Atlantic Canadian health spending could double in 20 years without changes: report

Paramedics are seen at the Dartmouth General Hospital in Dartmouth, N.S. on July 4, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

HALIFAX — A new report says Canada’s four Atlantic provinces are spending 40 per cent more on health care than they did 10 years ago and could see those totals double over the next 20 years.

The Atlantic Economic Council released the report on Wednesday.

It says the four provinces spent a combined $19 billion on health in 2024-25.

That’s up from $11 billion in 2014-15.

The council says spending on health care will reach $40 billion by 2046 if the four provincial governments don’t build more efficient and financially sustainable systems.

It says the pressure will intensify as the number of people over 75 in the region is expected to increase by 180,000 over the next two decades.

The report says Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia have the highest health care costs per capita in Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 1, 2026.