VICTORIA – The Victoria Foundation released its 2023 Victoria’s Vital Signs report. It’s an annual check-up that measures the vitality of our region, as perceived by citizens in the community.
Overall quality of life in Greater Victoria scored a B grade, which is a decrease from the 2022 grade of B+.
Now in its 18th year, the Vital Signs report reveals residents’ top concerns and provides letter grades from A to F for 12 key issue areas, including quality of life, belonging and engagement, arts and culture, and more. Six of these 12 areas have seen their grade change since last year.
The report used data obtained this year from a web-based citizen survey completed by 5,319 people – the most in Vital Signs history – and data from secondary sources curated by a local researcher, to explore how the region is doing.
“This year’s Vital Signs report clearly outlines the main issues facing our community and highlights where we need to improve. Once again, cost of living and housing emerged as two of the most important issues. The data-driven insight gained from the report guides how we do our work and where we direct our focus,” said Sandra Richarson, Victoria Foundation CEO.
“Now, more than ever, we need to work collaboratively so we can move from hope to change and improve our collective well-being,” she said.
Housing saw an improvement when compared to last year’s report, increasing from a failing grade of F to a D. The grade for health and wellness also increased from a C+ to a B-. Environmental sustainability saw a slight improvement from a B- to a B. Safety, learning, and sports and recreation all saw a decrease in score. As in previous years, respondents said the best things about Greater Victoria are the natural environment and the climate.
When asked about work-life and home-life balance, 64% of respondents indicated they are satisfied.
Most respondents, 66%, also said they feel respected living in Greater Victoria. However, for people that identify as Black, Indigenous, or as a person of colour, that figure dips to 56%.
The Victoria’s Vital Signs report is made possible with the support of presenting sponsor Coast Capital.
The magazine-style final report is available at various locations throughout the community, as well as online at victoriafoundation.bc.ca.
The Victoria Foundation also offers more data on the key issue areas through an accessible online data hub called Vital Victoria. The hub is a companion to the report, and it explores 84 indicators on quality of life in Greater Victoria, and ties them to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The Vital Victoria data hub can be found at victoriafoundation.bc.ca/vital-victoria.
To learn more about the Vital Signs program, visit victoriafoundation.bc.ca/.
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