Statistics Canada - Government of Canada

Standard symbols

Health – Social indicators

a. Total fertility rate, 1981, 1991, 1997, 2000 to 2004
  1981 1991 1997 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Per woman
1.65
1.70
1.55
1.49
1.51
1.50
1.53
1.53
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM, table 102-4505.
b. Infants, 1981, 1991, 1997, 1999 to 2003
  1981 1991 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Birth weight less than 2,500 grams
21,219
22,315
20,060
18,970
18,242
18,432
18,800
19,560
Proportion of low birth weight births
5.9
5.5
5.8
5.6
5.6
5.5
5.7
5.9
Total infant deaths, age at time of death, under 1 year
3,562
2,573
1,928
1,776
1,737
1,739
1,762
1,765
Mortality rate per 1,000 live births
9.6
6.4
5.5
5.3
5.3
5.2
5.4
5.3
Sources: Statistics Canada, CANSIM, tables 102-4005 and 102-0506.
c. Life expectancy in years, 1981, 1991, 1997, 1999 to 2003
  1981 1991 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Males at birth
72.1
74.6
75.7
76.2
76.7
77
77.2
77.4
Females at birth
79.3
80.9
81.3
81.7
81.9
82.1
82.1
82.4
Males at age 65
14.7
15.8
16.2
16.4
16.8
17.1
17.2
17.4
Females at age 65
19.2
19.9
20.0
20.2
20.4
20.6
20.6
20.8
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM, table 102-0511.
d. Selected causes of death for men, per 100,000 males,1 1981, 1991, 1997, 1999 to 2003
  1981 1991 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Cancer
239.0
247.5
230.7
228.9
225.3
223.8
220.5
215.3
– Lung
73.2
78.8
69.9
70.3
64.3
64.6
64.5
62.7
– Colorectal
29.2
25.1
23.5
24.1
24.0
22.8
24.1
23.0
– Prostate
27.1
31.2
28.4
26.7
26.7
26.6
25.2
24.1
Heart diseases
380.1
263.7
231.8
220.8
202.9
189.7
183.1
178.9
Cerebrovascular diseases
81.1
55.8
52.4
47.3
46.4
44.6
43.7
41.6
1. Significant disruption of some mortality trends was caused by the implementation of ICD-10 as the Canadian mortality classification standard, effective in 2000. The impact of the implementation of ICD-10 on Canadian mortality trends is assessed in Health Statistics Division's ICD-9 and ICD-10 comparability study.
Sources: Statistics Canada, CANSIM, tables 103-0004, 102-0026 and 102-0126.
e. Selected causes of death for women, per 100,000 females,1 1981, 1991, 1997, 1999 to 2003
  1981 1991 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Cancer
148.8
153.7
149.1
149.4
149.4
147.6
149.3
148.1
– Lung
17.9
29.5
32.3
34.8
34.4
34.4
35.3
35.4
– Colorectal
21.6
16.8
15.2
15.2
15.1
14.9
15.2
14.6
– Breast
30.1
30.1
27.4
25.2
25.0
24.9
24.4
24.1
Heart diseases
202.7
147.6
130.2
121.1
113.4
107.6
104.6
98.2
Cerebrovascular diseases
67.4
46.3
44.2
40.0
38.8
37.1
36.3
34.7
1. Significant disruption of some mortality trends was caused by the implementation of ICD-10 as the Canadian mortality classification standard, effective in 2000. The impact of the implementation of ICD-10 on Canadian mortality trends is assessed in Health Statistics Division's ICD-9 and ICD-10 comparability study.
Sources: Statistics Canada, CANSIM, tables 103-0004, 102-0026 and 102-0126.
f. Body Mass Index, BMI,1 of male, 1997, 1999 to 2005
  1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Underweight, BMI under 18.5
0.9
1.3
..
1.3
..
1.2
..
1.1
Normal weight, BMI 18.5 to 24.9
41.2
39.6
..
43.8
..
41.2
..
40.5
Overweight, BMI 25.0 to 29.9
43.6
44.1
..
39.0
..
41.0
..
40.9
Obese, BMI 30.0 or higher
12.7
14.5
..
15.3
..
15.9
..
16.8
1. Body mass index, BMI, is calculated by dividing the respondent's body weight in kilograms, by their height in metres squared.
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM, table 105-4009.
g. Body Mass Index, BMI,1 of female, 1997, 1999 to 2005
  1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Underweight, BMI under 18.5
3.7
3.2
..
4.5
..
4.1
..
4.3
Normal weight, BMI 18.5 to 24.9
55.3
54.4
..
53.0
..
52.1
..
51.8
Overweight, BMI 25.0 to 29.9
25.2
26.3
..
25.9
..
25.7
..
26.1
Obese, BMI 30.0 or higher
11.2
13.8
..
13.7
..
13.9
..
14.2
1. Body mass index, BMI, is calculated by dividing the respondent's body weight in kilograms, by their height in metres squared.
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM, table 105-4009.
h. Percentage of smokers, 1981, 1991, 1999 to 2005
  1981 1991 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Male
43.7
32.2
27.3
25.8
23.9
23.0
23.3
22
22
Female
32.2
29.7
23.3
23.1
19.6
20.0
18.5
17
16
Sources: Statistics Canada. The 1981 data for the percentage of smokers derived from Smoking Behavior of Canadians supplements to the Labour Force Survey; 1991 data, from General Social Survey; 1999 to 2003 data, from Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey; and 2004 and 2005 data, from Health Division.
i. Percentage of smokers by age groups, 1981, 1991, 1999 to 2005
  1981 1991 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
15 to 19 years
43.4
22.6
27.7
25.3
22.5
22.0
18.3
18.4
18.0
20 to 24 years
48.6
39.7
35.4
32.3
32.1
31.0
30.5
27.8
26.0
25 to 44 years
42.1
35.8
29.9
29.6
25.0
24.0
25.4
24.8
23.4
45 to 64 years
37.4
30.1
21.9
20.6
19.7
..
..
17.4
17.3
65 years and over
18.9
16.0
11.8
13.4
10.8
..
..
7.3
6.7
Sources: Statistics Canada. The 1981 data for the percentage of smokers derived from Smoking Behavior of Canadians supplements to the Labour Force Survey; 1991 data, from General Social Survey; 1999 to 2003 data, from Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey; and 2004 and 2005 data, from Health Division.
j. Suicide rate per 100,000 population, 1981, 1991, 1997, 1999 to 2003
  1981 1991 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Male
21.3
21.6
19.6
21.7
18.4
18.6
18.4
18.5
Female
6.8
5.3
5.1
5.6
5.2
5.2
5.0
5.4
Source: Statistics Canada, Suicide data derived from Health Statistics Division.
k. Suicide rate per 100,000 population by age groups, 1981, 1991, 1997, 1999 to 2003
  1981 1991 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
1 to 14 years
0.7
0.6
0.9
0.6
0.8
0.5
0.6
0.5
15 to 19 years
12.7
13.8
12.9
12.1
10.7
9.8
10.1
10.2
20 to 24 years
19.6
18.2
14.5
15.0
15.3
14.0
12.9
14.0
25 to 44 years
17.4
18.1
15.8
18.8
15.9
15.7
15.0
15.0
45 to 64 years
20.1
16.2
16.5
17.2
15.2
17.0
16.4
16.9
65 years and over
18.3
14.2
12.4
12.7
10.4
10.1
10.8
10.9
Source: Statistics Canada, Suicide data from Health Statistics Division.