Leading Causes of Death

Organic dementia and Alzheimer's have been rising steadily as Alberta's population ages. This has direct implications for healthcare infrastructure demand and long-term care facility investment.

Accidental poisoning (which includes opioid overdoses) surged dramatically after 2015, reflecting the fentanyl crisis that hit Alberta particularly hard. This affects working-age populations and has measurable economic impacts on labour supply.

These are raw counts, not age-standardized rates. Population growth alone will increase total deaths even if per-capita mortality is declining. For comparing across years, rates are more meaningful than counts — but counts show the absolute healthcare system burden.