Deaths linked to pneumonia rose sharply in 2024, increasing by 20 per cent from the previous year and pushing the respiratory illness to become Canada’s sixth-leading cause of death, according to new data from Statistics Canada.
The report, released Tuesday, shows pneumonia climbing from eighth place in 2023 to sixth in 2024. Seniors were disproportionately affected, with more than half of deaths among people aged 85 and older attributed to influenza and pneumonia combined.
Despite the year-over-year rise, pneumonia-related deaths in 2024—just over 7,000—remained well below the peak recorded in 2018, when fatalities exceeded 8,500. After adjusting for population growth and aging, Statistics Canada found the impact of pneumonia was more severe in 2017 and 2018 than in 2024.
The agency also noted that deaths from influenza and pneumonia fell significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, likely due to public-health measures such as social distancing. Another factor cited was “mortality displacement,” suggesting that people most vulnerable to respiratory illnesses may have died earlier from COVID-19.
“Typically, deaths attributed to pneumonia are five times higher than deaths attributed to influenza,” the report stated.
COVID-19 deaths continued to decline in 2024, dropping nearly 37 per cent from the previous year. The virus fell to ninth place among leading causes of death after ranking sixth in 2023. Older Canadians remained the most vulnerable, with those aged 85 and over accounting for more than half of COVID-related fatalities.
The data also showed a four-per-cent increase in deaths linked to dementia in 2024. While dementia is not formally ranked, Statistics Canada noted it would place third among leading causes of death if included—behind cancer and heart disease and ahead of accidents.
Separate Statistics Canada data from 2023 highlighted ongoing gender differences in health outcomes. Canadian women continued to live longer than men but spent fewer years in good health—81 per cent of their lifespan, compared with 83 per cent for men.
Overall life expectancy in Canada rose for a second straight year in 2024, reaching 82.16 years at birth, up from 81.68 in 2023 and nearing pre-pandemic levels. The increase was larger among men than women, with notable gains reported in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.