Canadians Open to Healthcare Reforms Despite Stable Satisfaction
Montréal, QC, April 16, 2026 — A survey conducted by Ipsos on behalf of the Montreal Economic Institute is showing the overall satisfaction with provincial healthcare systems among Canadians sits at 56%, a figure unchanged from 2025. However, there are notable regional differences, with satisfaction highest in Ontario at 62% and lowest in Quebec at 49%. Satisfaction is also notably lower among women at 53% and those aged 35-54 at 51%.
Perceptions of the healthcare system
Views regarding the impact of additional investments injected in the healthcare system over the last ten years leave Canadians split with almost equal numbers saying that things have worsened despite the funds (27%), another 32% saying nothing changed and 34% believing that things improved because of those additional investments.
However, an overwhelming 76% of Canadians continue to view their provincial healthcare system as too bureaucratic, with this belief especially pronounced in Alberta and Quebec, both at 81%.
Further, concerns about healthcare spending sustainability are on the rise, with 60% of Canadians perceiving the current rate as unsustainable—a 4-point increase from 2025. The most concerned groups are residents of Quebec, at 71%, and younger Canadians aged 18 to 34, at 64%.
Support for systemic healthcare reforms is robust and growing among Canadians. Sixty-six percent favor decentralization to enhance hospital autonomy, reflecting a 5-point rise from 2025. Relatedly, 72% of Canadians continue to believe private entrepreneurs can offer faster healthcare services than government hospitals.
These are the results of only some of the questions covered in this survey. For more details on this study, please consult the complete report which is available for download on this page.
About the Study
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between the 26th and 29th of March 2026, on behalf of the Montreal Economic Institute. For this survey, a sample of 1,159 Canadian adults aged 18+ years was interviewed, including an oversample of 403 residents of Quebec. Quotas and weighting were employed (age, gender and region) to ensure that the sample’s composition reflects that of the Canadian population according to census parameters. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ± 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadians aged 18+ been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Derek Brasier
Vice President, Ipsos Public Affairs
About Ipsos
Ipsos is one of the largest market research and polling companies globally, operating in 90 markets and employing nearly 20,000 people.
Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. Our 75 business solutions are based on primary data from our surveys, social media monitoring, and qualitative or observational techniques.
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Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has been listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120, Mid-60 indices, STOXX Europe 600 and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD).
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