Sweden consistently outperforms Canada on universal health care despite similar spending: new study

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsCanada Sweden consistently outperforms Canada on universal health care despite similar spending: new study 'In Sweden, privately insured patients continue to contribute to the public system through income taxation. They do not opt out financially,' says the study's author Author of the article: By Stewart Lewis Published Sep 18, 2026 Last updated 15 hours ago 3 minute read Join the conversation Sweden and Canada operate publicly financed universal health-care systems, but access for Swedes is significantly better, according to a new report from the Fraser Institute. PHOTO BY DEREK BALDWIN/GETTY IMAGES Article content Sweden and Canada operate publicly financed universal health-care systems, but access to care in the Nordic country is “markedly better,” according to a new report from the Fraser Institute. Article content In 2024, wait times leading to unmet medical needs affected two per cent of Swedes, compared with 9.1 per cent of Canadians, says the report’s author, Yanick Labrie. Article content Article content The study argues that the difference between the two national systems can be found in the way they are organized. Labrie states that almost half (46.9 per cent) of primary care centres in Sweden are privately operated, while still fully funded by public dollars. Article content Article content Labrie notes that private providers in Sweden perform more than 40 per cent of publicly funded hip and knee replacements and over 70 per cent of cataract procedures. Article content NP Posted Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content Private providers have also expanded surgical capacity, rather than displacing it, he suggests. Between 2001 and 2019, the share of cataract patients treated within 90 days increased from 36.9 to 88.2 per cent while median waiting times fell from 6.2 to 1.8 months. Article content More particularly, 85 per cent of patients receive a medical assessment within three days when needed, the study states. Article content Labrie states that European health-care systems have attracted an increasing level attention among Canadian policymakers. For example, he states that in May 2026, Alberta…