Study finds 1.4M Canadians awaiting treatment lost more than $3,000 each in productivity
Lengthy waits for medical care are costing Canadians billions in lost income and productivity, according to new research highlighting the economic impact of the country’s health-care delays.
A report released Tuesday (March 10) by the Fraser Institute estimates patients collectively lost more than $4.2 billion in wages and productivity last year while waiting for medically necessary treatment.
Researchers estimate roughly 1.4 million Canadians were waiting for procedures in 2025. On average, each patient lost about $3,043 due to time away from work or reduced productivity during normal working hours while awaiting care.
“Waiting long periods of time for medically necessary treatment remains a hallmark of the Canadian health-care system, and in addition to increased pain and suffering, and potentially worse medical outcomes, these long waits also cost Canadians valuable time during which they are unable to work effectively, enjoy time with family, or participate fully in their own lives,” said Nadeem Esmail, director of health policy studies at the Fraser Institute.
The report notes the overall economic toll is likely even higher than the estimate suggests. The calculation does not include time patients spend waiting before seeing a specialist, which averaged 15.3 weeks after a referral from a general practitioner. It also excludes delays related to diagnostic imaging such as MRIs and CT scans.
Across Canada, the median wait time between a referral from a family doctor and receiving treatment reached 28.6 weeks in 2025, among the longest delays recorded by the study.
The findings point to the broader financial consequences of prolonged treatment delays, which can affect both household income and workforce participation. Researchers say the estimate captures only lost work hours and does not account for additional costs linked to lost personal time or other social impacts tied to worsening health outcomes.
With more than a million Canadians waiting for treatment each year, the study suggests persistent delays continue to carry a significant financial and personal burden for patients nationwide.
