Ageism is one of those words many people recognize, but not everyone notices when it shows up in real life. That may be part of the problem. It is often subtle, brushed off as humour, mistaken for kindness, or hidden inside assumptions about what older adults can and cannot do.
The National Institute on Ageing’s 2025 Ageing in Canada Survey makes this very clear. While just over 12% of Canadians aged 50 and older said they had been directly discriminated against or treated unfairly because of their age, the numbers climb dramatically when people are asked about specific everyday experiences. When prompted with examples, 70% of Canadians aged 50 and older reported experiencing at least one form of everyday ageism in 2025.
That gap matters. It tells us that many older adults may not immediately label an experience as ageism, even when it diminishes them. Someone makes a joke about “old people.” Someone assumes an older adult cannot use a cell phone or computer. Someone jumps in to “help” with a task the person can do perfectly well on their own. We see an ad for creams to smooth wrinkles, but it’s shown on someone who is clearly under 35 years of age. Each incident may seem small, but over time, these moments send a message: you are less capable, less valuable, less attractive, less relevant. Even worse, we often say or think these things about ourselves.
According to the report, 48% of older adults said they often or sometimes hear, see or read jokes about old age, ageing or older people. Thirty percent encountered messages suggesting older adults or the process of ageing are unattractive or undesirable. One in four said people assume they have difficulty with cell phones or computers and another 24% said people insist on helping them with things they can do themselves.
That last one deserves a pause. Help is wonderful when it is wanted or needed. But unwanted help can become a quiet form of control. It can take away confidence, independence and dignity, especially when it is based not on a person’s actual ability, but on their age.
The report also shows that ageism is not experienced equally. Adults aged 80 and older reported higher levels of everyday ageism than those in younger age groups. People in fair or poor health also reported higher levels than those in excellent or very good health. Financial insecurity sharpened the experience, too, with older adults who were struggling financially reporting more everyday ageism than those whose income was good enough to save.
This is important because ageism does not sit politely in its own little box. It can overlap with poverty, disability, poor health, gender, race and other forms of discrimination. It can affect employment, health care, housing, social participation and even whether someone is believed when they ask for help.
Ageism is not fading away. The report’s Everyday Ageism Index has barely moved since 2023, rising slightly from 25.6 in 2023 to 26.2 in 2025. That suggests this is not a passing irritant. It is a stubborn social pattern.
So what do we do?
We start by noticing. We stop using age as shorthand for incompetence. We ask before helping. We design services, homes, workplaces, communities and technologies with older adults, not around them. We challenge jokes and stereotypes, even the casual ones. Especially the casual ones. We also need to stop making ourselves invisible.
Ageing should not mean becoming invisible. It should not mean having your abilities questioned before you have even had a chance to speak. Older adults are not a burden to manage. They are neighbours, workers, caregivers, volunteers, customers, friends and family members. They can also be mentors, teachers, and leaders. We have only to acknowledge the respect that is owed, remembering that today’s 60-, 70- and 80-year-olds are not the same as we remember our grandparents being. Not even close!
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