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Analysis

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Annual number of deaths

In 2006, a total of 228,079 deaths were registered in Canada. From 2005 to 2006, the number of deaths was down 0.9%, the largest decrease since 1981.

Both male and female deaths decreased during this period. However, the decline in the number of female deaths was more pronounced than that of males: 1.0% versus 0.7%. Consequently, the male-female gap increased slightly from 1,880 deaths in 2005 to 2,219 in 2006.

Trends in deaths

From 1981 to 2006, the annual number of deaths rose 33% from 171,029 to 228,079. In this 25-year time span, the annual number of deaths recorded an overall upward trend with the exception of 2000 and 2006 (Chart 1).

The upward trend of male deaths was less pronounced than that of female deaths. However, male deaths experienced five years (1983, 1990, 2000, 2004 and 2006) of downturn during this period and the largest decline was in 2000. Meanwhile, the continual increase in female deaths since 1981 turned to downwards for the first time in 2006.

Mortality rates

Crude death rates

In 2006, Canada’s crude death rate was 7.0 per 1,000 population, down 1.4% from 2005. This result is due to the combined effect of a decline in deaths and an increase in Canada’s population between 2005 and 2006.

From 1981 to 2006, male crude death rates were persistently higher than female rates. Nevertheless, the male-female gap in the crude death rates has narrowed during the past 25 years.

In 1981, male crude death rate was 8.0 deaths per 1,000 population, 1.4 times higher than that of female crude rate (5.9 deaths per 1,000 population). By 2006, the male crude death rate declined to 7.1 deaths per 1,000 population, while the female crude rate increased to 6.9 deaths per 1,000 population, narrowing the gap between the sexes.

In 2006, crude death rates ranged from a low of 4.2 per 1,000 population in Nunavut to a high of 9.2 per 1,000 population in Saskatchewan. Crude death rates were below the national level in Ontario (6.7), Alberta (5.8), Yukon (5.7), Northwest Territories (4.3), and Nunavut (4.2). Rates in the remaining provinces exceeded the national level.

From 2005 to 2006, crude death rates increased in six regions: Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan and in the three territories. The largest rise in crude rates was in the Northwest Territories (Table 1).

During this period, the crude death rates remained the same in British Columbia, but declined in all other provinces. The largest decline was in Quebec.

Age-specific mortality rates

Two factors can contribute to the decrease in the number of deaths: a decrease in the population at risk of dying and/or a downturn in mortality rates.

By applying 2005 age-specific mortality rates to the 2006 population, it is possible to assess the extent to which the change in the number of deaths in 2006 was due to changes in population size versus changes in mortality rates (Table 2).

Had age-specific mortality rates remained the same between 2005 and 2006, the number of deaths in 2006 would have been 237,762. However, the actual number of deaths registered in 2006 was lower at 228,079. Thus, the difference between the actual and the expected number of deaths (-9,683) could be attributed to the decrease in mortality rates.

In 2006, there was no increase in age-specific mortality rates. Young age groups (ages 1 to 14) experienced lowest age-specific mortality rates and also the lowest changes in mortality rates.

As population ages their mortality rates also increases. The largest reduction in mortality rates was observed in those aged less than one year and those aged 65 and plus.

Between 2005 and 2006, the largest relative decline was among those aged 10 to 14 (10.8%), followed by those aged 30 to 34 (8.4%) and infants less than one year old (8.3%).

Therefore, the outcome of 9,683 fewer deaths than expected (in 2006) could be attributable to the overall decline in age-specific mortality rates.

Infant deaths and mortality

The number of infant deaths (under one year of age) decreased 4.9% from 1,863 in 2005 to 1,771 in 2006. The number of male infant deaths dropped 4.6% from 1,030 to 983, while for females it decreased by 5.4% from 833 to 788.

Infant mortality rate

The infant mortality rate decreased 7.4% from 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2005 to 5.0 in 2006. The male infant mortality rate decreased from 5.9 to 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births, while for females it decreased from 5.0 to 4.6 deaths per 1,000 live births.

From 2005 to 2006, four regions, Quebec, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut recorded increases in their infant mortality rate; the largest increase was in Yukon.

During this period, infant mortality rate remained the same for Nova Scotia, but declined in all other provinces. The largest decrease was in Saskatchewan.

Between 2005 and 2006, the decline of male infant mortality rate in Canada was due to decreases observed in eight out of ten Canadian provinces. In contrast, the reduction of the female infant mortality rate was due to a decline in the rates of six provinces and one territory.

Neonatal, post-neonatal and perinatal mortality

Infant mortality can be subdivided into neonatal mortality (deaths of infants aged 0 to 27 days) and post-neonatal mortality (deaths of infants aged 28 to 364 days). Perinatal mortality refers to stillbirths with 28 or more weeks’ gestation and early neonatal deaths (deaths of infants aged 0 to 6 days).

From 2005 and 2006, Canada’s neonatal mortality rate decreased almost 10% from 4.1 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2005 to 3.7 in 2006. In contrast, post-neonatal rates remained at 1.3 deaths per 1,000 live births since 2003. As a result, the reduction in the infant mortality rate was mainly due to the decline in the neonatal mortality rate (Table 4).

The perinatal mortality rate decreased from 6.3 to 6.1 deaths per 1,000 total births (live births plus stillbirths of 28 or more weeks of gestation).

Trends in infant mortality

From 1991 to 2006, the infant mortality rate fell from 6.4 to 5.0 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Over the 15-year period, the neonatal mortality rate declined from 4.1 to 3.7 deaths per 1,000 live births, while the post-neonatal mortality rate fell from 2.3 to 1.3 deaths per 1,000 live births. The perinatal mortality rate also declined from 6.8 in 1991 to 6.1 deaths per 1,000 total births in 2006 (Table 4).

The infant mortality and neonatal mortality rates fell from 1991 to 1992 and increased slightly until 1994. From 1995 to 1998, the infant mortality rate declined and had since fluctuated around 5.3 or 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births until 2005. By contrast, since 2001, neonatal mortality rates increased steadily from a low of 3.6 to the level of 4.1 per 1,000 live births until 2005. In 2006, both rates declined.

The post-neonatal mortality rate declined from 1991 to 2003 and remained at 1.3 deaths per 1,000 live births since 2003.

From 1991 to 1992, perinatal mortality rates increased from 6.8 to 7.1 deaths per 1,000 total births. Since 1994, perinatal mortality rate experienced a downward trend until year 2000. Between 2001 and 2005, the perinatal rate remained stable around 6.3 deaths per 1,000 total births and then declined in 2006 to 6.1.

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 had a decreasing trend since 1992, but changed to an upward trend since 2004. The number of early neonatal deaths declined from 1991 to 2000, but rose from 2000 to 2005 and then turned downwards in 2006.

Life expectancy

Life expectancy is the average number of years of life remaining—at birth or at another age—based on age-specific mortality rates calculated using a 3-year average (Table 5).

In 2006, life expectancy at birth was 80.8 years, an increase of 0.4 year from 2005. From 2005 to 2006, the male life expectancy at birth gained 0.4 year from 78.0 to 78.4 years, while the female’s gained 0.3 year, from 82.7 to 83.0 years (Table 5).

Life expectancy at age 65 was 19.9 years in 2006: 18.2 years for males and 21.4 years for females. Between 2005 and 2006, the gain in life expectancy at age 65 (0.3 year) was the same for males, females or both sexes combined.

Life expectancy from 2001 to 2006

From 2001 to 2006, life expectancy in Canada increased steadily while the gender gap continued to narrow.

From 2001 to 2006, life expectancy at birth rose by 1.2 years, from 79.6 to 80.8 years (Table 5). Life expectancy for men improved by 1.4 years, whereas life expectancy for women advanced by 0.9. As a result, the gender gap narrowed by 0.5 year from 5.1 years in 2001 to 4.6 years in 2006.

Between 2001 and 2006, the life expectancy at age 65 rose by 0.9 year. Male’s increase surpassed that of females (1.1 versus 0.8 years) and the male-female gap in life expectancy at age 65 reduced from 3.5 in 2001 to 3.2 years in 2006.

Geographic differences in life expectancy at birth

In 2006, life expectancy at birth in three large provinces exceeded the national average of 80.8 years. British Columbia led with 81.4 years, followed by Ontario (81.1 years) and Quebec (80.9 years) (Table 6). In the other provinces and in the territories, life expectancy at birth was below the Canadian figure. The lowest life expectancy was in the three territories (75.7 years).

Ontario had the narrowest gender gap (4.3 years) in life expectancy at birth while the three territories had the widest (5.8 years). Except Ontario and British Columbia, all other provinces and the territories had higher male-female gap than the national average.

Geographic differences in life expectancy at age 65

In 2006, British Columbia had the highest life expectancy at age 65: 20.5 years. Quebec, Ontario and Alberta had the same life expectancy at 20.0 years. Life expectancy at age 65 in the other provinces and the territories was below the national level (19.9 years). The lowest life expectancy at age 65 was in the three territories: 16.8 years.

In three provinces, the gender gap in life expectancy at age 65 was less than the national level of 3.2 years: British Columbia (2.7 years), Ontario (2.9 years) and New Brunswick (3.1 years). The widest gap was in the three territories (3.9 years).

International comparisons

Infant mortality

Among 15 selected low mortality countries for which 2006 infant mortality rates were available, Canada ranked 13th with 5.0 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, the same rate as United Kingdom and just above United States (6.7 infant deaths per 1,000 live births).

Iceland had the lowest rate at 2.4 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, followed by Japan, Sweden and Finland.

Life expectancy at birth

Compared with 15 countries with high life expectancy at birth and for which 2006 data were available, Canada ranked 6th for males and 5th for females.

Iceland had the highest male life expectancy (79.4 years), followed by Switzerland and Japan.

Japan led with the highest female life expectancy, followed by France and Switzerland.