Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Canada
Canada: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) was 81.65 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
81.65 years
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
38th
of 215 countries
All-time high
82.16 years
in 2019
All-time low
72.7 years
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Life expectancy at birth, total in Canada, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
Canada recorded 81.65 years for life expectancy at birth, total in 2023.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in Canada peaked at 82.16 years in 2019 and was at its lowest, 72.7 years, in 1970.
That places Canada 38th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Canada, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 72.7 years | — |
| 1971 | 73.03 years | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 72.93 years | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 73.16 years | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 73.24 years | +0.1% |
| 1975 | 73.52 years | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 73.86 years | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 74.22 years | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 74.53 years | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 74.87 years | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 75.1 years | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 75.5 years | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 75.73 years | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 76.06 years | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 76.33 years | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 76.33 years | -0.0% |
| 1986 | 76.46 years | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 76.78 years | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 76.86 years | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 77.12 years | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 77.44 years | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 77.59 years | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 77.84 years | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 77.7 years | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 77.87 years | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 77.98 years | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 78.22 years | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 78.41 years | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 78.62 years | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 78.84 years | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 79.17 years | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 79.4 years | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 79.53 years | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 79.72 years | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 79.99 years | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 80.11 years | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 80.54 years | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 80.54 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 80.72 years | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 81.07 years | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 81.32 years | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 81.48 years | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 81.66 years | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 81.74 years | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 81.78 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 81.83 years | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 81.94 years | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 81.81 years | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 81.81 years | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 82.16 years | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 81.54 years | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 81.52 years | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 81.25 years | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 81.65 years | +0.5% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 81.65 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 81.17 years, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 73.61 years | 72.7 years | 74.87 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 76.23 years | 75.1 years | 77.12 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 78.05 years | 77.44 years | 78.84 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 80.08 years | 79.17 years | 81.07 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 81.75 years | 81.32 years | 82.16 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 81.49 years | 81.25 years | 81.65 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More population data for Canada
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.3281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.13 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.3281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2634 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 45,891 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.7644 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.3863 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.327 (2100)
- Population density 6.1 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 2.33 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, total in Canada?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in Canada was 81.65 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 82.16 years in 2019.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 72.7 years in 1970.
- How does Canada rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- Canada ranks 38th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release