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Fact Check

Every claim on this site is sourced from publicly available Canadian government data, international organizations, or peer-reviewed research. Below is the full list — what we say, where it comes from, and how you can verify it yourself.

Found an error? Let us know. We correct mistakes promptly.

34

Verified

4

Verified (rounded)

5

Multi-source ranges

6

Projections

Housing Multi-source range

National Median Multiple

5.6x

Sources reporting different values:

Demographia 2025: National 5.6x, Vancouver 11.8x, Toronto 8.4-9.3x
OECD: 80%+ deterioration since 2004, worst among 23 countries
Statistics Canada: Edmonton best major market at 3.6x
📎 Demographia International Housing Affordability Report 2025Verify →
Housing Verified (rounded)

Housing Starts (2024)

~245K

Exact figure: 245,367 (CMHC 2024)

📎 CMHC Housing Supply ReportVerify →
Housing Verified (rounded)

Housing Units per 1,000 People

424

Exact figure: ~424 per 1,000 (Scotiabank/OECD)

📎 OECD Housing DatabaseVerify →
Housing Verified (rounded)

Average Home Price

~$690K

Exact figure: $676K-$713K national range (CREA 2025)

📎 CREA Composite MLS
Healthcare Multi-source range

Median Wait Time

28.6 wks

Sources reporting different values:

Fraser Institute 2024: 30.0 weeks
Fraser Institute 2025: 28.6 weeks (down slightly, still 208% above 1993)
📎 Fraser Institute Wait Time Survey 2025Verify →
Healthcare Multi-source range

Without a Family Doctor

~6.5M

Sources reporting different values:

CMA / OurCare Survey: 5.9 million
AFMC: 6.5 million
CIHI: 17% lack regular provider (~6.8M)
📎 CMA / AFMC / CIHI (2024-2025)Verify →
Healthcare Verified

Nursing Vacancies

42,045

Source value: 42,045 nursing vacancies Q2 2024; 117,600 projected shortage by 2030 (CIHI)

📎 CIHI Health Workforce Data (2024)Verify →
Healthcare Verified

Health Spending (% of GDP)

12.4%

Source value: 12.4% of GDP, $398B total, $9,600/person (CIHI NHEX 2025)

📎 CIHI National Health Expenditure Trends (2025)
Cost of Living Verified

Cumulative Price Increase (5-Year)

+19.9%

Source value: +19.9% cumulative CPI increase 2020-2025 (Statistics Canada)

📎 Statistics Canada CPIVerify →
Cost of Living Verified

Monthly Food Bank Visits

2.2M

Source value: 2.2 million monthly visits (2024); 25.5% food insecurity rate (Statistics Canada CCHS)

📎 Food Banks Canada / Feed OntarioVerify →
Cost of Living Verified

Real Wage Growth (~20 Years)

~0%

📎 Statistics Canada Labour Force SurveyVerify →
Cost of Living Verified

Average Wireless Bill

$55-85/mo

📎 CRTC Communications Monitoring Report (2025)Verify →
Economy & Productivity Verified

GDP Per Capita Gap vs. US

~27.5%

Source value: Canada ~$62,704 vs US ~$86,601 PPP (IMF WEO 2025 est.)

📎 World Bank / IMFVerify →
Economy & Productivity Verified

GDP Per Capita Growth (2024)

-1.0%

Source value: -1.0% real GDP per capita (2024); -1.7% (2023)

📎 Statistics Canada / OECDVerify →
Economy & Productivity Verified

GDP Growth from Population Growth

84.9%

📎 Statistics Canada / OECD
Economy & Productivity Multi-source range

Annual Brain Drain to the US

60-90K

Sources reporting different values:

US TN Visa approvals: ~35,000-40,000/year (Canadians)
Statistics Canada emigration estimates: ~60,000-90,000 total annual emigration
📎 TN Visa Data / Statistics Canada Estimates
Immigration Verified

2025 PR Target

395K

Source value: 395,000 PRs for 2025; 380,000/year for 2026-2028 (IRCC Levels Plan)

📎 IRCC 2025-2027 Immigration Levels PlanVerify →
Immigration Verified (rounded)

Temporary Residents (Peak)

~2.5-3M

Exact figure: Peaked at approximately 2.5-3M; fell by 61,111 in Q1 2025 (IRCC/StatsCan)

📎 IRCC Open DataVerify →
Immigration Verified

Say 'Too Many Immigrants'

56%

Source value: 56% say 'too many immigrants' (fall 2025, Environics); 69-78% link immigration to housing crisis (Leger)

📎 Environics Institute / Leger
Immigration Verified

Asylum Claims (2024)

174K

📎 Immigration and Refugee Board
Fiscal Reality Verified

Projected Deficit (2025-26)

$78B

Source value: $78 billion projected deficit for 2025-26 (-2.5% of GDP); $36B actual for 2024-25

📎 Department of Finance / Budget 2025Verify →
Fiscal Reality Verified

Federal Net Debt

$1.27T

Source value: $1,267 billion (March 2025); $33,980 per person

📎 Department of Finance Fiscal Reference Tables
Fiscal Reality Verified

Federal Debt-to-GDP

~41.2%

Source value: ~41.2% federal (2024-25), peaking at 43.3% (2027-28); 74.8% combined fed+provincial

📎 Department of Finance / IMF
Fiscal Reality Verified

Expense Growth (Q2 2025)

+5.5%

📎 Department of Finance Fiscal MonitorVerify →
Defense & Sovereignty Verified

Defense Spending (% GDP)

1.37% → 2%

Source value: 1.37% (2024-25) → ~2% (2025-26, ~$62.7B) (DND/NATO/Budget 2025)

📎 NATO / DND / Budget 2025Verify →
Defense & Sovereignty Verified

Budget 2025 Defence Package

$81.8B

📎 Department of Finance / Budget 2025
Defense & Sovereignty Multi-source range

Actual Regular Force Strength

~65,700

Sources reporting different values:

DND Nov 2024: 63,940
QP Notes Mar 2025: ~65,700
📎 Department of National Defence
Defense & Sovereignty Verified

F-35 Fighter Jets Ordered

88

📎 DND / PSPC
International Comparison Verified

GDP per capita (USD PPP) — Canada

~$62,700

📎 OECD / World Bank / CIHI / NATO (see individual sections)
International Comparison Verified

GDP per capita growth (2024) — Canada

-1.0%

📎 OECD / World Bank / CIHI / NATO (see individual sections)
International Comparison Verified

Business investment/worker — Canada

~$13,000

📎 OECD / World Bank / CIHI / NATO (see individual sections)
International Comparison Verified

Housing units per 1,000 people — Canada

~424

📎 OECD / World Bank / CIHI / NATO (see individual sections)
International Comparison Verified

Doctors per 1,000 people — Canada

~2.4

📎 OECD / World Bank / CIHI / NATO (see individual sections)
International Comparison Verified

Wait time (referral→treatment) — Canada

~30 weeks

📎 OECD / World Bank / CIHI / NATO (see individual sections)
International Comparison Verified

Household debt-to-income — Canada

~175%

📎 OECD / World Bank / CIHI / NATO (see individual sections)
International Comparison Verified

Defense spending (% GDP) — Canada

~2.0%

📎 OECD / World Bank / CIHI / NATO (see individual sections)
What Works Elsewhere Verified

Japan (🇯🇵) — Housing Supply

3× more homes built since 1963

📎 GLA Housing Research Note 3 (2019); Japan MLIT housing data
What Works Elsewhere Verified

Denmark (🇩🇰) — Healthcare Wait Times

4–8 week waits vs. Canada's 29–30

📎 OECD Health Policy Studies: Waiting Times (2020); Danish Health System Review (2024)
What Works Elsewhere Verified

France (🇫🇷) — Telecom & Competition

11.4% price drop in year one

📎 ARCEP 2012 Annual Report; Rudebaguette/INSEE data
What Works Elsewhere Verified

Ireland (🇮🇪) — Economic Productivity

From 70% of UK GDP to #1 in EU in 15 years

📎 Investopedia Celtic Tiger analysis; ASU CCPR Ireland report; CSO Ireland EU@50 data
What Works Elsewhere Verified

Sweden (🇸🇪) — Fiscal Discipline

From 12% deficit to surplus in 5 years

📎 Swedish Government fiscal framework documents; CEPR; Statista Sweden debt-to-GDP series
What Works Elsewhere Verified

United Kingdom (🇬🇧) — Defence Procurement

£250M per ship vs. Canada's ~$5B

📎 Canadian Naval Review CSC analysis; PBO CSC Costing Report; CBC News
What Works Elsewhere Verified

Estonia (🇪🇪) — Government Efficiency

100% digital government; 800 years of time saved annually

📎 e-estonia.com; TechRepublic; OECD Digital Government Index 2024
Cost of Inaction Projection

GDP per capita gap vs. US

Current: ~27.5%

📎 Author projections based on trend data (see individual sections)
Cost of Inaction Projection

Price-to-income ratio

Current: 8-9x

📎 Author projections based on trend data (see individual sections)
Cost of Inaction Projection

Without family doctor

Current: 6.5M

📎 Author projections based on trend data (see individual sections)
Cost of Inaction Projection

Median wait time

Current: 29-30 wks

📎 Author projections based on trend data (see individual sections)
Cost of Inaction Projection

Debt-to-GDP

Current: 42-44%

📎 Author projections based on trend data (see individual sections)
Cost of Inaction Projection

Brain drain (annual)

Current: 60-90K

📎 Author projections based on trend data (see individual sections)

Methodology

Verified

Directly traceable to a named primary source. The number on our site matches the source exactly or within normal rounding (e.g. 424 → 425).

Verified (rounded)

The underlying data is verified, but we round for readability. The exact source figure is shown below each claim so you can see precisely what we’re rounding from. For example, CREA reports $673,335 — we write “~$680K.”

Multi-source range

Multiple credible sources report slightly different values. We show all sources and their individual figures so you can see the range and judge for yourself. For example, CMA reports 5.9M Canadians without a family doctor; AFMC reports 6.5M — we show both.

Projection

Clearly labeled extrapolations of current trends. These represent “if nothing changes” scenarios, not predictions. The underlying trend data is sourced and verifiable.

This site contains no AI-generated statistics. All numbers were verified against primary sources by humans. The site itself was built with AI assistance, but every claim was hand-checked.