Skip to Content Subscribe Our Offers My Account Manage My Subscriptions FAQ Newsletters Canada Canadian True Crime Canadian Politics Health World Israel & Middle East Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Comics NP News Quiz New York Times Crossword Horoscopes Life Eating & Drinking Style Sponsored Play for Ontario Travel Travel Canada Travel USA Travel International Cruises Travel Essentials Culture Books Celebrity Movies Music Theatre Television Business Essentials Advice Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Buy Canadian Home Living Outdoor Living Kitchen & Dining Tech Style & Beauty Personal Care Entertainment & Hobbies Gift Guide Travel Guide Amazon Prime Day Deals Savings National Post Store More Sports Hockey Baseball Basketball Football Soccer Golf Tennis Driving Vehicle Research Reviews News Gear Guide Obituaries Place an Obituary Place an In Memoriam Classifieds Place an Ad Celebrations Working Business Ads Archives Healthing Epaper Manage Print Subscription Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ Newsletters Canada World Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Life Shopping Epaper Manage Print Subscription HomeNewsCanadaCanadian family of four will pay $21K towards public heath care this year: report'Health care in Canada is not free': Fraser Institute report calculates these costs have almost quadrupled and outpaced wages, food and shelter since 1997 You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.An infographic from the Fraser Institute illustrates how much various people pay toward health care through taxes. Photo by HandoutThe cost of public health care insurance has skyrocketed in this century, outpacing growth in the cost of food, shelter and even wages, according to a new report from the Fraser Institute. It notes that a typical family of four will pay more than $21,000 for public health care insurance this year, more than twice the amount as in 1997, the first year for which data is available.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. 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Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Accountor“Canadians pay a substantial amount of money for public health care through a variety of taxes, even if we don’t pay directly for medical services,” said Nadeem Esmail, the group’s director of health policy and co-author of the report, titled The Price of Public Health Care Insurance, 2026.Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againOr as the report puts it: “Health care in Canada is not ‘free.'” But because there is no “dedicated” health insurance tax, it’s difficult for people to calculate the true cost they pay towards the public health care system. A patient is wheeled on a stretcher into Montreal’s Royal Victoria Hospital’s emergency room. Photo by Marcos Townsend /Postmedia“The purpose of this research bulletin is to help individual Canadians and their families better understand how much health care actually costs them personally so they can determine whether they are receiving good value for their tax dollars,” it says.Crunching the numbers, the report notes that last year $261.1 billion in tax dollars were spent on publicly funded health care. Dividing that figure by the number of Canadians gives a figure of about $6,269 per person in 2025.“However, Canadians do not pay equal amounts of tax each year,” the report notes, given that children pay no tax, and higher-income earners pay more than others.Taking tax rates into account, the study estimates that a typical Canadian family of two parents and two children, with an average household income of $202,885, will pay $21,115 for public health care insurance this year. Couples without dependent children will pay almost as much, an estimated $19,225.Single Canadians meanwhile are expected to pay $6,464 for public health care insurance, and single parents with one child will pay $6,966. A chart from the Fraser Institute report shows the rising costs of public health care insurance against other costs. Photo by HandoutIn absolute terms, the average health-care tax burden in 1997 was $3,412, and it has risen to an estimated $12,924 for the coming year. That’s an increase of 278.8 per cent, or almost quadruple the cost over a 30-year period. But in the same time period, the Consumer Price Index rose by just 85.1 per cent, average wages grew by 160.1 per cent, the cost of shelter rose 180.2 per cent, and food by 123.5 per cent.Even taking inflation into account, the cost of public health care has almost doubled for a couple with no children (rising 97.1 per cent since 1997) and has more than doubled for all other groups, rising from between 118 per cent and 131 per cent depending on the makeup of the family.The report also divided Canadians into income “deciles,” with each group representing 10 per cent of the population. At the lowest end, the 10 per cent of Canadian families with the lowest incomes are expected to pay an average of $637 for public health care insurance in 2026. Those in the highest income group will pay roughly 100 times more, or $66,350. A chart from the report shows income and health care costs among ten income levels. Photo by Handout“The large gap between the growth rate of income and that of public health care insurance between 1997 and 2026 provides an important insight into the impact of changes in the cost of health care for Canadian individuals and families,” the report concludes. “Our hope is that these figures will enable Canadians to more clearly understand just how much they pay for public health care insurance, and how that amount is changing.”“Understanding how much Canadians actually pay for health care, and how much that amount has increased over time, is an important first step for taxpayers to assess the value and performance of the government health-care system,” Esmail said.Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here. 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