While Canada's economic challenges often dominate headlines, a deeper look reveals troubling declines across fundamental social indicators that paint a concerning picture of the nation's overall well-being.
Beyond Economic Woes: A Broader Decline
Canada's current struggles extend far beyond per capita GDP growth, which now ranks as the slowest among large OECD countries. The nation, which once ranked among the top five wealthiest countries in the 1980s, has now fallen behind 14 other nations in terms of official wealth. However, this fiscal slide appears to be accompanied by—and potentially contributing to—a deterioration in several critical social metrics.
Health and Longevity Setbacks
One of the most alarming reversals involves Canada's life expectancy. After more than a century of consistent improvement, Canadian life expectancy at birth peaked at 82.3 years in 2019 before beginning an unprecedented decline. The most recent Statistics Canada data shows life expectancy has dropped to 81.3 years.
While the initial reversal was attributed to COVID-19 pandemic deaths, the persistent downward trend suggests deeper systemic issues. Contributing factors include dramatically increased overdose deaths, with 7,146 opioid overdose fatalities recorded in 2024 compared to 3,742 in 2019. Additionally, Canada has become the world leader in medically assisted deaths, with one in every 20 Canadian deaths now occurring through euthanasia.
The country's health standing suffered another blow when Canada lost its Pan American Health Organization status as a measles-free zone. This setback affected the entire Americas region, marking a notable decline as previous regional losses were typically triggered by countries like Venezuela or Brazil, not Canada.
Slipping in Global Assessments
Canada's diminishing position extends to various international rankings where it previously excelled. Even as recently as 2022, when political discussions first raised concerns about Canada being "broken," the country could still point to strong performances in curated global assessments like the "Good Country Index."
These comforting benchmarks are becoming increasingly scarce as Canada's standing erodes across multiple measurement categories. The convergence of economic challenges with declining social indicators suggests a comprehensive national slide that requires attention beyond purely fiscal solutions.
