Life expectancy in Canada is 82.16 years as of 2024, nearly matching the pre-pandemic level of 82.22 years recorded in 2019. This marks the second consecutive year of improvement after three years of decline driven largely by COVID-19. Canada sits 0.6 years above the OECD average.
How Life Expectancy Changed During and After the Pandemic
Canada’s life expectancy dropped steadily from 2020 through 2022, bottoming out at 81.3 years. The primary driver was COVID-19, which at its peak ranked as the sixth leading cause of death nationally. By 2024, COVID-19 deaths had fallen 36.6% compared to the prior year (from roughly 7,978 to 5,056), pushing it down to the ninth leading cause of death.
The recovery has been swift. Life expectancy climbed to 81.7 years in 2023, then to 82.16 in 2024. That 0.48-year jump in a single year represents a meaningful rebound, and in some regions, life expectancy has already fully returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Women Live About Four Years Longer Than Men
Canadian women have a life expectancy of roughly 83.8 years, while men can expect about 79.4 years. That 4.4-year gap has been a consistent feature of Canadian demographics, though it has narrowed slightly over the past two decades. Since 2000, male life expectancy improved by 2.85 years compared to a 2.27-year gain for women, slowly closing the difference.
If you’re already 65, the picture shifts. Women at that age can expect to live another 22.3 years (to about 87), while men at 65 have roughly 19.7 additional years ahead of them (to about 85). Reaching retirement age effectively filters out many early-life risks, which is why remaining life expectancy at 65 looks more generous than the headline number might suggest.
Major Gaps Between Provinces and Territories
Where you live in Canada makes a real difference. British Columbia consistently posts the highest life expectancy among provinces, while Nunavut falls dramatically behind. The gap between the two is striking: more than 10 years separates them. Ontario and Quebec also perform above the national average, while the Prairie provinces and Atlantic Canada tend to fall slightly below it.
The territories face unique challenges. Nunavut’s life expectancy of roughly 71.6 years reflects limited healthcare infrastructure, high rates of food insecurity, and other socioeconomic pressures that compound over a lifetime. The Yukon and Northwest Territories also lag behind, though by smaller margins.
Indigenous Populations Face a Significant Life Expectancy Gap
One of the starkest health disparities in Canada is the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. Non-Indigenous Canadians have a life expectancy of about 85.0 years, while Indigenous Canadians overall average 77.2 years, a gap of nearly 8 years.
That average masks even wider disparities among specific groups. Inuit communities face the largest gap: a life expectancy of about 71.9 years, more than 13 years below the non-Indigenous average. First Nations people with registered status average about 74.0 years, an 11-year gap. Among those living on reserve, life expectancy drops further to roughly 71.4 years, while those living off reserve fare somewhat better at 76.0 years. Métis populations have the smallest gap among Indigenous groups, at about 80.5 years, still 4.5 years below the non-Indigenous average.
These gaps reflect decades of systemic inequities in housing, clean water access, mental health services, and healthcare availability, particularly in remote and northern communities.
Healthy Years vs. Total Years
Total life expectancy tells you how long Canadians live, but not how many of those years are spent in good health. Health-adjusted life expectancy accounts for years lived with disability, chronic illness, or reduced function. The difference matters: Canadians typically spend their final several years dealing with significant health limitations. For someone planning retirement or long-term care, the distinction between total lifespan and healthy lifespan is practical, not just statistical.
Where Canada Is Headed
Statistics Canada projects continued gradual improvement over the next several years. Under medium assumptions, life expectancy by 2029/2030 is expected to reach 80.9 years for men and 85.1 years for women. The most optimistic scenario puts those figures at 81.9 and 85.9 years respectively, while a less favorable projection estimates 79.9 and 84.3 years.
These projections assume that mortality patterns will gradually shift back toward pre-COVID trends over the coming decades. The pace of that shift is the main variable. In the optimistic scenario, Canada returns to pre-pandemic mortality patterns by 2049. In the medium scenario, that convergence takes until 2074. Either way, the long-term trajectory points upward, continuing a trend that has added roughly three years to Canadian life expectancy since the year 2000.