Context

Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious but preventable and treatable disease. While Canada has one of the lowest national rates of TB in the world, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis, as well as people born outside of Canada, continue to be disproportionately impacted.

The Public Health Agency of Canada conducts national surveillance regarding trends in the incidence, morbidity and mortality related to TB disease to support domestic^{Reference 1} and global^{Reference 2} efforts to eliminate the disease.

For detailed information on the Canadian Tuberculosis Reporting System (CTBRS), including the specific methods and definitions used in this report, please refer to About the Programs →

Age & Sex

TB disease affects people of all ages and sex, but specific patterns have emerged over the years among male and female cases, as well as within specific age groups.

• Sex: Men were diagnosed with TB disease more often than women in Canada. In 2024, the incidence among males was 6.9 per 100,000 compared to 5.1 for females. This margin of difference between males and females has been consistently observed over time globally^{Reference 3}.
• Age: Young adults (aged 25-34 years) had the highest incidence (8.0 per 100,000) of TB disease and represented the largest number of total cases in 2024. Individuals aged 75 years and older had the second highest incidence (7.8 per 100,000) in 2024.

Jurisdiction

• In 2024, Ontario (39.5%; n=991), Quebec (18.7%; n=468), British Columbia (12.3%; n=309), and Alberta (11.4%; n=285) accounted for the majority (81.9%; n=2,053) of TB disease cases in Canada.

People with TB disease in Canada by Province/Territory

Population Group & Place of Birth

TB disease disproportionately impacts First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and people born outside of Canada.

• People born outside Canada: Accounted for 82.9% of all individuals with TB disease in 2024.
• Region of birth: The majority of individuals with TB disease who were born outside Canada originated from the South-East Asia (SEAR) and Western Pacific (WPR) regions (58.8%, n = 1,117).
• Jurisdiction: The majority of individuals with TB disease who were born outside Canada resided in Ontario 67.9% (n = 875) and Quebec 25.4% (n = 328).
• Indigenous Peoples: In 2024, Indigenous Peoples accounted for 11.3% of individuals with TB in Canada, which included Inuit (6.0%; incidence: 186.9 per 100,000), First Nations (5.0%; incidence: 13.5 per 100,000), and Métis (0.3%; incidence: 1.3 per 100,000).
• Non-Indigenous people born in Canada : Accounted for 4.1% of 2024 cases, corresponding to an incidence of 0.4 per 100,000; the lowest among the population groups in 2024.

Diagnostic Sites

• Respiratory TB: In 2024, 74.0% (n=2,163) of people with TB disease had respiratory TB.

People with TB disease by diagnostic site and population group

Case Detection Method

• In 2024, the majority of people with TB disease (71.2%; n=1,750) were identified following the presentation of symptoms consistent with TB disease to a health care provider.

Case detection method for people with TB disease by population group

Risk Factors

Underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes and HIV, are significant risk factors for developing TB disease as they weaken the immune system.

• HIV: In 2024, 2.3% (34/1,478) of people with TB disease with a reported HIV status were HIV positive.
• Diabetes: In 2024, 24.1% (256/1,062) of people with TB disease where with a reported diabetes status had diabetes.