Life Expectancy in Alberta by Gender (1985–2023)

Over the past four decades, life expectancy in Alberta has experienced a steady climb. From 76.8 years in 1985 to 80.34 years in 2023 (for both sexes), the increase reflects advancements in health care, public health interventions, and socio-economic improvements. However, when the data is broken down by gender, a clear gap persists between males and females, with women consistently outliving men by several years.

Life Expectancy for Males in Alberta

Male life expectancy in Alberta has seen an increase from 73.72 years in 1985–1987 to 77.92 years in 2021–2023, though growth has plateaued in recent years.

Highlights:

• The most rapid gains occurred between the 1990s and 2000s
• 2020–2022 and 2021–2023 show stagnation and slight decline—possibly reflecting the long-term health impacts of COVID-19.

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Life Expectancy for Females in Alberta

Females in Alberta have consistently had higher life expectancy than males, reaching 82.91 years in 2023 from 80.18 in 1985.

Observations:

• Women’s life expectancy grew more steadily and remained above 83 years throughout the 2010s.
• Even in periods where male life expectancy stagnated or declined, females maintained resilience.

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Why the Gender Gap in Life Expectancy?

Several factors contribute:

• Health behaviors (e.g., smoking, alcohol, risk-taking are higher in males)
• Occupational hazards: Men are overrepresented in physically demanding or dangerous jobs.
• Health-seeking behavior: Studies show men often delay medical care compared to women.

Historical Life Expectancy Data in Alberta:

Year	Both genders	Males	Females
1985 to 1987	76.83	73.72	80.18
1986 to 1988	77.01	73.92	80.32
1987 to 1989	77.35	74.26	80.65
1988 to 1990	77.53	74.47	80.79
1989 to 1991	77.79	74.76	81
1990 to 1992	77.97	75.01	81.09
1991 to 1993	78.07	75.24	81.04
1992 to 1994	78.16	75.35	81.08
1993 to 1995	78.27	75.45	81.17
1994 to 1996	78.37	75.58	81.25
1995 to 1997	78.56	75.91	81.27
1996 to 1998	78.76	76.14	81.43
1997 to 1999	78.97	76.4	81.59
1998 to 2000	79.16	76.61	81.76
1999 to 2001	79.32	76.81	81.86
2000 to 2002	79.49	77.06	81.94
2001 to 2003	79.64	77.22	82.08
2002 to 2004	79.85	77.52	82.19
2003 to 2005	80	77.59	82.41
2004 to 2006	80.23	77.83	82.62
2005 to 2007	80.34	77.97	82.71
2006 to 2008	80.44	78.14	82.74
2007 to 2009	80.55	78.29	82.81
2008 to 2010	80.81	78.56	83.08
2009 to 2011	81.14	78.93	83.37
2010 to 2012	81.33	79.12	83.56
2011 to 2013	81.37	79.22	83.53
2012 to 2014	81.37	79.28	83.49
2013 to 2015	81.39	79.28	83.52
2014 to 2016	81.44	79.28	83.64
2015 to 2017	81.43	79.19	83.73
2016 to 2018	81.43	79.15	83.79
2017 to 2019	81.59	79.34	83.91
2018 to 2020	81.39	79.1	83.76
2019 to 2021	80.98	78.58	83.48
2020 to 2022	80.4	77.95	82.98
2021 to 2023	80.34	77.92	82.91

Source:

Source Name:	Statistics Canada. Table 13-10-0114-01. Life expectancy and other elements of the complete life table, three-year estimates, Canada, all provinces except Prince Edward Island
Source Link:	https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/cv.action?pid=1310011401
Release Date:	2024-12-04