Canada’s health care workforce has grown significantly over the last 25 years, driven by the increasing demand for health services, particularly as the population ages. A new study, Workforce Renewal in Health Occupations, shows that the number of health workers has more than doubled, from 800,000 in 1998 to nearly 1.7 million in 2024. This growth of 898,000 workers, or 114.8%, highlights the urgent need for more professionals to support the country’s health system.
Over the past quarter-century, health occupations have expanded at a faster pace than the general job market, increasing by an average of 3% per year compared to 1.5% for all occupations combined. This trend has continued in recent years. From 2023 to 2024, the health workforce grew by 45,000 workers, with two-thirds of that increase coming from nursing roles. This surge is helping to ease concerns about an aging workforce. In 2024, 17.9% of health workers were aged 55 or older, down slightly from 19.6% in 2018 but still significantly higher than 9.5% in 1998.
Nursing occupations have seen the largest growth. The number of nurses increased by 30,000 in 2024 alone, making up the majority of the workforce increase. While the aging of health workers remains a concern, the growing number of younger workers entering nursing and other health fields is helping to address this issue. The renewal ratio for health occupations, which measures how well younger workers are replacing those nearing retirement, stands at 1.9 in 2024. This means there are nearly two younger workers for every older worker approaching retirement. This is higher than the overall workforce renewal ratio of 1.5.
Immigrants, particularly recent arrivals and non-permanent residents, have played a key role in replenishing Canada’s health workforce. In 2021, immigrants made up nearly 45% of workers in roles like nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates, with 23.8% of workers in the 25 to 34 age group being recent immigrants.
However, many immigrants in these roles are overqualified for the work they do. In 2021, nearly half (47.1%) of immigrant nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates had a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to just 6.3% of Canadian-born workers in the same positions. This overqualification points to challenges immigrants face in applying their qualifications in Canada, with many working in roles that do not fully utilize their skills.
Despite positive trends, there are still challenges. Some health occupations, particularly those with lower-skilled roles like nurse aides, are seeing slower rates of renewal. Additionally, the underutilization of skilled immigrants remains an issue that needs to be addressed to ensure the workforce can meet the country’s health care needs.