Vietnamese Seniors in British Columbia: Building a Vision for Culturally Appropriate Elder Care Facility

Demographics of Vietnamese-Canadian Seniors in BC Vietnamese-Canadians form a vibrant and growing community in British Columbia.

As of the 2021 Census, approximately 52,000 British Columbians identified Vietnamese ancestry (en.wikipedia.org). This population has expanded significantly since the first major wave of refugees arrived in the late 1970s and 1980s, and many of those original settlers are now reaching senior age. Notably, the Vietnamese community in BC is younger than the general population – only about 8.1% of Vietnamese British Columbians are aged 65 or over (eapon.ca), compared to roughly 18% of BC’s overall population. This reflects the fact that the large refugee cohort is just now entering retirement years. Crucially, this means the number of Vietnamese seniors is poised to surge in the coming decade. We can anticipate a near doubling of Vietnamese seniors by the early 2030s as the “boat people” generation (who arrived as young adults around 1980) transitions into their late 60s and 70s. In real terms, this represents thousands of new Vietnamese seniors in BC – a demographic wave with important implications for housing and care. While relatively small in absolute number today, Vietnamese seniors are a fast-growing group. Between 2016 and 2021 alone, the population of Vietnamese seniors in BC grew substantially (from roughly 4,200 to well over 6,000 by recent estimates) as the leading edge of the refugee generation turned 65 (eapon.ca). This growth trajectory will only accelerate. By 2031, community experts project that Vietnamese-Canadian elders will form a much larger share of the province’s seniors, as many in their late 50s and early 60s today cross into seniorhood. In short, we are on the cusp of a sharp increase in Vietnamese seniors, making now the critical time to plan for their needs. Every number in this data tells the same story: a community entering its senior years en masse, with urgent needs on the horizon.

Read Full Report

GAVFBC-Vietnamese-Elder-in-BC-2025.pdf

Download PDF • 345KB

(Sources: Statistics Canada; BC Office of the Seniors Advocate; Vancouver Coastal Health; Fraser Health; City of Vancouver Seniors Housing Strategy 2024; Vietnamese Seniors Association of BC community survey.