Summary

• Canadians often misunderstand the true cost of our public health care system. This occurs partly because Canadians do not incur direct expenses for their use of health care, and partly because Canadians cannot readily determine the value of their contribution to public health care insurance.
• In 2023, preliminary estimates suggest the average payment for public health care insurance ranges from $5,373 to $17,039 for six common Canadian family types, depending on the type of family.
• Between 1997 and 2023, the cost of public health care insurance for the average Canadian family increased 4.2 times as fast as the cost of clothing, 2.1 times as fast as the cost of food, 1.8 times as fast as the cost of shelter, and 1.7 times as fast as the average income.
• The 10 percent of Canadian families with the lowest incomes will pay an average of about $644 for public health care insurance in 2023. The 10 percent of Canadian families who earn an average income of $80,946 will pay an average of $7,715 for public health care insurance, and the families among the top 10 percent of income earners in Canada will pay $44,314.