Half of Canadians (50%) Satisfied With Their Provincial Healthcare System: Steep 16-point Decline Compared to 2021
Montreal, QC, November 15th, 2022 — In a post-pandemic context where the seasonal flu is at its peak, the results of an Ipsos survey for the Montreal Economic Institute has shown that half of Canadians (50%) are satisfied with their provincial healthcare system (43% very, 7% somewhat), while 49% aren’t (30% somewhat, 19% very). This represents a 16-point decrease in satisfaction compared to last year. Women (53% vs. 45% for men) and residents of the Atlantic regions (70% vs. 49% BC; 44% AB; 45% SK/MB; 45% ONT; 52% QC) are more likely to be dissatisfied.
Evaluating healthcare investments
Almost 4 in 10 Canadians (38%) believe that the investments injected over the last ten years have had no effect on the healthcare system. A third (33%) say that it has worsened (18% somewhat, 14% vastly), which represents a significant 14-point increase compared to 2021; a fifth (21%) find it has improved (19% somewhat; 2% vastly). Those aged 55 years and over (39% vs. 24% 18-34; 32% 35-54) as well as residents of the Atlantic regions (51% vs 30% BC; 27% AB; 30% SK/MB; 34% ONT; 30% QC) are more likely to find that the healthcare system has worsened.
Elsewhere, a majority (57%) of Canadians agree that the rate of spending in the healthcare system is unsustainable (36% somewhat, 21% completely) – an increase of 5 points compared to 2021 – while a fifth (21%) disagrees. Residents of Quebec are more likely to agree with this proposition (69% vs 59% BC; 44% AB; 52% SK/MB; 53% ONT; 61% ATL).
Opinions on the public healthcare system and hesitancy regarding the private sector’s role
More than three-quarters (77%) of Canadians believe that their provincial healthcare system is too bureaucratic – which represents a 6-point increase compared to 2021 – while only 13% disagree. Moreover, 6 in 10 Canadians (60%) believe that the healthcare system should be more decentralized to enable hospitals to be more autonomous; a fifth (21%) disagree with this proposition.
In the same vein, a majority (52%) of Canadians are in favour of increasing access to private healthcare, which nonetheless represents a drop of six-point compared to last year and an 11-point drop compared to 2020. Residents of Quebec are more likely to agree with an increased access to private healthcare (67% vs. 55% BC; 50% AB; 41% SK/MB; 44% ONT; 51% ATL). Inversely, a third (32%) disagrees with this proposition (a 5-point increase compared to 2021).
In spite of the decrease in interest for private healthcare, almost two thirds (64%) of Canadians agree that the healthcare system should follow the ‘French or Swedish’ model, which enables private entrepreneurs to manage certain public hospitals, provided that medically required care remains covered and fully reimbursed by the government. A quarter (24%) disagree with this proposition (12% somewhat; 12% completely). That said, this model of healthcare system remains unknown to the vast majority of Canadians (81%).
About the Study
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between October the 25th - 28th, 2022, on behalf of the Montreal Economic Institute. For this survey, a sample of 1,174 Canadian adults aged 18+ years was interviewed, including an oversample of 400 residents of Quebec. Quotas and weighting were employed to ensure that the sample’s composition reflects that of the Canadian population according to census parameters for age, gender and region. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ± 3.3 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:
Sébastien Dallaire
Senior Vice President, Ipsos Canada
General Manager, Ipsos Quebec
[email protected]
About Ipsos
Ipsos is the world’s third largest market research company, present in 90 markets and employing more than 18,000 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. We serve more than 5000 clients across the world with 75 business solutions.
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