Le vieillissement de la population en milieu rural québécois

Abstract

The aging population presents an unavoidable challenge for Quebec and, in particular, for rural areas, most influenced by this phenomenon. This article examines the evolutionary trajectory of aging in rural Quebec during the thirty-year period from 1986 to 2016. A three-level typological analysis of localities reveals certain patterns with regard to the evolution and intensity of aging, notably concerning geography and socio-economic factors. Of the 62 rural  areas most prone to aging, most show signs of demographic, geographical and economic fragility, reflecting the complex structural nature of the challenges they meet. The combination of these difficulties hampers their current development and negatively impacts their future prospects in many ways, hence the need to implement new regional development and organizational policies that go beyond considering demographic aging as the only factor.