Cancer remained the leading cause of death in 2024, accounting for 26.2% of all deaths in Canada, leading among both men and women in all provinces and territories, according to Statistics Canada.
Cancer has been the leading cause of death in Canada since the early 1990s, when it overtook heart disease. The other top causes of death in 2024 were heart disease (17.7%), accidents (6.2%), stroke (4.2%), chronic lower respiratory disease (4%), influenza and pneumonia (2.3%), diabetes (2.1%), Alzheimer’s disease (1.6%), Covid-19 (1.5%) and liver disease (1.4%).
Overall, there were 326,779 deaths in Canada in 2024, down 0.2% compared with 2023. Mortality rates decreased for all age groups in 2024 in comparison with 2023 and, in general, for both males and females. With few exceptions, 2024 is the second straight year of improvement across age groups and sexes, after mortality rates reached recent peaks in 2021 and 2022 during the Covid pandemic.
At the same time, more Canadians were screened for colorectal and breast cancer cancer in 2024, compared to 2017. In recent years, two of the big three insurers have extended life insurance coverage to cancer survivors. They can apply to all lines of life insurance products with Manulife and Sun Life, and may receive standard ratings depending on factors such as cancer type and stability period.
Deaths due to dementia rose 4.8% to 27,825 in 2024, compared to 2023. Although Statistics Canada doesn’t rank this cause of death, it would place third between heart disease and accidents if it were included.
The number of dementia deaths has grown steadily each year since 2000, largely due to our aging population. In 2024, 71% of the deaths due to dementia involved Canadians 85 years and older. Due to women’s longer life expectancy and other biological factors, women are at a greater risk of developing dementia and accounted for almost 63% of dementia deaths in Canada in 2024.
As Canadians age, more advisors will face clients with early signs of dementia. Experts recommend approaching clients with dementia with sensitivity, advising them to set up a power of attorney (POA) with the right lawyer, watching for signs of financial abuse and proactive planning before clients turn 50.
Despite these health risks, life expectancy continued to recover for a second consecutive year in 2024, reaching 82.2 years and nearly on par with 2019 pre-pandemic levels. Life expectancy increased most significantly in Saskatchewan (+0.68 years), Alberta (+0.82 years) and B.C. (+0.62 years). In fact, life expectancy for women in B.C. in 2024 (85.07 years) surpassed 2019 (84.96 years).
As the population ages, Canada Pension Plan (CPP) strategy becomes an increasingly important part of retirement planning. Last year, Dr. Bonnie-Jeanne MacDonald proposed the CPP money-back guarantee to address the reason many Canadians choose to take the benefit early, reducing the inflation-adjusted monthly payment they receive. Should a beneficiary delay benefits and die before receiving what they would have received had they claimed at age 60, their estate or survivor would be paid the difference to break even, under the proposal.
