Why does Canada rank 19 in life expectancy while we rank 48?

[Anonymous]

It's about access to decent healthcare for everyone in Canada. It might be a little slow, but it's there.

Meanwhile, in the US, if you don't work for the government, a Fortune 500 company, or a major university or NGO, you are usually pretty screwed when it comes to affordable access to healthcare.

So you die.

And that affects the rankings.

Pretty simple.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Obesity and chronic health issues. The rest is a rounding error. You can have all the state funded health care you want, it won’t fix the addiction to the yum yums. We have people bent out of shape when health care providers want to weigh them at health visits.

+1 and doctors will not longer tell you that you need to lose weight because that's now fat shaming.

[Anonymous]

Canada would have a higher life expectancy, but many procedures have long wait times of years because of their health care system.

This is ameliorated a little bit by Canadians able to head to Vermont or Michigan for health care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.worldometers.info/demographics/life-expectancy/

Canada is right above us and we share a language and have similar cultures. So why are they 29 points above us in terms of life expectancy?

Why is Canada 19 and Japan 2 ?

[Anonymous]

Recent immigration and body types

[Anonymous]

Canada doesn’t have Florida Man.

[Anonymous]

Guns

[Anonymous]

Universal healthcare?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Canada would have a higher life expectancy, but many procedures have long wait times of years because of their health care system.

This is ameliorated a little bit by Canadians able to head to Vermont or Michigan for health care.

Let’s compare those stats with you guys in the US.

As a Canadian, at least I can go to the hospital when I know I something is wrong with me, like a broken bone. I know my taxes go towards it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's about access to decent healthcare for everyone in Canada. It might be a little slow, but it's there.

Meanwhile, in the US, if you don't work for the government, a Fortune 500 company, or a major university or NGO, you are usually pretty screwed when it comes to affordable access to healthcare.

So you die.

And that affects the rankings.

Pretty simple.

Yes. Totally agree as a Canadian.

[Anonymous]

More space. Less poverty. Fewer people living in impoverished inner cities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Canada is particular about who it accepts to live within its borders.

And those that wish to dismiss race as a factor clearly do not understand the differences between races.

Black Americans are more likely to suffer with obesity, diabetes, and heart attacks. Inner city black men and boys are more likely to suffer from gun violence.

Canada has lots of black people from Africa and the Caribbean. I am one of them. Black people are more predisposed to obesity and diabetes, but preventive health care lengthen our lifespan.

You also mention guns. That is an American cultural thing. Black Canadians do not have guns for the most part.

Not true. Black people are not in any way predisposed to obesity. Hypertension yes. But not obesity. Are black people in North America heavier? Yes, but not because of any predisposition.

[Anonymous]

Guns

The stressful rat race culture in America

[Anonymous]

Chemicals allowed in food. Our food supply is poisoned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Before anyone blames our diversity, remember that Canada takes in about four times as many immigrants proportionately as does the US. By most recent data, 15.4% of all U.S. residents were immigrants, down from a recent historic high of 15.8%. In contrast,
in Canada, immigrants account for 22% of the population.

https://cis.org/North/Canada-Takes-Proportionately-Four-Times-Many-Legal-Immigrants-US

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/08/21/key-findings-about-us-immigrants/

And most live within 100 miles of the US border so they have room to grow. Until recently, it seemed like one of their main exports were actors, politicians, and snowbirds. .