a figure that has not changed since 2022. And more than a third (36%) said they had somewhat or very weak social networks. Older adults with very low incomes or in poor health are also at greater risk of social isolation.
The NIA also reported that Canadians aged 50-64 were more likely to struggle with loneliness and social isolation. Nearly one in four (24%) said they were very lonely, and almost half (48%) were at high risk of isolation. Men living alone are also susceptible to feeling isolated and alone, with nearly one-third (30%) saying they faced severe loneliness and more than half (55%) at high risk of social isolation, and these are higher than rates for women.
In 2025, only one in three older adults joined weekly social, recreational or group activities, down from 39 percent in 2024. Two in five (41%) said they participated less frequently than they would like.
When asked about what prevents them from participating, survey respondents identified affordability, health, lack of energy, and not having anyone to go with as top barriers to engagement.
Worsening Attitudes Towards Aging
The NIA survey also found that positive attitudes towards aging declined from 2024 to 2025. Only 57 percent of respondents said they felt positive about aging in 2025, down from 62% the previous year. Negative feelings about aging also rose, from 34 %in 2024 to 39% in 2025.
Nearly half of respondents (47%) said they are sometimes overlooked or dismissed, while one in six (16%) felt older adults are often seen as a burden.
The majority of respondents also reported experiencing everyday ageism, including comments, jokes, and assumptions about aging.
Taken together, these findings reflect the persistence of ways in which older Canadians are devalued, their experiences and perspectives downplayed or ignored. At Men’s Sheds across the country, the opposite is intentionally cultivated – older men are recognized not as burdens, but as contributors and valuable assets to their communities.
A Growing Role for Men’s Sheds
What does this data signal for policymakers and organizations working with older adults? Seniors’ voices must be prioritized in shaping programs and policies, and the diversity of their experiences and perspectives must also be included, according to the NIA.
Ensuring older adults can age with security, dignity, good health and social connection is not only the right thing to do — it is critical for the sustainability of Canada’s programs and services.
This is where Men’s Sheds can play a crucial role,promoting connection and engagement, and reflecting the interests and needs of their members. Sheds help men find a purpose, and offer a place where they can work together and build community. Many Sheds not only focus on volunteering or community service, but also involve younger people in their work, sharing their knowledge and experience intergenerationally, while learning from others.
Recognizing the need for ways for older men to feel connected and engaged, the NIA report highlighted the work that Sheds do:
Their focus is on the practical outcomes of the projects that participants undertake, and on reducing social isolation, supporting mental health and fostering a sense of purpose and camaraderie. Men’s Sheds offer informal peer support, opportunities to learn new skills and a place to connect outside traditional health or social service settings.
We welcome the findings and recommendations from the NIA, and are looking forward to building on their recommendations while supporting the growth and development of Men’s Sheds across Canada.
Interested in learning more? Read the full report here: https://niageing.ca/reports/perspectives-on-growing-older-in-canada-the-2025-nia-ageing-in-canada-survey/
A Note on Terminology
Many organizations, health professionals, and policymakers use the terms loneliness and social isolation in discussing mental health challenges older people may face. While the terms are similar, they are generally seen as having different meanings.
Loneliness is a subjective feeling of being disconnected from other people.
Social isolation refers to having few or not social connections with other people, such as family, friends, and community members, and can be measured
Read more about the health impact of social isolation and loneliness on older adults here: https://www.globalheroes.com/social-isolation-and-loneliness-project/
About the Survey
From the NIA:
The NIA’s Ageing in Canada Survey is a decade-long annual research program measuring older Canadians’ experiences, perspectives and expectations of ageing through 10 indicators. The fourth annual NIA survey was conducted online from June to July 2025, with a representative sample of 6,001 Canadians aged 50+ living in community settings across all provinces and territories.