Each month, the Canadian Deceased Registry tracks confirmed deaths across Canada. This data underpins critical functions in data hygiene, fraud prevention, regulatory compliance, and customer experience — helping organizations avoid sensitive errors and operational risk.
After January’s seasonal rebound, February mortality levels declined sharply, reaching one of the lowest monthly totals observed in recent years.
📊 February 2026 Snapshot
In February 2026, the Canadian Deceased Registry identified 16,434 confirmed deaths nationwide.
That represents:
▼ 20% decrease month-over-month (vs. January 2026: 20,432)
▼ 21% decrease year-over-year (vs. February 2025: 20,904)
February’s decline reflects a return to the lower end of seasonal mortality patterns following January’s rebound from December’s year-end low.
While month-to-month volatility is normal, the broader trend through 2025 and early 2026 continues to show mortality levels moderating relative to prior years.
Key Metrics (National)
Total deaths: 16,434
Deaths per 100K population: 40.7
Average age at death: 79.0 years
Both the mortality rate and average age at death remain aligned with long-term demographic patterns. The lower February volume reflects seasonal fluctuation rather than any structural shift in national mortality trends.
📍 Provincial Highlights
Mortality volume in February remained concentrated in Canada’s most populous provinces:
Ontario: 6,576 deaths | 41.6 per 100K | Avg age 78.9
Quebec: 4,172 deaths | 46.6 per 100K | Avg age 80.6
British Columbia: 1,243 deaths | 22.3 per 100K | Avg age 80.4
Alberta: 1,429 deaths | 30.0 per 100K | Avg age 77.7
Ontario and Quebec together accounted for roughly two-thirds of all recorded deaths nationwide, consistent with long-term population distribution.
Across most provinces, mortality declined from January, with the largest absolute decreases observed in Ontario and Quebec.
Why This Matters for Organizations
Failing to maintain databases and update for deceased events results in several serious outcomes, including:
- Inappropriate outreach damages trust and brand equity
- Billing, collections, or benefits errors create compliance exposure
- Fraud risk increases when deceased identities remain active
- Data decay accelerates silently without continuous monitoring
Organizations that rely on customer, donor, policyholder, or constituent data should:
- Continuously suppress deceased records
- Monitor databases in near real time
- Treat proof-of-life as an ongoing discipline, not a periodic task
Accuracy — not volume — is what ultimately determines risk.
About The Data
The data presented in this report was summarized by the Canadian Deceased Registry™, Canada’s only national registry of deceased Canadians. To learn more about the database, submit your inquiry using our contact web form.
Distribution of the Canadian Deceased Registry™ is managed by Cleanlist, Canada’s largest customer data company. Through Cleanlist, you can license the Canadian Deceased Registry™ database or access it to clean, validate, and enrich the data you have.
