The cost of injury in Canada

Understanding the magnitude and scope of the financial costs associated with injuries is an essential element to injury prevention. Parachute (which unites the former organizations of Safe Communities Canada, Safe Kids Canada, SMARTRISK and ThinkFirst Canada) has released a new report, The Cost of Injury in Canada, which fulfills this need. This report looked at unintentional and intentional injuries in 2010, and estimated the total costs to Canadians were $26.8 billion. Detailed costs for Canada, as well as by province, are presented. The Public Health Agency of Canada is pleased to have been involved in this important project.

Summary of Main Findings

This report estimates the total economic burden of injury in Canada at $26.8 billion in 2010. This estimate included direct costs of $15.9 billion arising from health care expenditures and indirect costs of $10.9 billion associated with reduced productivity from hospitalization, disability and premature death.

This report provides an update to the 2009 SMARTRISK report "The Economic Burden of Injury in Canada". In 2004, costs of unintentional injuries were estimated at $16.0 billion, intentional injuries at $3.3 billion, and injuries of undetermined intent at $0.46 billion.

The following table summarizes the total, direct, and indirect costs of injury in Canada by leading causes for 2010. The table is reproduced here with permission from Parachute.

Cause Direct costs
($ Millions)
Indirect costs
($ Millions)
Total costs
($ Millions)
Transport Incidents $2,145 $2,144 $4,289
Falls $6,652 $2,029 $8,680
Drowning $13 $175 $187
Fire/Burns $177 $188 $366
Unintentional Poisoning $396 $868 $1,264
Struck by/against Sports Equipment $97 $90 $187
Other Unintentional Injuries $4,861 $2,265 $7,127
Suicide/Self-Harm $829 $2,127 $2,956
Violence $541 $602 $1,142
Undetermined Intent/Other $179 $419 $598
Total $15,890 $10,906 $26,796

For more detailed information please review The Cost of Injury in Canada full report on the Parachute website.

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