Canada Life Expectancy 81.38

Posted on by in General, Opinion

Canada Life Expectancy 81.38

Yesterday Emily wrote an article looking at the countries with the highest projected life expectancy for 2011 as estimated by the CIA Fact Book. Guess what? USA didn’t even make the top 20 as the life expectancy is only 78.3. However Canada got a very good placing at number 12 on the list with a life expectancy of 81.38, not bad at all!  Still it has a lot to live up to the number two spot which went to Macau at 84.41 and Monaco way way out in front with an average of 89.73, wow!

See the article: Life Expectancy by Country 2011.

Canada Life Expectancy 81.38

Canada Life Expectancy 81.38So what gives the Canadians an extra 3 years on their neighbours? The USA is supposed to be the greatest country in the world but of course it is vast in population and wealth with some of the richest people in the world and some of the poorest. Canada has historically been pretty good when it comes to it’s economy but of course it has a hardcore group of poor many of whom are native, of course that is a a whole other can of worms and I would expect they have a much lower life expectancy when singled out.

Canada does benefit from overall good quality social medicine and although it has some downsides (like steel faced nurses and angry doctors from my Quebec experiences!) the fact that if you break your leg it won’t bankrupt you is a real boost and I would imagine critical to helping people live longer and healthier lives.

From my experiences I wouldn’t say the Canadian diet shines of health like the many parts if Europe that make the list and obesity is reasonably high with Canada making somewhere between 8-12 depending on the list of most obese countries. Of course USA is number 1 on all those lists and UK normally flies high too!

Broken down the average male lives to  78.81 years and the average female: 84.1 years and the overall population is estimated to be 34,030,589, which isn’t that big and ranks 37 in the world rankings.
It’s pretty much impossible to say exactly why Canadians live to the age they do but the country has a reasonably sound economy and pretty small population as well as good social programs and although poverty is high for a small group it’s generally good compared to other countries. The beautiful surroundings and all year round activities such as mountain biking and skiing mean that it’s a good place to keep fit and many many Canadians are brought up with exercise and sport (namely Hockey) as a part of their lives.
Maybe get rid of the burgers and poutine in Quebec and apologise to the natives and start getting them looked after better and Canada could see a jump in their life expectancy to rival Monaco! - Canada Life Expectancy 81.38

 

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12 Responses to “Canada Life Expectancy 81.38”

  1. Jackie

    05. Aug, 2011

    I suspect part of it may have to do with being pretty laid back in general too. It’s pretty common in the US for people to be stressed out a lot of the time. Stress can really take a toll.

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  2. Super Frugalette

    07. Aug, 2011

    Family members on both sides of my family have gone into the 90s. My dad is 81 and doing great.

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  3. Maggie@SquarePennies

    11. Aug, 2011

    Possibly you have less pollution though winds from the US could bring air pollution your way in some areas. I’m thinking of all the beautiful clear air I’ve experienced in Canada. Colder winters could also have an effect. People living in colder US states seem to live longer also. Germs get killed off in the winter. Being hardy enough to overcome the cold might have some benefits to people too. And yes, you seem to have less adrenaline junkes in Canada. Less poverty is a big factor I’d think.!

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  4. Judi

    11. Aug, 2011

    Stress is definitely a factor. I am just now reading an incredible book by Bruce Lipton, PhD (cellular biogolist) regarding our cells and how they work: The Biology of Belief. He explains the effects of stress on our bodies. Americans are so stressed we die because of what it causes our cells to do to our bodies. Another thing he mentions is pharmaceutical drugs and their horrible effect on us. More people die, according to him, from complications of prescription drugs than any other single cause. Meditate and don’t take medicine. We will live longer.

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  5. karen ho fatt

    11. Aug, 2011

    Less stress perhaps?

    We Canadians certainly do not have war zones here as you do in the United States, areas where you dare not step foot in.

    Our health care system takes care of most costs as well- less to pay through the ying yang!

    Monaco is a very wealthy nation albeit tiny but I guess teh rich have less to worry about .

    So one can conclude less conflict less worry =less stress and happier folks overall?

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    • Forest

      12. Aug, 2011

      I’m very sure stress is a major factor Karen.

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  6. Forest

    12. Aug, 2011

    Definitely subscribe to these theories myself…. I try and stay away from prescription drugs and stress as well as processed foods.

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  7. Bill Peters

    18. Dec, 2011

    Dear Frugalzeitgeist,
    Interesting Thoughts, By how many percent is the life expectancy of people in the US lower than the life expectancy in Canda?
    Catch you again soon!

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    • Forest

      28. Dec, 2011

      Hey Bill, i’m not exactly sure but I bet it’s noticeable. I should research it.

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