Injury Statistics

Unfortunately, most people do not realize how serious the problem of injury actually is until they have a personal experience with it. Each of these statistics represents many stories of human tragedy: the parents whose child was killed in a car crash, the family of an elderly woman who had a serious fall, the spouse of someone who committed suicide.

Did you know:

Injury kills nearly 450 Nova Scotians each year. Every year in Nova Scotia, more than 6,000 people are hospitalized as a result of injury. Injury is the leading cause of death from age 1 to 45. Emergency departments in Nova Scotia treat as many as 350,000 injuries per year. The leading causes of injury related deaths are suicide, motor vehicle crashes, and falls. The main causes of injury-related hospitalizations are falls, motor vehicle crashes, and attempted suicide.

Economic Burden of Injuries

While the human and social impact of injuries is incalculable, the economic impact must also be considered.

The economic cost of injury in Nova Scotia is about $570 million per year. Unintentional Injuries (i.e. falls, crashes, recreational injuries) cost $370 million per year or $396 per citizen. Intentional Injuries (i.e. suicide, assault, homicide ) cost $200 million per year or $204 per citizen. Falls among seniors cost Nova Scotia $70 million per year. Motor vehicle crash injuries cost Nova Scotia $74 million per year.

For more statistics on injury, visit these websites:

• Economic Burden of Unintentional Injuries in Atlantic Canada
• Nova Scotia Highway Injury Statistics
• Nova Scotia Workers Compensation Board
• Nova Scotia Trauma Registry (Trauma Program)