Canadians’ Life Expectancy up for First Time in 3 Years, Still Below Pre-Pandemic Levels: StatCan

A sign outside a building at Statistics Canada is seen in Ottawa on March 12, 2021. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang

Life expectancy in Canada rose last year after three consecutive years of decline, driven primarily by lower mortality rates among middle-aged and older adults, according to a new report by Statistics Canada. However, it remains below pre-pandemic levels.

Canada recorded 326,571 deaths in 2023, a 2.4 percent decrease from the year prior, according to a Dec. 4 Statistics Canada report. Life expectancy at birth also rose by 0.4 years, increasing from 81.3 years in 2022 to 81.7 years in 2023. Despite this growth, last year’s figure remains 0.5 years below the pre-pandemic average of 82.2 years.

“Comparable gains were observed across other OECD countries [an organization primarily comprised of developed nations], reflecting a general rebound in life expectancy from 2020 to 2023,” reads the report, based on preliminary data from the Canadian Vital Statistics’s death database.

“Life expectancy increases when there are fewer deaths in general, when deaths occur predominantly at older ages, or a combination of both.”

Life expectancy increased more for men than for women last year. Men gained 0.5 years, reaching 79.5 years, while women saw a 0.4-year increase, bringing their life expectancy to 83.9 years, according to the report.

The pattern was similar among adults aged 65. Men had a slightly higher gain in life expectancy than women, with an increase of 0.5 years compared to 0.3 years, respectively. However, women at age 65 still had a longer life expectancy than men, with 22.2 years compared to 19.6 years for males.

Canada also recorded 60 percent fewer deaths from COVID-19 last year compared to 2022, decreasing from 19,716 to 7,955 deaths, according to the report. The death rate from the virus was highest among older adults, with those aged 80 and older accounting for nearly 70 percent of cases.

Provinces with the most significant increases in life expectancy last year include Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.

Record High Accidental Drug Poisoning Deaths

The number of deaths due to accidental drug poisoning totalled 7,162 last year, the highest figure ever recorded, says StatCan. These cases include deaths from accidental poisoning or exposure to opioid and non-opioid substances, including narcotics and medications.

B.C. recorded the highest age-standardized rate of such deaths, with 40.3 per 100,000 people. Alberta followed with a rate of 26.1, and Saskatchewan ranked third at 22.9 per 100,000 people. In addition, males accounted for 73 percent of accidental drug poisoning deaths across the country.

Most deaths occurred among people aged 35 to 44 years, accounting for 27 percent of the cases. People aged 45 to 54 came second at 23 percent, closely followed by the 25-to-34 age group, with 21 percent of deaths. Eighteen percent of deaths were in the 55 to 64 age group and 7 percent were among those aged 65 and older. Those under 15 accounted for the remaining share at 5 percent.

Accidental drug poisonings totalled 5,645 in 2022, down from 6,774 in 2021.

Cancer as Leading Cause of Death

Cancer remained the leading cause of death among Canadians in 2023, with a total of 84,629 cases, equivalent to just over one in four deaths. StatCan says cancer cases and deaths continue to rise each year “due to the growing and aging population,” but did not elaborate on other factors behind the increase.

Lung and bronchus cancer was the leading cause of cancer deaths, accounting for 22 percent of cases in males and 24 percent in females.

Among males, lung and bronchus cancer was followed by prostate cancer (11 percent), pancreatic cancer (7 percent), colon cancer (7 percent) and liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer (5 percent). In females, after lung and bronchus cancer, the leading causes of cancer deaths were breast cancer (13 percent), pancreatic cancer (7 percent), colon cancer (7 percent) and ovarian cancer (5 percent).