‘Dramatic’ increases in younger Canadians’ deaths contributed to our reduced life expectancy – CTV

Dec. 1, 2023

Amid a declining life expectancy across the country, new national data released this week show that years on from the beginning of the pandemic, COVID-19 and the opioid crisis have had lasting impacts on life and death in Canada.

Record-breaking COVID deaths and the disproportionate loss of life to overdoses among younger Canadians have driven the country’s life expectancy down a full year since 2019; only the second decrease of its kind in the 21st century.

And while the numbers suggest that COVID’s mortality impact may be less extreme this year, enduring losses to overdose mean that the decline is not necessarily finished.

According to the latest figures from Statistics Canada , just short of 20,000 Canadians died of COVID-19 in 2022, up from roughly 14,500 in 2021 and surpassing unintentional injuries (including overdoses) as the third-most common cause of death, behind cancer and heart disease.

Read more: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/canadians-life-expectancy-down-a-full-year-since-2019-experts-say-covid-19-and-opioids-are-to-blame-1.6668961

NationTalk Partners & Sponsors Learn More