This Study Ranks The Healthiest Provinces And Territories In Canada And Shockingly, British Columbia Is NOT First Place

    The granola British Columbians are NOT gonna be happy about this...

    Ivana Peloza
    by Ivana Peloza

    BuzzFeed Staff

    In a world that's dominated by the latest wellness trends and must-have skincare products, have you ever wondered just how healthy you actually are? And I'm talking to Canada as a whole a$$ country.

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    WELL, guess what!? Canadian health experts at Lighthouse Dental Centre conducted a study to compare Canadian provinces and territories when it comes to public health and aren't you immediately desperate to find out? 

    This study assessed the Canadian health landscape across all 13 provinces and territories to calculate a score ranging from 40 to 85. The comprehensive health scores were ranked using data from Government of Canada statistics, and take into account things like emission rates, stress levels and the percentage of residents with a healthcare provider. So without further ado....

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    1. Yukon in first place with a final health score of 85.

    Drone shot of Yukon city with mountains in distance.
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    Yukon has the lowest amount of emissions per square km at just 0.15 tonnes. The population is moderately stressed, with 16.5% reporting stress. Although obesity rates are high at 31.9% as well as 20.7% of population with heavy drinking levels, percentages for chronic conditions like diabetes, COPD, and high blood pressure are relatively low. Notably, it has the lowest daily smoker percentage at 10.5%. 

    2. Nunavut with a final health score of 84.8.

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    Nunavut has very low emissions at 0.03 tonnes per square km and a slightly lower perceived stress percentage at 15.4%. Obesity rates are high at 33.1% but new cancer cases are much lower than other areas at 178.8 per 100,000 people. Smoking, however, is a significant issue, with 46.8% of the population being daily smokers. Unlike Yukon, which scored 83% for population with a regular healthcare provider, that percentage comes in at only 23.6% for Nunavut.

    3. British Columbia with a final health score of 75.5.

    Harbourfront town with mountains in the distance.
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    British Columbia has a lot of hiking and a LOT of açai bowl shops BUT, it also has moderate emissions per square km at 1.17 tonnes. Around 20.6% of its population reports being stressed but it comes in with one of the lowest obesity rates at 22.9%. It also has a high cancer rate at 513 cases per 100,000 people but still ranks significantly above the rest of the provinces.  

    4. Alberta with a final health score of 71.5.

    road in Alberta leads to Mountain in distance covered in hazey smoke.
    Lance King / Getty Images

    A key finding from this report is that Alberta has a SIGNIFICANTLY higher emission rate than other regions at 14.15 tonnes per square km, indicating significant environmental stress in the province. About 20.1% of the population perceives themselves as stressed, and 29.5% are obese. The cancer rate is 425.4 per 100,000 people.

    5. Ontario with a final health score of 67.4.

    Toronto skyline across the lake.
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    Alright tough blow to rank lower than Alberta but we're STILL above Québec and THAT'S all that matters to me. Ontario has emissions of 2.7 tonnes per square km and high levels of perceived stress at 20.9%. Most notably, however, Ontario has the highest percentage of people with a regular healthcare provider at 90.6% suggesting its improved healthcare accessibility. 

    6. Manitoba with a final health score of 66.

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    Right in the middle, Manitoba doesn't boast the best or worst of any health indicators. With an emission rate of 3.14 tonnes per square km, 20% of the population is stressed, and the obesity rate is 32.6%. It has a relatively high rate of new cancer cases at 497.9 per 100,000. 

    7. Québec with a final health score of 65.4.

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    Quebec has the highest percentage of perceived stress at 22.7% and the highest rate of new cancer cases at 667.4 per 100,000, potentially indicating a need for increased healthcare services in mental health and cancer prevention. The emission rates, however, are very low at 0.94 tonnes per square km. 

    8. Saskatchewan with a final health score of 64.8.

    Saskatchewan forests and city skyline covered in haze.
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    Saskatchewan, along with Alberta, has a significant environmental impact on the province with 13.77 tonnes per square km in emissions. The obesity rate is also high at 35.3%, and it has 464.6 new cancer cases per 100,000 people. 

    9. Northwest Territories with a final health score of 63.5.

    Northern Lights over Yellowknife, NWT.
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    The lowest ranking territory, the Northwest Territories has low emissions at 0.05 tonnes per square km but the highest obesity rate at 37.1%. Lifestyle choices like daily smoking and heavy drinking are also significant contributors to their score. 

    10. Prince Edward Island with a final health rate of 52.4.

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    PEI might be the tiniest province but it has an impressively high emission rate of 8.78 tonnes per square km. It has an obesity rate of 36.2% and a high cancer rate of 610.6 per 100,000 people. 

    11. Newfoundland & Labrador with a final health rate of 51.3.

    City overlooking St. John's Harbour with fog coming in.
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    And this BIG province, on the other hand, has low emissions at 0.54 tonnes per square km. Unfortunately, it has the highest obesity rate at 40.9%. The cancer rate is also high at 639.7 per 100,000 people. 

    12. New Brunswick with a final health score of 44.7.

    Bridge in New Brunswick over a bay of water.
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    New Brunswick comes in just shy of last place with an emission rate of 2.33 tonnes per square km and a high obesity rate of 37.4%. The province has a high cancer rate at 633.5 per 100,000 people. 

    13. Nova Scotia with a final health score 40.

    Lighthouse in Nova Scotia looks over ocean.
    Wolfgang Kaehler / LightRocket / Getty Images

    Nova Scotia reports the highest percentage of mood disorders, which contributes heavily to their lowest ranking health score. With a relatively high emission rate of 4.4 tonnes per square km as well, the province has an obesity rate of 34.7% and the highest cancer rate at 676.7 per 100,000 people. It also has the highest percentages of diabetes and COPD.

    Congratulations to Yukon and.... good effort to the Maritimes! Where do you live and how did it rank in terms of health!? Let us know in the comments or over on TikTok and Instagram!

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