A recent study has identified the Northwest Territories as having the highest injury rates across Canada, with Nunavut and Saskatchewan ranking second and third, respectively.
The analysis, conducted by Preszler Injury Lawyers, used data on injury-related fatalities and hospitalizations from 2013 to 2022, as well as population figures, to compare the number of injuries per 100,000 residents across Canadian provinces and territories.
Here’s the ranking of the injury-prone zones, based on injury hospitalizations and fatalities:
|
Rank |
Region |
Average annual hospitalizations and fatalities due to injury per 100,000 residents (2013-2022) |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Northwest Territories |
1,441.31 |
|
2 |
Nunavut |
1,248.36 |
|
3 |
Saskatchewan |
867.41 |
|
4 |
Alberta |
801.44 |
|
5 |
Prince Edward Island |
790.35 |
|
6 |
Manitoba |
738.66 |
|
7 |
New Brunswick |
681.25 |
|
8 |
British Columbia |
651.86 |
|
9 |
Quebec |
650.72 |
|
10 |
Nova Scotia |
597.88 |
|
11 |
Newfoundland and Labrador |
568.72 |
|
12 |
Ontario |
518.94 |
According to the findings, the Northwest Territories topped the list, with an annual average of 1,441.3 injury-related hospitalizations and fatalities per 100,000 people. The territory, which includes regions like Dehcho, North Slave, and South Slave, saw its highest rate of fatal injuries in 2019 when the average reached 101 deaths per 100,000 residents.
Nunavut followed closely behind, with 1,248.4 injury-related incidents per 100,000 people each year. As Canada’s largest territory, Nunavut reported the highest rate of fatal injuries at 67.4 annually per 100,000 people. The territory also recorded the highest number of fatal injuries among women, with an average of 45.7 per 100,000 residents.
Saskatchewan ranked third, with 867.4 injuries and fatalities per 100,000 residents annually. The province experienced a significant rise in fatal injuries in 2021, with the rate peaking at 73.8 per 100,000 people. This was nearly double the 2015 figure, which stood at 37.1.
Alberta came in fourth, averaging 801.4 injury-related incidents per 100,000 people each year. In 2022, the province reported the second-highest accidental death rate, with 53.6 fatalities per 100,000 people, just behind the Northwest Territories.
Prince Edward Island, ranking fifth, averaged 790.4 injury-related hospitalizations and fatalities per year per 100,000 residents. While it recorded the lowest number of fatal injuries annually – 30.95 per 100,000 people – the province still had a high rate of hospitalizations due to injuries, with 759.4 per 100,000 residents.
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