Recent academic research by Canadian economists finds that higher levels of income inequality after 1996 have led to shorter life expectancies across Canadian provinces, with the effect being more pronounced for men. While this relationship has been established in the United States and other countries for many years, this is the first paper to find this effect in Canada.
The authors suggest that a shift in tax policy that began in the mid-1990’s has led to growing income inequality. This shift in tax policy leads to other changes in public policy that has a direct impact on life expectancies. The authors conclude that “…austerity and privatization of public services, and deregulation of industry and labour markets, have significantly eroded social and ecological determinants of health.”
Sepulveda, E.R., McLaren, L. Income inequality and life expectancy in Canada: New evidence from province-level panel regression, 1996–2019. Can J Public Health (2025). https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-025-01024-6