6.5 million Canadians have no family doctor —
while thousands of trained physicians can't get licensed to practise.
Canada has 259,695 internationally trained health professionals who are ready to work — but are blocked by a licensing system that takes 3–7+ years to navigate. The data below shows the human cost.
6.5M+
Canadians without a family doctor
259,695
Trained professionals blocked
$4.2B
Lost to wait times each year
The Canadian Healthcare Crisis in Numbers
Growing population, aging demographics, and physician shortages are creating a perfect storm. Here's what the data reveals about the mounting pressure on our healthcare system.
Demand is Outpacing Supply
Population growth creating unprecedented pressure
- Population (Millions)
- Healthcare Demand Index
Specialist Wait Times by Province/Territory
Hover for details on each region
Avg Wait Time
33.2 wks
~2.4 Million Canadians visited ERs in 2022-23 for conditions manageable in primary care
A CTAS Level 4–5 ER visit costs ~$346 vs. ~$56 for a primary care visit — a 6× cost premium driven by family physician shortages
Source: CIHI National Ambulatory Care Reporting System 2022-23 · CIHI ED cost estimates 2023
Why the medical education pipeline won't solve this crisis
Can We Just Train More Doctors?
Canadian Medical Schools Can't Keep Up
Even with expanded enrollment, training new doctors takes 10+ years, and output still won't meet demand growth
From 17 Canadian medical schools (AFMC, 2024)
Family physicians (4yr MD + 2yr residency)
Specialists (4yr MD + 4-7yr residency)
New doctors needed yearly (CMA estimates, 2023)
Graduate Output vs. Physician Demand
Projected gap between new MDs and healthcare system needs
- Annual MD Graduates (All Specialties)
- Annual Physician Need (Family + Specialist)
Training Capacity Limits
Annual physician output compared to system demand
The Math Doesn't Work
Timeline Issue:
A student entering medical school today won't be a practicing family physician until ~2033 (8-10 years). Specialists take even longer: ~2037-2039 (12-15 years). The shortage is happening now.
Capacity Issue:
Even if we increased medical school seats by 50%, we'd still only graduate ~4,650 doctors/year (family physicians + specialists) — far below the 5,400+ annual need.
💡 Canada needs a parallel solution: integrating the 260,000+ internationally educated health professionals already here
Note: Projections based on current trends. Actual outcomes may vary based on policy changes and immigration patterns.
17
Canadian medical schools
AFMC institutional capacity report, 2024
4 + 2-7 years
MD + Residency training
Family medicine: +2yr | Specialists: +4-7yr
$275K+
Cost per medical student
CIHI healthcare spending estimates, 2023
Let's look at the current supply
But How Many Healthcare Workers Do We Actually Have?
Canada's Healthcare Workforce
The number of healthcare professionals actively serving Canadians across all provinces and territories — and where the gaps are.
Active family physicians across Canada · CIHI Health Workforce 2024
Medical and surgical specialists across Canada · CIHI Scott's Medical Database 2024
Active registered nurses across Canada · CIHI Health Workforce 2024
LPNs / RPNs supporting care across Canada · CIHI Health Workforce 2024
Registered physiotherapists · CIHI Health Workforce 2024
Licensed pharmacists · CIHI Health Workforce Database 2024
Active dentists across Canada · Canadian Dental Association 2023
Total workers in health occupations as of 2024 · StatCan Labour Force Survey
Doctors per 1,000 People — OECD Comparison
Canada ranks 28th of 38 OECD nations in practising physician density and among the worst for specialist wait times (over 60% wait more than 1 month, OECD average 52%) · OECD Health at a Glance 2025
Health Workforce Growth
Total health occupations workers in thousands · StatCan Labour Force Survey (2020 dip reflects pandemic disruptions)
Thousands of qualified professionals already in Canada
There's a Hidden Solution
Bridging the Gap with IEHPs
Canada has 259,695 internationally educated health professionals (IEHPs) across all provinces and territories according to the 2021 Census, including family physicians, specialists, nurses, pharmacists, and allied health professionals. Only 58% currently work in their trained field. The slider below shows how increasing this rate could fill critical healthcare gaps nationwide.
Data: Statistics Canada Census 2021, CIHI Health Workforce Database 2023
Nurses
62,716 in field
Physicians (Family + Specialist)
26,099 in field
Pharmacists
13,089 in field
Dentists
12,466 in field
Physiotherapists & Other
36,426 in field
Gap-Filler Simulator
Adjust the slider to see the impact if more IEHPs were licensed to practice in their trained fields. Currently only 58% of IEHPs work in health occupations.
Integration Rate
Working at 58%
52,718
Additional workers
-9,998
Shortage filled
Working at 58%
22,593
Additional workers
-3,506
Shortage filled
Working at 58%
12,050
Additional workers
-1,039
Shortage filled
Working at 58%
12,050
Additional workers
-416
Shortage filled
Working at 58%
51,212
Additional workers
+14,786
Shortage filled
12,000 of 12,000 gap filled
IEHPs by Province/Territory
Total IEHPs, those with clinical experience, and those who cleared Canadian exams across all regions (Census, 2021)
- Total IEHPs
- Clinical Experience
- Cleared Exams
42%
of IEHPs not working in health
109,000+ trained professionals working outside their field (StatCan, 2021)
47%
IEHP nurse aides hold bachelor's+
Compared to only 6.3% of Canadian-born in the same role — massive underemployment (StatCan)
Provincial breakdown of the opportunity
Where Are They?
Interactive Canada Healthcare Map
Province colours indicate physician shortage severity. Click any province or territory to see detailed stats.
Hover to preview · Click to select
Select a Province or Territory
Click any coloured region on the map
Data-driven projections
What Does the Future Look Like?
Forecasting Canada's Healthcare Future
Data-driven projections showing potential trends if current patterns continue.
Family Physician Shortage Projection
Based on current growth rates (+6.5%/year) and population aging trends
- upper
- lower
Annual Growth Rate
~+5.3%
based on 2020-2024 CIHI/CMA trend
Assumption
Current training capacity unchanged
~1,300 new FPs/year
Methodology & Data Sources
- • Physician shortage: Linear regression on 2020-2024 Fraser Institute & CMA data, adjusted for population growth
- • Wait times: Trend analysis of CIHI data with demographic weighting factors
- • Demand projections: Based on StatCan population forecasts and age-based healthcare utilization rates
- • Workforce growth: CIHI workforce trends combined with StatCan population projections, assuming current training/immigration rates
- • Confidence intervals: ±15% based on historical variability in healthcare workforce planning
Healthcare Metrics at a Glance
Colors show relative performance within this dataset — not absolute targets. Hover cells for details.
Longest Specialist Wait
PE — 52.1 wks
Ideal target: <15 weeks (CIHI)
Largest Physician Gap
ON — 3,800 FPs
Combined ON+QC = 70% of national shortage
Best Doctor Ratio
NS — 262/100K
Still below 290/100K OECD target
Why Can't They Practise?
Thousands of qualified physicians are already in Canada — and can't practise.
Canada has 38,000+ internationally trained physicians in the country. Licensing bottlenecks, residency gate-keeping, and fragmented provincial requirements keep most of them out of medicine for 3–7+ years.
See Why It's BrokenCompare Provinces and Territories Side-by-Side
Select up to 4 provinces/territories to compare key healthcare metrics and identify regional disparities.
Select Provinces/Territories (2/4)
Average
27.5w
Min
24.4w
Max
30.6w
Average
2.8
Min
2.8
Max
2.9
Average
80,772.5
Min
45,235
Max
116,310
Average
2,150
Min
1,100
Max
3,200
Metric Comparison
Side-by-side comparison across all selected regions
- Ontario
- British Columbia
| Province/Territory | Population (M) | Wait Time (wks) | Doctors/1,000 | IEHPs | ER Visits/yr | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ontario | 15.6M | 24.4 | 2.9 | 116,310 | 1,290,000 | 3,200 |
British Columbia | 5.5M | 30.6 | 2.8 | 45,235 | 580,000 | 1,100 |
Data Sources: CIHI (2023), StatCan Census (2021), Provincial Health Reports. Data is aggregated from most recent available sources and may not reflect real-time conditions.
Sign the Petition: Reform Canada's IEHP Licensing Pathway
Thousands of Internationally Educated Healthcare Professionals are ready to fill critical shortages — but bureaucratic barriers keep them sidelined. Join over 10,600 Canadians calling for streamlined licensing, faster credential recognition, and financial support for IEHPs.
Streamline the licensing process
Recognize foreign credentials effectively
Provide financial assistance for exams
10,635+ verified signatures · Launched by CodePhysician Inc.
Abbreviations & Terminology
Quick reference guide for all abbreviations used throughout this dashboard
Showing 43 of 43 abbreviations
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