How long is the average Quebecer's life expectancy? New data released
Life expectancy in Quebec has returned to pre-pandemic levels, according new data from the Quebec Statistics Institute (ISQ).
The data also show that the overdose crisis is not sparing the province, as it’s the main cause of the rise in deaths among 25 to 44 year-olds.
Mortality in the 25-44 age group is set to rise over the 2020-2023 period. Overdose-related deaths in this age group are now higher than motor vehicle accidents and homicide or femicide.
This increase has been gradual, said ISQ demographer Frédéric Fleury-Payeur.
“We've been talking about the overdose crisis for a few years now, especially the opioid-related ones, but it's become more pronounced in recent years,” he said
Fleury-Payeur pointed out that suicide accounts for a larger share of deaths among 25-44 year-olds, but the suicide rate has been declining year on year since the 2000s.
However, the increase in mortality among 25-44 year-olds is less marked in Quebec than in the rest of Canada or the United States.
According to new ISQ data released on Wednesday, the provisional estimate of the number of deaths in Quebec in 2023 is 77,550, representing a drop of 1 per cent compared to 2022.
This brings the life expectancy of the Quebec population back to what it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, which turned the data from recent years upside down.
By 2023, women could expect to live to 84.3 and men to 80.7. Life expectancy has stagnated in Quebec since 2016, but remains among the highest in the world.
According to Fleury-Payeur, COVID-19 changed the upward trend in life expectancy that Quebec would have expected to see if it had not been for the pandemic.
“If mortality linked to COVID-19 disappears - and it's quite possible that it will continue to decline over the next few years - will we see a return to an upward trend in life expectancy? It's possible,” says the demographer.
Among the countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Japan has the best life expectancy, at 84.1 years in 2022 (men and women combined).
--
- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 8, 2024. The Canadian Press health content receives funding through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for editorial choices.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Some BMO clients face outages in Canada, U.S.
Bank of Montreal clients on both sides of the border Thursday morning have reported outages for banking services.
NEW How car thefts are impacting your insurance, even if your car isn't stolen
As the number of auto theft incidents rises in Canada, so have insurance premiums for drivers, even the ones whose vehicles aren't stolen.
B.C. mortgage broker ran $270-million Ponzi scheme, then fled Canada, bankruptcy trustee says
The trustee appointed to manage the bankruptcies of a Victoria mortgage company and its owner has concluded that they committed "numerous offences" and operated as a "massive Ponzi scheme."
'I'm not wealthy': Ontario senior shocked she owes $40,000 in capital gains after gifting land
An Ontario senior who wanted to help her daughter and grandson eventually own homes one day decided to give them two lots on her property as a gift—but she didn’t know it would eventually cost her tens of thousands of dollars.
opinion Trump's Republicans falling far behind in fundraising, infrastructure
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, Washington political analyst Eric Ham explains how and why Republicans -- up and down the ballot -- are falling far behind Democrats in both fundraising and infrastructure.
Canadians are eyeing moves to these cities for more affordable housing
Faced with elevated housing prices, half of Canadians in the country's largest cities are considering moving to places with more affordable housing.
Canadians' interest in buying EVs fades as barriers, concerns remain: J.D. Power
A new study finds fewer Canadians say they're interested in buying an electric vehicle as concerns remain about limited driving ranges, high prices and a lack of charging stations.
McDonald's says US$18 Big Mac meal was an 'exception' and their prices haven't risen that much
McDonald’s is fighting back against viral tweets and media reports that it says have exaggerated its price increases.
Oilers rally to beat Stars, tie Western Conference Final
With the Edmonton Oilers down two goals late in the first period of Game 4, Rogers Place was quiet, fans seemingly bewildered at the early, quick scoring of the Dallas Stars and the slow start by the home team. Ryan McLeod's marker with six-and-a-half minutes in the opening frame left changed all that.