Canadians Living Longer: Male Life Expectancy Shows Greatest Increase

If the trend pinpointed in a recent Statistics Canada report continues, Canadians in the future may spend more of their lives in retirement.

The life expectancy of a Canadian born between 2005 and 2007 is 80.7 years, more than two years longer than a baby born between 1995 and 1997. Here are other highlights from the federal report:

• Gains among life expectancy in seniors during the last decade accounted for about 70% of the increase in life expectancy at birth.
• The average life expectancy of Canadians has increased steadily since 1979.
• A baby girl born today can expect to live 83 years and a baby boy 78 years.
• By age 65, men’s life expectancy increases to 83 years and women’s increases to 86 years.
• The life expectancy of males at birth has risen by 2.9 years in the last decade, while the life expectancy of females has increased by 1.8 years.

The report confirms the graying of the Canadian population, noting that from 1982 to 2007, the proportion of Canadians aged 65 and over grew by nearly 40%.

Provincially, life expectancy at birth in British Columbia was 81.2 years in 2005-2007, highest among the provinces, followed by Ontario at 81 years. Life expectancy at birth in Quebec was at the national average.
In Alberta and the other provinces and territories, life expectancy at birth was below the national average, with the lowest in the three territories combined (75.8 years).

One thing is clear: few Canadians believe there is a specific age for retiring. Most believe that the appropriate age for retirement is a personal choice, a recent RBC poll showed.

• In developed countries, age 65 is the most common “normal” retirement age and age 60 the most common early retirement age.
• Many Western countries are considering raising the age at which citizens become eligible for full government plan benefits (in Canada, the Canada Pension Plan).
• The British government is proposing to raise the retirement age to 66 for men and 63 for women in 2016.
• Canadian pension reforms proposed by the federal government to begin in 2012 would increase the age at which full CPP benefits become available from 65 to 70.
• The Canadian proposals would also increase the ability of Canadians to work past retirement age while still collecting CPP.

--Sources, Statistics Canada, Benefits Canada, RBC

For information on APEX, MuniSERP or general pension issues, please contact Bernie Gold, Director, Pension Services by telephone at (780) 409-8125, toll free at 310-AUMA or by e-mail at bgold@auma.ca.

Thank you.

Wendy Graden
Executive Officer, HR Shared Services & Corporate

Bernie Gold
Director, Pension Services

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