What Happened to the Immigrant Life Satisfaction Gap?

Abstract

Numerous studies have found that immigrants to Canada are less satisfied with life than comparable Canadian-born individuals. Yet recent data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) suggest that this immigrant satisfaction gap may be disappearing. This article traces the evolution of the immigrant–Canadian born life satisfaction gap from 2009 to 2018 and explores two competing explanations for the declining gap: improved immigrant outcomes and changes to the CCHS design introduced in 2015–2016. The article finds little evidence for the improved outcomes explanation. Indeed, the immigrant satisfaction gap is somewhat illusory—the more substantial gap is between the life satisfaction of White individuals and that of members of certain racialized groups, regardless of immigration status. The 2015–2016 CCHS redesign, however, may be a plausible explanation for the increase in reported life satisfaction. This article provides more evidence that researchers using life satisfaction measures need to be cautious when survey designs change.