Canadians Struggle to Access Family Doctors Despite Rising Health Spending

A significant portion of Canadians is facing escalating challenges in accessing health care, with new findings indicating that one in eight individuals has been searching for a family doctor for over a year or has ceased their search entirely. According to data released by the Angus Reid Institute on March 15, 2025, the percentage of Canadians struggling to find or lacking access to a family doctor has risen dramatically from 40 per cent in 2015 to 50 per cent in 2025.

The report highlights a troubling decline in timely access to medical care. Only 15 per cent of Canadians report that securing an appointment with their family doctor within a day or two is easy, a decrease from 24 per cent a decade ago. In terms of availability, data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information points out that while the number of family doctors per capita has increased since 2015 across most provinces, the situation in Alberta and Ontario remains stagnant. This discrepancy has not led to improved access for patients, as an aging population with more complex health requirements and a trend toward specialized care are contributing factors to the growing crisis.

Access to essential services such as diagnostic tests and surgeries is also in decline. Among those who sought medical attention in the past six months, 40 per cent reported difficulty booking a diagnostic test, and nearly half experienced challenges accessing surgical care. A significant 56 per cent indicated trouble obtaining appointments with specialists, while over half of respondents faced barriers to emergency care. These statistics have led to heightened anxiety among the public regarding their ability to receive timely care during medical emergencies.

Despite a surge in health care spending—nearly doubling from $219 billion to approximately $400 billion since 2015, including an increase of around $130 billion in public funding—public confidence in Canada’s health care system continues to wane. Seven in ten Canadians believe that the quality of health care in their province has deteriorated over the past decade. This growing dissatisfaction reflects a widespread sentiment that improvements are not materializing on the ground.

A substantial portion of the population, nearly 60 per cent, lacks confidence in their ability to access timely care in emergencies, further emphasizing fears that the health system may fail them when needed most. Public discontent extends to political leadership, with over 70 per cent of Canadians expressing dissatisfaction with how their provincial governments are managing health care.

Access disparities are particularly pronounced in certain provinces. Saskatchewan reports some of the highest levels of difficulty, with 41 per cent of residents indicating challenges in accessing a family doctor, and an additional 22 per cent stating they do not have one at all. Quebec follows closely, where nearly one-third of residents report lacking a family doctor and 29 per cent indicate access difficulties. In Atlantic Canada, 39 per cent of individuals cite challenges, while 21 per cent say they do not have a family physician.

Long wait times for care are particularly problematic in Quebec, where nearly one in five residents have been searching for a family doctor for more than a year.

The findings presented by the Angus Reid Institute are based on an online survey conducted between November 26 and December 1, 2025, involving a randomized sample of 4,025 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes, the margin of error for a probability sample of this size is +/- 1.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

As Canada grapples with these pressing health care challenges, the need for systemic reforms to improve access and restore public confidence is becoming increasingly urgent.