Hepatitis B in Canada: 2019 surveillance data

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Hepatitis B:

• In 2019, there were 4,912 hepatitis B cases reported for a rate of 13.1 per 100,000 people. Of these, there were:
  • 3,790 chronic cases for a rate of 10.2 per 100,000 people
  • 178 acute cases for a rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people
  • 944 unspecified cases for a rate of 4.7 per 100,000 people
• From 2018 to 2019, the rate of acute hepatitis B decreased by 10%
• From 2018 to 2019, the rate of chronic hepatitis B decreased by 8%
• From 2016 to 2019, the total reported rates of chronic hepatitis B decreased

Hepatitis B by sex and age groups

• In 2019, 56% of reported hepatitis B cases were male
• In 2019, the rate of chronic hepatitis B among females was 8.9 per 100,000 females, and the rate among males was 11.4 per 100,000 males
• In 2019, among males, those aged 30 to 39 had the highest chronic hepatitis B rates
• In 2019, among females, those aged 30 to 39 had the highest chronic hepatitis B rates
• From 2015 to 2019, chronic hepatitis B rates were higher in males than females
• From 2016 to 2019, among males, the total reported rates of chronic hepatitis B decreased
• From 2016 to 2019, among females, the total reported rates of chronic hepatitis B decreased
• From 2018 to 2019, chronic hepatitis B rates decreased by 10% among females and 8% among males

Rate of chronic hepatitis B by province and territory

In 2019, the national rate of chronic hepatitis B was 10.2 per 100,000 people. Provinces and territories that had rates of chronic hepatitis B above the national rate included:

• British Columbia (14.7 per 100,000 people)
• Ontario (11.9 per 100,000 people)
• Alberta (11.6 per 100,000 people)
• Saskatchewan (10.7 per 100,000 people)
• Nunavut (10.4 per 100,000 people)

In 2019, provinces and territories with rates of chronic hepatitis B below the national rate of 10.2 per 100,000 included:

• Manitoba (9.1 per 100,000 people)
• New Brunswick (8.0 per 100,000 people)
• Quebec (5.6 per 100,000 people)
• Prince Edward Island (2.5 per 100,000 people)
• Nova Scotia (2.3 per 100,000 people)
• Yukon (0.0 per 100,000 people)

In 2019, chronic hepatitis B data was not available for Newfoundland and Labrador and the Northwest Territories.

Appendix A: Data tables corresponding to hepatitis B figures

Table 1: Cases and rates of reported hepatitis B overall and by infection status, 2019

Hepatitis B infection status	Number of cases	Rate per 100,000 population
Total	4,912	13.1
Chronic	3,790	10.2
Acute	178	0.5
Unspecified	944	4.7

Table 2: Reported chronic hepatitis B rates overall and by sex, 2015 to 2019

Year	Total rate per 100,000 population	Male rate per 100,000 population	Female rate per 100,000 population
2015	12.2	14.0	10.3
2016	12.6	14.5	10.8
2017	12.1	14.0	10.1
2018	11.2	12.4	9.8
2019	10.2	11.4	8.9

Table 3: Provincial and territorial chronic hepatitis B rates, 2019

Jurisdiction	Rate per 100,000 population
Canada	10.2
British Columbia	14.7
Alberta	11.6
Saskatchewan	10.7
Manitoba	9.1
Ontario	11.9
Quebec	5.6
Newfoundland and Labrador	N/AFootnote *
Prince Edward Island	2.5
Nova Scotia	2.3
New Brunswick	8.0
Yukon	0.0
Northwest Territories	N/AFootnote *
Nunavut	10.4
Footnotes Tablenote * In 2019, chronic hepatitis B data was not available for Newfoundland and Labrador and the Northwest Territories. Return to tablenote * referrer