Period versus cohort life expectancy in Canada
Canada: Period versus cohort life expectancy was 81.75 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
81.75 years
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
22nd
of 41 countries
All-time high
82.25 years
in 2019
All-time low
56.96 years
in 1923
Years of data
103
1921–2023
Period versus cohort life expectancy in Canada, 1921–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
Canada recorded 81.75 years for period versus cohort life expectancy in 2023.
That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and down 0.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, period versus cohort life expectancy in Canada peaked at 82.25 years in 2019 and was at its lowest, 56.96 years, in 1923.
That places Canada 22nd out of 41 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 103 years of available data.
Period versus cohort life expectancy in Canada, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 57.1 years | — |
| 1922 | 57.08 years | -0.0% |
| 1923 | 56.96 years | -0.2% |
| 1924 | 58.75 years | +3.1% |
| 1925 | 59.26 years | +0.9% |
| 1926 | 57.95 years | -2.2% |
| 1927 | 58.61 years | +1.1% |
| 1928 | 58.55 years | -0.1% |
| 1929 | 57.94 years | -1.0% |
| 1930 | 58.96 years | +1.8% |
| 1931 | 60.27 years | +2.2% |
| 1932 | 61.34 years | +1.8% |
| 1933 | 62.28 years | +1.5% |
| 1934 | 62.62 years | +0.5% |
| 1935 | 62.4 years | -0.4% |
| 1936 | 62.65 years | +0.4% |
| 1937 | 61.27 years | -2.2% |
| 1938 | 63.24 years | +3.2% |
| 1939 | 63.7 years | +0.7% |
| 1940 | 63.91 years | +0.3% |
| 1941 | 63.74 years | -0.3% |
| 1942 | 64.61 years | +1.4% |
| 1943 | 64.57 years | -0.1% |
| 1944 | 65.28 years | +1.1% |
| 1945 | 66.26 years | +1.5% |
| 1946 | 66.41 years | +0.2% |
| 1947 | 66.79 years | +0.6% |
| 1948 | 67.25 years | +0.7% |
| 1949 | 67.59 years | +0.5% |
| 1950 | 68.21 years | +0.9% |
| 1951 | 68.51 years | +0.4% |
| 1952 | 68.68 years | +0.2% |
| 1953 | 69.07 years | +0.6% |
| 1954 | 69.94 years | +1.3% |
| 1955 | 70 years | +0.1% |
| 1956 | 69.97 years | -0.0% |
| 1957 | 69.92 years | -0.1% |
| 1958 | 70.57 years | +0.9% |
| 1959 | 70.61 years | +0.1% |
| 1960 | 70.98 years | +0.5% |
| 1961 | 71.22 years | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 71.24 years | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 71.27 years | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 71.64 years | +0.5% |
| 1965 | 71.75 years | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 71.87 years | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 72.09 years | +0.3% |
| 1968 | 72.24 years | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 72.4 years | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 72.61 years | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 72.95 years | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 72.83 years | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 73.07 years | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 73.15 years | +0.1% |
| 1975 | 73.45 years | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 73.87 years | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 74.16 years | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 74.48 years | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 74.84 years | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 75.07 years | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 75.48 years | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 75.69 years | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 76.07 years | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 76.36 years | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 76.35 years | -0.0% |
| 1986 | 76.49 years | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 76.8 years | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 76.86 years | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 77.12 years | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 77.43 years | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 77.59 years | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 77.85 years | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 77.72 years | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 77.9 years | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 78.02 years | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 78.27 years | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 78.47 years | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 78.68 years | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 78.88 years | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 79.23 years | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 79.45 years | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 79.57 years | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 79.74 years | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 80.03 years | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 80.13 years | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 80.54 years | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 80.54 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 80.73 years | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 81.06 years | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 81.33 years | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 81.5 years | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 81.69 years | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 81.77 years | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 81.82 years | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 81.89 years | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 82.01 years | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 81.88 years | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 81.89 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 82.25 years | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 81.61 years | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 81.53 years | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 81.19 years | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 81.75 years | +0.7% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 81.75 years is below the median for high income countries, which is 81.92 years, 100% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 58.02 years | 56.96 years | 59.26 years | 9 |
| 1930s | 61.87 years | 58.96 years | 63.7 years | 10 |
| 1940s | 65.64 years | 63.74 years | 67.59 years | 10 |
| 1950s | 69.55 years | 68.21 years | 70.61 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 71.67 years | 70.98 years | 72.4 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 73.54 years | 72.61 years | 74.84 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 76.23 years | 75.07 years | 77.12 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 78.08 years | 77.43 years | 78.88 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 80.1 years | 79.23 years | 81.06 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 81.8 years | 81.33 years | 82.25 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 81.52 years | 81.19 years | 81.75 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More health data for Canada
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.79 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.3588 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,083 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 385 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.5214 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.023 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.5024 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is period versus cohort life expectancy in Canada?
- Period versus cohort life expectancy in Canada was 81.75 years in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest period versus cohort life expectancy recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 82.25 years in 2019.
- What is the lowest period versus cohort life expectancy recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 56.96 years in 1923.
- How does Canada rank for period versus cohort life expectancy?
- Canada ranks 22nd out of 41 countries with data for 2023.
- Is period versus cohort life expectancy rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Period versus cohort life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 103 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Period life expectancy at birth, in a given year.