Canada’s Ageing Population: Why Federal Leadership Is Needed Now

Canada has recently joined the ranks of countries like Japan, Italy and Greece in becoming a “super-aged” nation. Today, one in five Canadians is aged 65 and older. By 2030, that will grow to nearly one in four.

In many ways, this is a milestone to celebrate as Canadians are living longer than ever before. At the same time, an ageing population has impacts on every part of our economy and society, from health care to housing, pensions, labour markets, digital access and social wellbeing.

Canada Is Unprepared for an Ageing Population

This demographic shift is no surprise, yet Canada remains startlingly unprepared for the realities of an ageing population. There is no federal framework or strategy to comprehensively address the needs of Canada’s older adults. Responsibility is fragmented across municipal, provincial, territorial and federal jurisdictions, leaving significant gaps. 

As a result, older Canadians are facing distinct challenges.

The National Institute on Ageing’s 2025 Ageing in Canada Survey reveals that 43% of older adults in Canada are at risk of social isolation and 57% have experienced loneliness, which can increase the risk of mood disorders, dementia, cardiovascular disease, falls and premature mortality.

Furthermore, ageism remains pervasive: seven out of 10 older Canadians reported experiencing at least one form of ageism in the past year, and close to half felt older adults were sometimes overlooked or dismissed.

Housing Must Support Ageing in Place

That sense of being dismissed is reflected in public policy. The survey reveals a disconnect between the aspirations of older adults to age with dignity and the systems and structures to support them.

While the vast majority of older adults desire to age in their own homes and communities, only 49% of Canadians aged 50 and older said their home was suitable for ageing. More concerningly, 62% had taken no steps to prepare or modify their living spaces. This is not surprising, given that homes are rarely built with lifetime accessibility in mind and the cost of retrofitting is out of reach for many Canadians. 

Ageing at home requires more than a safe physical environment; it also depends on a robust, reliable ecosystem of home and community support services, sectors that remain underfunded.

Close to half of older Canadians said they were unable to access these critical services that enable ageing in place at least some of the time, citing long wait times and costs as the top barriers. 

The Economic Cost of Failing to Support the Ageing Population

This infrastructure deficit has real-world consequences.

One in 10 new long-term care residents could have been cared for at home had appropriate services been available. By failing to build these support systems, we push the burden onto unpaid caregivers. This dynamic pulls hundreds of thousands of working-age Canadians out of the labour force, costing the Canadian economy an estimated $1.3 billion in lost productivity annually. 

The economic stakes are equally high when it comes to financial security.

More than one in five older Canadians aged 50 and older report having inadequate income, and 22% indicated they had only $5,000 saved for retirement.

While Canada is fortunate to have a robust retirement income system, consisting of Old Age Security (OAS), the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) and the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), we cannot take these systems for granted. We also cannot assume they will effectively address the evolving needs of older adults without proactively closing gaps for older adults facing the greatest intersecting vulnerabilities.

Evidence That Good Ageing Policy Works

Despite the challenges, Canada has made some significant progress.

Following the rollout of the Canadian Dental Care Plan, the 2025 Ageing in Canada Survey revealed a 5-point drop in the share of older adults unable to afford dental care. It also found that older adults reported better access to primary care practitioners in the past year, thanks to intensive efforts among provinces and territories. 

More than anything, these examples show that good policy leads to good outcomes. However, taking a piecemeal approach will not suffice.

When we build communities where older adults can age safely, stay healthy longer, and remain financially secure, we reduce the strain on acute-care hospitals, unlock billions in caregiver productivity, and foster an active, engaged demographic that contributes to local economies.

A National Action Plan for Canada’s Ageing Population

It starts with federal leadership in developing a national ageing action plan grounded in the diverse voices and perspectives of older adults.

As a starting point, the action plan should:

• Close gaps in the retirement income system to ensure that all older Canadians can afford to live with dignity
  
  
• Establish a sustainable funding model for the community-based seniors services sector and ramp up investments in home care in partnership with provinces and territories
  
  
• Champion social inclusion and human rights, expanding protections against elder abuse, and tackling widespread ageism
  
  
• Offer robust financial and employment safeguards for the unpaid caregivers who anchor our caring infrastructure
  
  

The Time for Federal Leadership Is Now

The choices we make today will determine whether the greater longevity we are currently experiencing results in additional years of good health, independence, and active participation, or whether rising inequality, gaps in care and social isolation become defining features of ageing in Canada.

It is time for federal leadership to chart a clear path forward to make Canada a place where older adults feel valued, included, supported and better prepared to age with confidence.