Thanks to public health efforts and advances in healthcare, Canadians have been able to live longer, healthier lives. Major causes of death in Canada are mostly related to
including cancer and cardiovascular diseases, such as ischemic heart disease. However, the number of deaths and causes vary by province and territory, age group, and gender. One major health issue of concern that Canada shares with its neighbor to the south is the ongoing
. Some provinces have been hit harder than others, with the
What are the leading causes of death in Canada?
In 2022, the
death rate for all causes in Canada was around 858 per 100,000 population. This was the highest rate recorded over the past two decades. The all-cause death rate in Canada has increased over the past couple decades, mostly due to the aging population, however, the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to substantial increases in the years 2020 to 2022. In fact, in 2021, COVID-19 was the fourth
leading cause of death in Canada, accounting for almost five percent of all deaths. The top three leading causes of death in Canada are cancer, diseases of the heart, and unintentional injuries, or accidents. However,
cancer is by far the leading killer of Canadians. In 2021, the death rate due to cancer in Canada was around 217 per 100,000 population, compared to a rate of 145 deaths per 100,000 population for diseases of the heart.
Cancer in Canada
As in the rest of the world, the
overall burden due to cancer is very high in Canada, and is expected to increase as the population continues to grow and age. In 2023,
cancer caused an estimated 86,700 deaths in Canada. Cancer of the lung and bronchus causes the
highest number of cancer deaths for both men and women, however, colorectal cancer is the second deadliest cancer among men, while breast cancer accounts for the second highest number of cancer deaths among women. In 2023, Ontario was the
province with the highest number deaths due to cancer in Canada with around 32,200 deaths.
Deaths from opioid overdose
Canada, much like the United States, continues to struggle with an
opioid crisis, defined by high levels of addiction and overdose deaths. In 2022, there were around 7,328
deaths in Canada due to opioid overdose, with the majority of deaths accidental. At that time,
men accounted for around 73 percent of opioid overdose deaths. The crisis has been complicated in recent years by the appearance of strong, illegally manufactured synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl and carfentanil, which can cause overdose and respiratory depression in very small amounts. In 2022, over 80 percent of
opioid overdose deaths in Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario involved fentanyl.
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