Life expectancy in Canada took its biggest-ever dip in 2020, and COVID-19 was a factor: StatsCan

COVID-19 became Canada's third-leading cause of death in 2020, and Statistics Canada says the country saw 7.7 per cent more deaths that year than in 2019.

Canadians’ average life expectancy fell to the largest degree ever recorded during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data released this week by Statistics Canada.

COVID-19 became Canada’s third-leading cause of death in 2020, and Statistics Canada says the country saw 7.7 per cent more deaths that year than in 2019.

The agency says Canadians’ average life expectancy dropped to 81.7 years in 2020 from 82.3 year in 2019 — a drop of more than half a year.

“It is substantial, because that is the largest decline ever observed — at least since 1921, the year our national vital statistics registration system was introduced,” Statistics Canada demographer Patrice Dion explained.

Despite the historic decline, Canada’s 2020 life expectancy remained among the highest in the world, according to Statistics Canada.

“Most other countries have (also) seen a decline. In some countries like the United States, Spain or Italy, the decline has been one year and a half. Few countries managed to have their life expectancies stable or increasing,” Dion said.

The largest declines were recorded in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.

Nationally, the decline was greater for men, at 0.7 years, than women, who saw the average life expectancy fall by 0.4 years.