B.C. Socioeconomic Index

The British Columbia Socioeconomic, Community, and Health Index (the Index) was developed to measure socioeconomic wellbeing across geographic areas in British Columbia. The Index is one comprehensive measure that summarizes B.C.’s various data sources in an easy to access way, identifying the variation in wellbeing determinants across B.C. communities. This approach distills large amounts of data into a set of concise indicators to support evidence-based decision-making regarding investment, resource allocation, and policy intervention in the province. Additionally, the Index can support the evaluation of policy outcomes by tracking changes in socioeconomic conditions over time. Two models were developed: The Longitudinal (L) Model: using fewer explanatory variables and fixed factor loadings to enable a trend comparison over time for each jurisdiction. The Detailed (D) Model: using all data available but only generated for more recent year(s). The Index is reported at both the Census Subdivision and Community Health Service Areas level. To capture the multidimensional nature of socioeconomic status, standardized indicators were grouped into four thematic domains: - Economic Domain indicators related to income, employment, and housing quality - Education Domain covers metrics such as high school course mark, high school completion rate, and educational attainment - Health Domain encompasses indicators like prevalence of chronic conditions - Community Domain reflects social cohesion and equity, including crime rates, ratio of single parents, and proportion of the population that is receiving income assistance.

Organization: Government of British Columbia | Gouvernment de la Colombie-Britannique

Last modified: 2026-04-17T15:32:47.183076