Canada’s health report: life expectancy up, good years down

Canadians are living nearly as long as they did before the pandemic, but fewer of those years are being lived in good health. That is one of the main findings of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) new annual report from the Chief Public Health Officer, released in late October.

The report, titled The State of Public Health in Canada 2026, was released by Dr. Joss Reimer, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer. It examines seven trends in national population health: life expectancy and years in good health, mental health, toxic drug harms, sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections, measles, cancer and wildfires. In a statement on Oct. 28, the Chief Public Health Officer said “public health gains cannot be taken for granted” and that some groups continue to have worse health outcomes than others.

Living longer, but not as many healthy years

Between 2019 and 2022, life expectancy in Canada dropped from 82.2 years to 81.1 years. The report calls that the largest decrease ever recorded in the country. It then recovered, reaching 82.1 years in 2024, nearly back to pre-pandemic levels.

Years lived in good health tell a different story. In 2023, a person in Canada could expect to spend an average of 66.9 years in good health. That is nearly two years lower than in 2019 and more than three years below the peak reached in the early 2010s.

The report also shows gaps between groups. In 2023, people living in the lowest-income neighbourhoods lived five years less, on average, than those in the highest-income neighbourhoods. They could also expect eight fewer years in good health. For Indigenous people, the report cites life expectancy gaps for 2016 to 2021 compared with the non-Indigenous population: 13.6 years lower for First Nations people living on reserve, 9.0 years lower for First Nations people living off reserve, 13.1 years lower for Inuit and 4.5 years lower for Métis. The statement points to income, housing, systemic racism and colonialism as drivers of these differences.

Mental health, especially among younger people

The share of adults describing their mental health as very good or excellent fell from 72 per cent in 2015 to 59 per cent in 2021. Among youth aged 12 to 17, it fell from 78 per cent to 62 per cent over the same period. The report adds that declines in high perceived mental health did not appear to continue from 2023 to 2024.

Younger adults showed the biggest shifts. The report says 72.5 per cent of adults aged 18 to 34 reported high perceived mental health in 2015, compared with 47.4 per cent in 2024. Among adults 65 and older, the figure moved from 70.5 per cent to 62.9 per cent. The report says concerning trends among younger people have important implications for both current and future health.

If you or someone you know is struggling, the Government of Canada runs the 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline, available by call or text at any hour.

Toxic drug deaths down, but still high

The report notes a 17 per cent decrease in apparent opioid toxicity deaths between 2023 and 2024, and a further 23 per cent decrease from 2024 to 2025. Even so, 2025 deaths remain higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019 and almost twice as high as at the beginning of the crisis in 2016. It also notes that several public health authorities issued drug alerts in early 2026 about new contaminants in the drug supply.

Syphilis has risen sharply

On sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections, the report says infectious syphilis has risen substantially, with more than a four-fold increase in rates between 2014 and 2023. Congenital syphilis, which is passed from a pregnant person to a baby, rose more than three-fold between 2018 and 2023. The rate of reported cases declined in 2023.

What the Chief Public Health Officer says comes next

The statement names three priority areas: supporting the health and well-being of younger populations, strengthening prevention and preparedness for current and emerging public health challenges, and building public health knowledge, trust and leadership. The report does not set out a formal list of recommendations.

The statement also notes that new cases of some cancers are rising and warrant further monitoring. PHAC has a Health of People in Canada dashboard with over 50 indicators, and a Health Inequalities Data Tool, for readers who want to look up the data themselves.

This report describes national trends, not individual risk. For most readers, the practical takeaways are familiar ones: keep routine vaccines and screenings up to date, check on friends and family who may be struggling, and know where local mental health and harm-reduction services are.

Sources: Statement from the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada on the Report on the State of Public Health in Canada 2026 (PHAC); The State of Public Health in Canada 2026: Chief Public Health Officer of Canada’s Report (PHAC).

This article is based on official guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada and is provided for general public information. It’s not a substitute for medical advice, if you have questions about how this applies to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

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