Long wait times for surgeries and medical treatments in Canada resulted in significant economic losses for patients in 2025, costing them more than $4.2 billion in lost wages and reduced workplace productivity, according to a new report released by the Fraser Institute on March 10.
The study estimates that approximately 1.4 million Canadians who were waiting for medically necessary treatments last year lost an average of $3,043 per person due to reduced income and decreased efficiency at work.
Nadeem Esmail, Director of Health Policy Studies at the Fraser Institute, said prolonged wait times not only affect patients’ health but also have serious personal and economic consequences.
“Beyond the pain, discomfort, and potentially worsening medical conditions, these long waits deprive Canadians of valuable time time that could otherwise be spent working effectively, enjoying family life, or participating fully in daily activities,” Esmail said.
The findings are based on data from the Fraser Institute’s “Waiting Your Turn” survey of Canadian physicians, published in December. The survey monitors health-care wait times across the country.
In 2025, the median wait time between a referral from a family doctor and receiving treatment reached 28.6 weeks, making it the second-longest wait time ever recorded, just behind the 30-week wait documented in 2024.
Meanwhile, the median wait between seeing a specialist and receiving treatment was 13.3 weeks in 2025. Although this was slightly shorter than the 15-week wait recorded in 2024, it still represents a significant delay for patients requiring urgent care.
Overall, the report estimates that 1,386,286 Canadians were affected by these wait times during the year.
Researchers described the $4.2 billion figure as a conservative estimate because it only considers the impact on patients during their working hours.
The calculation does not include the 15.3 weeks patients typically wait between being referred by a general practitioner and actually seeing a specialist, nor does it account for delays related to diagnostic testing such as CT scans, MRIs, or ultrasounds.
If the value of patients’ time outside working hours such as evenings and weekends is included (excluding sleep), the total cost of waiting could rise to about $12.9 billion, or roughly $9,336 per patient.
The report also notes that these estimates do not include the economic burden on family members who often spend time caring for loved ones awaiting treatment.
The financial burden caused by wait times varied significantly across Canadian provinces.
New Brunswick recorded the highest patient losses, with individuals losing an average of $4,864 in wages and productivity. Patients there waited 26.5 weeks after seeing a specialist for treatment, while the total wait from referral to treatment averaged 61 weeks.
Quebec ranked second, where patients lost $3,912 on average while waiting 21.8 weeks for treatment after seeing a specialist. Additionally, Quebec patients waited 10.7 weeks just to see a specialist.
In Alberta, patients lost an average of $3,724, with an overall wait time of 36 weeks from referral to treatment.
Other provinces also experienced significant delays. Like Prince Edward Island: Average loss of $3,466, with 49.7 weeks total wait time, Nova Scotia: Loss of $3,317, with 49 weeks total wait time, Newfoundland and Labrador: Loss of $3,261, with 43.5 weeks total wait time, Manitoba: Loss of $3,220, with 39.1 weeks total wait time, Saskatchewan: Loss of $3,195, with 34.8 weeks total wait time and British Columbia: Loss of $2,720, with 32.2 weeks total wait time.
Ontario recorded the shortest waits and lowest costs among provinces. Patients there waited 19.2 weeks from referral to treatment, losing an average of $1,918 in wages and productivity.
The report also highlighted significant differences in wait times across medical specialties.
Neurosurgery had the longest delays, with patients waiting an average of 49.9 weeks for treatment. Orthopaedic surgery followed closely behind, with an average wait of 48.6 weeks.
By contrast, cancer-related treatments had shorter delays. Patients requiring medical oncology waited about 4.7 weeks, while those needing radiation oncology waited approximately 4.2 weeks.
Diagnostic testing delays also increased in 2025 compared with the previous year. CT scan wait times rose by 0.7 weeks to 8.8 weeks, MRI waits increased by nearly two weeks to 18.1 weeks, Ultrasound waits grew slightly to 5.4 weeks
According to the Fraser Institute, these delays add further strain to the health-care system and can extend the overall timeline before patients receive treatment.
The report concludes that reducing wait times would not only improve health outcomes but could also help Canadians regain billions of dollars in lost productivity each year.
