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Highlights

Annual number of deaths

1. In 2005, a total of 230,132 deaths were registered in Canada, 3,548 (1.6%) more than in 2004. A slight majority of these deaths (50.4%) were to males.
2. Between 2004 and 2005, the number of deaths among females increased faster than the number among males: 1.8% versus 1.3%. Consequently, the male-female gap in the number of deaths dropped from 2,442 deaths in 2004 to 1,880 in 2005.
3. From 1990 to 2005, the annual number of deaths rose 20% from 191,973 to 230,132. The number of deaths among females increased twice as quickly as the number among males: 30% and 12%, respectively.

Mortality rates

1. From 2004 to 2005, Canada’s crude death rate remained at 7.1 per 1,000 population.
2. In 2005, crude death rates ranged from a low of 3.5 per 1,000 population in the Northwest Territories to a high of 8.9 per 1,000 population in Saskatchewan.
3. Newfoundland and Labrador had the largest rise in crude death rates (0.4) and Prince Edward Island (-0.8) registered the sharpest decline.
4. Between 2004 and 2005, age-specific mortality rates had an overall decline in older age groups (50 or older), counterbalancing rising rates at younger ages.

Mean age at death

1. In 2005, 74.2 years was the mean age at death ¹  of population in Canada. The mean age at death of males (71.1 years) was 6.3 years less than that of females (77.4 years).
2. Over the past 15 years, the mean age at death for both sexes has risen steadily, increasing by 3.5 years for males, and by 3.2 years for females.
3. Mean age at death, in 2005, varied among provinces and territories, with the lowest in Nunavut (47.8) and the highest in Prince Edward Island (75.6). In most province and territories, the mean age at death was younger for males than for females.

Infant mortality

1. The infant mortality rate rose slightly from 5.3 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2004 to 5.4 in 2005. The male infant mortality rate increased from 5.5 to 5.9 deaths per 1,000 live births, while the female rate remained at 5.0 deaths per 1,000 live births.
2. From 2004 to 2005, the overall increase in the male infant mortality rate in Canada was mainly due to increases in Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, which counterbalanced declines in the other five provinces and two territories.
3. From 1990 to 2005, the infant mortality rate fell 20% from 6.8 to 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Neonatal, post-neonatal and perinatal mortality

1. Canada’s neonatal mortality rate rose slightly from 4.0 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2004 to 4.1 in 2005. The post-neonatal rate remained at 1.3 deaths per 1,000 live births in both years. The perinatal mortality rate increased from 6.2 to 6.3 deaths per 1,000 total births (live births and stillbirths).
2. From 1990 to 2005, the neonatal mortality rate declined 11% from 4.6 to 4.1 deaths per 1,000 live births, while the post-neonatal mortality rate fell by 41% from 2.2 to 1.3 deaths per 1,000 live births. At the same time, the perinatal mortality rate declined 17% from 7.6 to 6.3 deaths per 1,000 total births.
3. Trends in the two components of perinatal deaths—early neonatal and late fetal deaths—differed in the last fifteen years. The number of late fetal deaths generally decreased. The number of early neonatal deaths declined from 1990 to 2000, but has risen since 2000.

Life expectancy

1. In 2005, life expectancy at birth was 80.4 years: 78.0 years for males and 82.7 years for females. Life expectancy at age 65 was 19.6 years: 17.9 years for males and 21.1 years for females.
2. From 2000 to 2005, life expectancy at birth rose by 1.1 years, from 79.3 to 80.4 years. For males, the increase was 1.4 years, compared with 0.8 years for females. As a result, the male-female gap in life expectancy at birth narrowed by 0.6 year from 5.3 years in 2000 to 4.7 years in 2005.
3. In 2005, life expectancy at birth in two large provinces exceeded the national average of 80.4 years. British Columbia led with 81.2 years, followed by Ontario (80.7 years).

International comparisons

1. Among 15 selected-low mortality countries for which 2005 infant mortality rates are available, Canada ranked 14^th (5.4), just above United States (6.9).
2. Compared with 15 countries with high life expectancy at birth and for which 2005 data are available, Canada ranked 6^th for males and 7^th for females.