Shrinking Ratio of Canadian Workers to Seniors Will Increasingly Strain Government Finances, Study Finds

Number of workers for every senior fell from nearly 8 in 1966 to about 3 in 2022

Residents at Inglewood Care Centre in West Vancouver, on Dec. 16, 2021. A new study finds the ratio of working Canadians to seniors continues to shrink, putting increasing pressure on government finances. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck

As the ratio of working Canadians to seniors continues to shrink, it will strain government spending earmarked for older folks in the years ahead due to fewer working taxpayers, a new study finds.

“Workers pay the bulk of taxes, which governments need to fund important services, including health care and income transfers to seniors,” said study co-author Ben Eisen, a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute, in a release on May 26.