Deaths in road incidents in Canada
Canada: Deaths in road incidents was 1,768 deaths in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
1,768 deaths
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
24th
of 65 countries
All-time high
6,706 deaths
in 1973
All-time low
1,746 deaths
in 2020
Years of data
52
1970–2021
Deaths in road incidents in Canada, 1970–2021
Source: OECD (2023); OECD (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
Canada recorded 1,768 deaths for deaths in road incidents in 2021.
That represents a change of up 1.3% on the previous year and down 12.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, deaths in road incidents in Canada peaked at 6,706 deaths in 1973 and was at its lowest, 1,746 deaths, in 2020.
Canada ranks 24th of 65 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 52 years of available data.
Deaths in road incidents in Canada, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 5,080 deaths | — |
| 1971 | 5,573 deaths | +9.7% |
| 1972 | 6,221 deaths | +11.6% |
| 1973 | 6,706 deaths | +7.8% |
| 1974 | 6,290 deaths | -6.2% |
| 1975 | 6,061 deaths | -3.6% |
| 1976 | 5,307 deaths | -12.4% |
| 1977 | 5,253 deaths | -1.0% |
| 1978 | 5,429 deaths | +3.4% |
| 1979 | 5,863 deaths | +8.0% |
| 1980 | 5,461 deaths | -6.9% |
| 1981 | 5,383 deaths | -1.4% |
| 1982 | 4,169 deaths | -22.6% |
| 1983 | 4,216 deaths | +1.1% |
| 1984 | 4,120 deaths | -2.3% |
| 1985 | 4,362 deaths | +5.9% |
| 1986 | 4,063 deaths | -6.9% |
| 1987 | 4,238 deaths | +4.3% |
| 1988 | 4,154 deaths | -2.0% |
| 1989 | 4,238 deaths | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 3,963 deaths | -6.5% |
| 1991 | 3,690 deaths | -6.9% |
| 1992 | 3,501 deaths | -5.1% |
| 1993 | 3,615 deaths | +3.3% |
| 1994 | 3,230 deaths | -10.7% |
| 1995 | 3,313 deaths | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 3,129 deaths | -5.6% |
| 1997 | 3,076 deaths | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 2,919 deaths | -5.1% |
| 1999 | 2,980 deaths | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 2,904 deaths | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 2,758 deaths | -5.0% |
| 2002 | 2,921 deaths | +5.9% |
| 2003 | 2,777 deaths | -4.9% |
| 2004 | 2,735 deaths | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 2,898 deaths | +6.0% |
| 2006 | 2,871 deaths | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 2,753 deaths | -4.1% |
| 2008 | 2,431 deaths | -11.7% |
| 2009 | 2,216 deaths | -8.8% |
| 2010 | 2,238 deaths | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 2,023 deaths | -9.6% |
| 2012 | 2,075 deaths | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 1,951 deaths | -6.0% |
| 2014 | 1,841 deaths | -5.6% |
| 2015 | 1,887 deaths | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 1,900 deaths | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 1,861 deaths | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 1,939 deaths | +4.2% |
| 2019 | 1,756 deaths | -9.4% |
| 2020 | 1,746 deaths | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 1,768 deaths | +1.3% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 1,768 deaths is above the median for high income countries, which is 528 deaths, 3.3× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5,778 deaths | 5,080 deaths | 6,706 deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 4,440 deaths | 4,063 deaths | 5,461 deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 3,342 deaths | 2,919 deaths | 3,963 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,726 deaths | 2,216 deaths | 2,921 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,947 deaths | 1,756 deaths | 2,238 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,757 deaths | 1,746 deaths | 1,768 deaths | 2 |
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 deaths in road incidents in Canada?
- Deaths in road incidents in Canada was 1,768 deaths in 2021, according to OECD (2023); OECD (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest deaths in road incidents recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 6,706 deaths in 1973.
- What is the lowest deaths in road incidents recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,746 deaths in 2020.
- How does Canada rank for deaths in road incidents?
- Canada ranks 24th out of 65 countries with data for 2021.
- Is deaths in road incidents rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2023); OECD (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Deaths in road incidents. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of reported deaths due to road accidents.