Health Reports, August 2025

Released: 2025-08-20

Life expectancy higher in more populated municipalities

Life expectancy (LE) and health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE) are important indicators of population health. In Canada, data measuring LE and HALE are most commonly available at the national, provincial and regional levels, but have been produced less frequently for smaller geographical areas. In the article entitled "Estimating municipal life expectancy and health-adjusted life expectancy in Canada, 2019 and 2020," released today, Statistics Canada researchers developed the first set of LE and HALE estimates for municipalities in Canada.

Across all municipalities, the median LE at birth was 84.1 years for females and 79.6 years for males. The median HALE at birth was 70.8 years for females and 68.3 years for males. The LE and HALE disparities between municipalities—measured at the 5th and 95th percentiles—was approximately 12.5 years (LE) and 13.0 years (HALE) for females and 13.9 years (LE and HALE) for males.

In general, female and male LE and HALE were higher in municipalities with larger population sizes, larger proportions of people aged 25 to 64 years with post-secondary education or higher average family incomes.

The modelled LE and HALE estimates were validated using previously published data and alternative statistical approaches. Municipal-level measures of LE and HALE are important for governments, public health agencies and researchers who are interested in public health planning and want to understand how and why population health varies across local contexts.

Before the Canadian Dental Care Plan was available, nearly half of people who were targeted by the plan avoided visiting an oral health professional because of the cost

Many people in Canada face financial barriers to accessing oral health care. Because oral health services in Canada are often paid for through a mix of private and public insurance plans or out-of-pocket payments, a significant portion of the population must cover dental expenses themselves.

A new study, entitled "Characteristics of cost-related avoidance of oral health services among people in Canada eligible for the Canadian Dental Care Plan," used nationally representative data from the 2023/2024 Canadian Oral Health Survey to identify individuals aged 12 years and older who may have qualified for the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) based on their income and insurance status. The study found that, from November 2023 to March 2024, before the CDCP was available to help people pay for care, 47% of people who may have been eligible for the CDCP avoided visits to an oral health professional. Further, 38% of people who may have qualified for the CDCP avoided recommended dental care in the past year because of the cost.

Avoiding dental visits was most common among middle-aged adults (67%), young adults (60%), individuals with an adjusted family net income of less than $12,300 (57%) and uninsured individuals (50%) (compared with those with public insurance). Similar trends were observed for avoiding recommended care, with 56% of middle-aged adults, 44% of young adults, 42% of individuals with an adjusted family net income of less than $12,300 and 40% of uninsured individuals doing so. Also, people who reported having mouth problems often or sometimes were nearly five times more likely to avoid visits to an oral health professional because of the cost compared with those who did not report having mouth problems.

The findings suggest that whether CDCP-eligible individuals use oral health services is influenced by their income and ability to pay rather than their need for treatment. Consequently, many of these people are at risk for unmet oral health care. Establishing estimates of cost-related avoidance before the CDCP was established is important for assessing financial barriers to dental care and supporting future program monitoring.

Products

The articles "Estimating municipal life expectancy and health-adjusted life expectancy in Canada, 2019 and 2020," and "Characteristics of cost-related avoidance of oral health services among people in Canada eligible for the Canadian Dental Care Plan" are now available in the August 2025 online issue of Health Reports, Vol. 36, No. 08 (Catalogue number82-003-X).

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).