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
NDP wants Liberals to scrap proposed election date change that could secure pensions for many MPs
The federal New Democrats want to amend the Liberal government's electoral reform legislation to scrap the proposal to push back the vote by a week and consequently secure pensions for dozens of MPs, CTV News has learned.
Drive one of these vehicles? You may pay 37 per cent more than average insurance costs due to thefts
As the number of auto theft incidents rises in Canada, so have insurance premiums for drivers, even the ones whose vehicles aren't stolen.
Doug Ford suggests immigrants behind Jewish school shooting
Ontario Premier Doug Ford suggested immigrants are to blame for the shooting of an empty Jewish school in Toronto over the weekend, despite police saying they have little information on the suspects.
Melanie Joly 'forward-leaning' in debate on Ukraine using NATO arms inside Russia
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly is suggesting Canada would support a policy of allowing Ukraine to use NATO-provided arms inside Russia.
Fast-paced, highflying SailGP blows into Halifax for weekend competition
Ten countries, including Canada, each with teams of six sailors, are battling head-to-head on Halifax Harbour this weekend for the Canadian debut of SailGP (Grand Prix).
Donald Trump can sue niece over NY Times article, court rules
A New York state appeals court said Donald Trump can sue his niece Mary Trump for giving the New York Times information for its Pulitzer Prize-winning 2018 probe into his finances and his alleged effort to avoid taxes.
Shania Twain shares how she forgave her ex-husband's cheating: 'It's his mistake'
Shania Twain recently addressed the infidelity that rocked her marriage to Robert 'Mutt' Lange, whom she divorced in 2010 after he had an affair with her friend, Marie-Anne Thiébaud.
Supreme Court won't hear appeal in Montreal brainwashing experiments case
The Supreme Court of Canada will not review a Quebec ruling that bars people from suing the U.S. government in Canada over its role in notorious brainwashing experiments at a Montreal psychiatric hospital.
Teen pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of homeless man in downtown Toronto
One of eight teen girls charged in the death of a homeless man in downtown Toronto has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.