Health-adjusted life expectancy in Canada shows lower HALE at birth and stable HALE at age 65

New estimates for 2019, 2020 and 2023 show HALE at birth fell to 66.9 years in 2023, about two years lower than in 2019 and 2020, while HALE at age 65 remained near 15.3 years. The decline at birth reverses gains seen after 2000 and varies by sex, income and province.

New estimates of health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE) are available for 2019, 2020 and 2023. In 2023, HALE at birth was 66.9 years, about two years lower than in 2019 and 2020, while HALE at age 65 was 15.3 years and remained relatively stable. HALE increased through the early 2000s and reached a peak of 70.4 years at birth in 2010–2012. By 2023, HALE at birth had declined 3.5 years from that peak, reversing more than a decade of gains. Key data points: - In 2023, HALE at birth for Canada was 66.9 years and HALE at age 65 was 15.3 years. - Females in 2023 had a life expectancy at birth of 84.0 years and a HALE of 67.7 years; males had a life expectancy of 79.6 years and a HALE of 66.4 years. - From 2019 to 2023, HALE at birth declined by about 1.9 years for females and 1.7 years for males. - HALE at birth in 2023 ranged by income from 61.9 years in the lowest quintile to 70.0 years in the highest, an 8.1-year gap similar to 2019 and 2020. - Provincial variation in 2023 included Quebec with the highest HALE at birth (70.4 years) and Newfoundland and Labrador with one of the lowest (63.0 years); New Brunswick showed the largest decline in HALE at birth from 2020 to 2023 (-4.1 years). - International context noted by the World Health Organization reported global declines in healthy life expectancy during and after the pandemic, which aligns with some national patterns. Summary: The 2023 estimates show a notable reduction in HALE at birth that erases more than a decade of earlier improvements, while HALE at age 65 has stayed near pre-pandemic levels. Differences by sex, income and province persist, and the report notes the need for continued analysis and more complete territory data to better understand drivers of these trends. Undetermined at this time.