Life Expectancy in Canada 2026 (Men and Women)

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Life expectancy at birth in Canada is about 81.7 years: roughly 79.5 years for men and 84 years for women. A Canadian who reaches 65 can still expect around two more decades of life.

This page brings together the key numbers on how long Canadians live, the gap between men and women, and the difference between living long and living in good health. Each figure links to a source below. Updated June 2026.

Contents:

Life expectancy at birth

1. About 81.7 years overall

According to Statistics Canada, life expectancy at birth in Canada was about 81.7 years in 2023, having recovered most of the ground lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.1

2. Roughly 79.5 years for men, 84 years for women

Men in Canada had a life expectancy at birth of about 79.5 years in 2023, while women reached about 84 years, a gap of roughly four and a half years.2

GroupLife expectancy at birth (2023)
Total populationabout 81.7 years
Menabout 79.5 years
Womenabout 84.0 years

Life expectancy at 65

3. Around 20 more years at age 65

A Canadian who reaches age 65 can expect, on average, around 20 more years of life, with women again outliving men. This is the stage when estate planning becomes most pressing.3

4. Most deaths happen in old age

With about 327,000 deaths a year and a high average age at death, the overwhelming majority of Canadians die in old age, after a long period in which a will could have been prepared.4 See will statistics in Canada.

The trend over time

5. Recovering after the pandemic

Life expectancy fell during 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19, then rebounded. By 2023 it was close to, but still slightly below, the 2019 pre-pandemic peak.5

6. A long upward climb over decades

Over the longer run, Canadian life expectancy has risen by more than a decade since the middle of the twentieth century, driven by lower infant mortality and better treatment of heart disease and cancer.6

Provinces and territories

7. British Columbia and Ontario lead

Statistics Canada's three-year averages show British Columbia and Ontario among the provinces with the highest life expectancy, generally above the national figure.7

8. The territories trail the provinces

Life expectancy is markedly lower in Nunavut and the other territories, where it can be several years below the national average, reflecting differences in health services and living conditions.8

Healthy life years

9. Health-adjusted life expectancy is shorter

Statistics Canada also tracks health-adjusted life expectancy, the years a person can expect to live in good health. This is several years shorter than total life expectancy, meaning the final years are often lived with illness or disability.9

10. Later years often involve care

Because many of the final years involve reduced autonomy, planning ahead, including a will and powers of attorney, matters well before the very end of life.10

International comparison

11. Above the OECD average

According to the OECD, Canadian life expectancy sits above the OECD average and is comparable with other high-income countries such as Australia and the Nordic states.11

12. The women-men gap is common worldwide

The roughly four to five year gap between Canadian women and men mirrors a pattern seen across the OECD, where women outlive men in almost every member country.12

One lesson runs through almost all of these numbers: at 65, a Canadian has on average around two more decades, but no one knows how many. That is exactly why it pays to organize your estate early. For a guided start, read how to write a will, see average net worth in Canada, or browse will statistics in Canada.

Sources

  1. 1Statistics Canada (statcan.gc.ca)
  2. 2Statistics Canada (statcan.gc.ca)
  3. 3Statistics Canada (statcan.gc.ca)
  4. 4Statistics Canada (statcan.gc.ca)
  5. 5Global News / Statistics Canada (globalnews.ca)
  6. 6Statistics Canada (statcan.gc.ca)
  7. 7Statistics Canada (statcan.gc.ca)
  8. 8Statistics Canada (statcan.gc.ca)
  9. 9Statistics Canada (statcan.gc.ca)
  10. 10Statistics Canada (statcan.gc.ca)
  11. 11OECD (oecd.org)
  12. 12OECD (oecd.org)
Max Kuch

About the author

Max Kuch

Max Kuch has spent years studying estate law, succession planning and the consumer questions that surround inheritance. For Get a Will he gathers and summarizes the leading data from Statistics Canada, the OECD and other authoritative bodies, and presents the numbers in a clear, accessible way.

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