# Why Moving From the United States to Canada Adds 2 Years to Your Life

Since the devastating economic crash of 2008 first swept across the globe, some countries have recovered from its negative effects more quickly than others. The United States, though undoubtedly improving and experiencing an overall net increase in the availability of jobs and general economic prosperity, is still recovering. Canada, on the other hand, has experienced a more dynamic recovery. As a result, more and more Americans have been considering moving from the United States to Canada in search for a viable and stable place to live and prosper. The benefits of moving from the US to Canada are numerous and many people, both young and old, are considering making the move northward.

The United States and Canada are more than just neighbors: they are two countries with shared cultural values and similar ways of life. However, they do differ in various crucial ways. New research from the US National Research Council illustrates one of the most striking differences between the two: life expectancy. Namely, Canada surpasses the U.S. in that very important area and the research shows that Canadians are currently healthier than their American neighbors. The average life expectancy in Canada is 82.3 years for women and 79.3 years for men versus the United States’ 80.8 years for women and 75.6 years for men. As is demonstrated in the figures, the difference is fairly significant. Anyone weighing the potential benefits of moving from the US to Canada would do well to consider this key statistic.

Health is determined by a plethora of reasons and conditions. Essentially, many of those reasons and conditions are simply more favorable in Canada than they are in the United States. Furthermore, Canada’s average life expectancy has grown over the last three decades far more quickly than in the United States. Clearly this is a serious benefit for anyone considering moving from the United States to Canada.

Americans have two unhealthy habits that put them at a distinct disadvantage: higher rates of smoking and obesity. Of course, both of these societal problems occur in significant numbers in Canada as well, though they are not as prominent as in the United States.

Additionally, it is helpful to consider other reasons why there is such a difference in average life expectancies. It is common knowledge that the Canadian way of life is generally lived at a less frantic pace than in the United States; Canadians also subject themselves to lower amounts of personal and professional stress as the culture does not emphasize material gain quite as much as in the United States. That is not to say that the standard of living is any lower; on the contrary, it is virtually the same. There is just less emphasis on the acquisition of material goods that serve as status symbols. This means that Canadians, in general, do not put as much stress on their personal finances as Americans do, thereby making them less susceptible to stress-related illnesses. Materialism is alive and well in the US, and one need only observe the mob scenes that occurred in many American cities on Black Friday to see the substantial proof of that fact.

Furthermore crime, especially violent crime in urban areas, occurs at substantially lower rates. There are far fewer deaths per capita from violent crime in Canada, and this statistic is true in both larger cities and more rural areas. The disparity between the various socioeconomic strata is much less pronounced in Canada than in the United States (which has been suffering from a shrinking middle class for the past three or four decades).

In conclusion, it is significant to consider that not only is life expectancy higher (and continuing to grow higher) in Canada than in the United States, but all the attendant reasons for this statistic holding true. All of these reasons and conditions substantially enrich the lives of Canadians. There continue to be many benefits of moving from the US to Canada, and higher life expectancy is just one of them. It is also important to consider that the Canadian job market is showing healthy growth and that the standard of living is incredibly high. Furthermore, Canada is a country of tremendous natural beauty, a rich heritage and a vibrant community of multiculturalism and cultural largesse. For some people, moving to Canada from the United States is a viable and stable option that will only enrich their lives for the better.