(Note: Source: Statistics Canada, Survey of Household Spending, 2007)

Spending Patterns Unique

In 2007, Alberta seniors’ spending patterns differed from those of the overall Alberta population. According to Statistics Canada, senior households’ average total expenditure was $45,882 compared to $94,802 for Albertans under 65 years.

Approximately 74% ($33,939) of senior households’ average total expenditure went towards consumption expenditures compared to roughly 69% ($64,918) for other Albertans. (Note: Consumption expenditures include: food, shelter, household operation, household furnishings and equipment, clothing, transportation, health care, personal care, recreation, reading materials and other printed matter, education, tobacco products and alcoholic beverages, games of chance, and miscellaneous expenditures.)

Senior households’ largest expense was shelter, accounting for 18.8% of overall total expenditures. In comparison, personal taxes were the largest expense for those under 65, accounting for approximately 23.9% of total expenditures. Transportation was the second largest expense for seniors at 14.4% of overall spending, followed by taxes at 14.3%. (Chart 10)

Chart 10
Seniors Spending Patterns Differ from Non-Seniors

In 2007, approximately 33.2% of senior households reported maintenance and repair expenditures on dwellings that were owned, compared to 35.7% of non-senior households. The average expenditure for repairs and maintenance per senior household was $232, whereas non-senior households’ average expenditure was $322.

Seniors spent an average of $2,509 per person on health care, which included health care supplies, medicinal and pharmaceutical products, eye-care goods and services, and health insurance premiums. (Note: As of October 1, 2004 all seniors, regardless of income, no longer have to pay Alberta Health Care Insurance Premiums.)

Seniors spent considerably less on recreation than Albertans under 65 in 2007. Seniors spent an average of $ 2,225 per person on recreation, compared to $6,089 for non-seniors.