Leading causes of death in Canada 2000-2004

"Cancer and heart disease, the two leading causes of death for Canadians, were responsible for just over one-half (52.4%) of all deaths in 2004. However, the leading causes of death varied widely by age group. Of 226,584 deaths in 2004, cancer accounted for 29.5% and heart disease, 22.9%. The proportion for cancer was up slightly from 2000, while the proportion for heart disease declined. Stroke, the third leading cause, was responsible for 6.5%. These were followed in order by chronic lower respiratory diseases, unintentional injuries (accidents), diabetes, influenza and pneumonia, Alzheimer's disease, suicide and kidney disease. Among young adults, however, it was a different story. In the age groups 15 to 24 and 25 to 34, unintentional injuries (accidents) were by far the leading cause of death, followed by suicide. Cancer placed third for both groups. The relative burden of cancer and heart disease also had different patterns across age groups. They did not become the top two leading causes until the age group 45 to 54. The relative burden of cancer reached its highest level for individuals aged 55 to 64, when it accounted for almost half (47.7%) of all deaths. The proportion of deaths due to cancer declined for those aged 65 to 74 (43.3%), then fell sharply to 14.5% for those aged 85 and older. In contrast, the relative burden of heart disease increased steadily as the population aged. It surpassed the relative burden of cancer deaths at the age of 85 and older" - Statistics Canada