A recent study by the Fraser Institute, a non-partisan Canadian think tank, reveals concerning statistics about Canada’s health care system in comparison to other high-income countries with universal health care.
The study, titled “Comparing Performance of Universal Health Care Countries, 2023,” indicates that Canada lags significantly in several key areas, including the availability of doctors, hospital beds, and medical technologies, as well as in patient wait times.
According to the latest data, Canada ranks poorly in the number of doctors available, placing 28th out of 30 countries, with only 2.8 doctors per 1,000 people.
In terms of hospital beds, Canada’s performance is also below average, ranking 23rd out of 29 for somatic care beds (beds dedicated to physical care) with 2.3 per 1,000 people, and similarly 23rd out of 29 for psychiatric beds, at 0.38 per 1,000 people.
Credit: Comparing Performance of Universal Health Care Countries, 2023/Fraser Institute
Medical technology availability in Canada is another area of concern. In 2019, the country ranked 25th out of 29 for the number of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines, equating to 10.3 MRI units per million people. For CT scanners, Canada placed 26th out of 30, with 14.9 scanners per million people.
Wait times for medical care in Canada are among the longest when compared to other countries with universal health care. Canada has the lowest percentage (38%) of patients who waited less than four weeks to see a specialist and the lowest percentage (62%) of patients who waited less than four months for elective surgery.
Despite these shortcomings, Canada is one of the highest spenders on health care among the 30 countries included in the analysis. It ranks third highest for health care expenditure as a percentage of GDP and seventh highest for health care expenditure per capita. After adjusting for age, Canada’s health care expenditure as a percentage of GDP is the highest, although it falls to the ninth highest for expenditure per capita.
Credit: Comparing Performance of Universal Health Care Countries, 2023/Fraser Institute
The study finds that Canada’s utilization of health care resources is mixed: it performs below the OECD average in general indicators but above average in specific areas like coronary artery bypass grafts and knee replacements. However, it has the least hospital activity based on curative-care discharge rates among studied countries.
Mortality measures, such as infant and perinatal mortality rates, contrast with measures of healthy lifespan. Despite potential demographic influences, these statistics are key health system performance indicators. They reflect a system’s ability to prevent early deaths, particularly relevant for evaluating prenatal and childbirth care. Canada ranks low in 28th (out of 30) for its performance on the indicator measuring infant mortality and 22nd (out
of 30) for perinatal mortality.
Credit: Comparing Performance of Universal Health Care Countries, 2023/Fraser Institute
While Canada shows strong performance in five clinical quality indicators (e.g., cancer survival rates), it is average or worse in others, including obstetric traumas, indicating a mismatch between the high healthcare spending and the value received by Canadians.
The authors of the study, Bacchus Barua and Mackenzie Moir, emphasize the need for policy reform in the Canadian healthcare system. They suggest that learning from other countries with more effective universal healthcare systems could lead to significant improvements in Canada.
The full report is available here.