Health care access and experiences among Indigenous people, 2024

Released: 2024-11-04

In 2024, the majority of First Nations people living off reserve (86%), Métis (70%) and Inuit (82%) reported that it was very or somewhat important to have health care services that support Indigenous traditional medicines, healing and wellness practices.

Released today, new data from the Survey Series on First Nations People, Métis and Inuit sheds light on health care access and experiences among Indigenous people aged 15 and older. The purpose of this survey series is to improve the visibility of First Nations people living off reserve, Métis and Inuit in national statistics and to fill key data gaps with timely and culturally relevant data.

Over one-quarter of Indigenous people wait two weeks or more for non-urgent care with a health care provider

Primary health care providers serve a crucial role in health maintenance and are linked to better health outcomes. In 2024, 70% of Métis, 66% of First Nations people living off reserve, and 52% of Inuit consulted a health care provider for a non-urgent primary health care need (such as check-ups and prescription refills) in the 12 months prior to the survey.

Timely access to a primary health care provider is important, yet wait times have been increasing in Canada and they tend to be longer in more remote areas among Indigenous people. Among those who had consulted a primary health care provider in the 12 months prior to the survey, most reported wait times that ranged from two days to less than two weeks. Inuit were most likely to report waiting one month or more to access a primary health care provider (18%, compared with 14% for First Nations people living off reserve and 11% of Métis) (Chart 1).

Chart 1 
Percentage distribution of First Nations people living off reserve, Métis and Inuit aged 15 and older, by time taken between requesting and speaking with a primary health care provider, Canada, 2024

When asked about their level of satisfaction with wait times, about half of First Nations people living off reserve (50%), Métis (52%) and Inuit (57%) reported being satisfied or very satisfied.

Over one-quarter of Indigenous people have unmet health care needs

Indigenous people often face barriers to health care that contribute to health disparities, including navigating complex health care policies and funding, and sometimes even having to travel outside their communities to access services.

Unmet health care needs in the 12 months prior to the survey were reported by 32% of First Nations people living off reserve, 30% of Métis, and 29% of Inuit. A higher percentage of off-reserve First Nations women than men reported unmet health care needs in the 12 months prior to the survey (Table 1).

When asked why their health care needs were unmet, commonly reported reasons among First Nations people living off reserve, Métis and Inuit were difficulty getting a referral to a specialist and not being given the correct treatment or prescription. Among First Nations people living off reserve and Inuit, another commonly reported reason was health care services not being in their area/being too far away (Table 2).

Among Indigenous people who need mental health care and seek such care, about three-quarters report needs that are partially met or unmet

Mental health disparities among Indigenous people have been widely reported. These disparities are rooted in historical factors such as colonial, assimilationist policies, that have had adverse direct and intergenerational impacts, as well as contemporary factors such as access barriers to mental health services.

Almost half (47%) of First Nations people living off reserve, 43% of Métis and 35% of Inuit reported needing mental health care in the 12 months prior to the survey. More First Nations, Métis, and Inuit women than men reported that they needed mental health care. The need for mental health care trended higher among younger than older First Nations people living off reserve, Métis and Inuit with significant differences found between the oldest and youngest age groups (Table 3).

Among those who needed mental health care and sought such care, 28% of First Nations people living off reserve, 23% of Métis and 22% of Inuit reported that their needs were fully met, while nearly three-quarters reported partially met or unmet mental health care needs.

Inuit report travelling significant distances from their community to access health care

For some Indigenous people, extensive travel is necessary to access health care, and this can result in financial burdens, emotional stress, anxiety, and feelings of isolation. Roughly one in five First Nations people living off reserve (18%), 16% of Metis and 40% of Inuit travelled outside their community to access health care services in the 12 months prior to the survey.

While most First Nations people living off reserve and Métis who travelled for health care in the 12 months prior to the survey reported travelling less than 500 km (55% and 63%, respectively), a different scenario was seen among Inuit, just over half of whom reported travelling 1,500 km or more (Table 4).

Roughly one in five Indigenous people report experiencing unfair treatment, racism or discrimination from a health care professional

Racism, discrimination, and marginalization within the health care system are documented barriers to health care for Indigenous people. About 24% of First Nations people living off reserve, 23% of Inuit and 18% of Métis reported that they experienced some form of unfair treatment, racism, or discrimination from a health care professional in the 12 months prior to the survey. First Nations women living off reserve and Métis women were nearly twice as likely to report this compared to men (Chart 2).

Chart 2 
Percentage of First Nations people living off reserve, Métis and Inuit aged 15 and older who reported unfair treatment, racism, or discrimination from any health care professional in the 12 months prior to the survey, by gender, Canada, 2024

Among First Nations people living off reserve and Inuit who had experienced unfair treatment, racism or discrimination from a health care professional, the most reported setting was the hospital emergency room (50% for First Nations people living off reserve and 34% for Inuit), with 36% of Métis also reporting similar experiences in this setting. Among Métis, the most reported setting was the doctor's office (46%) (Table 5).

Most Indigenous people report that having health care services that support Indigenous traditional medicines, healing and wellness practices are very or somewhat important

In the Indigenous context, the integration of culturally appropriate and safe care—defined as care that reflects the values, traditions, and social norms of a patient's culture and where patients feel respected, safe and valued—is important. In addition, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada called on the Canadian health care system to recognize and integrate traditional knowledge, therapies and healing practices into the treatment approach for Indigenous people.

In 2024, health care services that support Indigenous traditional medicines, healing and wellness practices in the Canadian health care system were very or somewhat important to First Nations people living off reserve (86%), Inuit (82%) and Métis (70%) (Chart 3).

Chart 3 
Percentage distribution of First Nations people living off reserve, Métis and Inuit aged 15 and older, by importance of having health care services that support Indigenous traditional medicines, healing and wellness practices, Canada, 2024

However, most Indigenous people experiencing unfair treatment, racism or discrimination felt that their concerns and values were not taken into consideration in their interactions with health care professionals. More specifically, among those who experienced unfair treatment, racism or discrimination in the 12 months preceding the survey, 67% of First Nations people living off reserve, 65% of Métis and 58% of Inuit reported that their health concerns were minimized or dismissed (Table 6).

A further 21% of First Nations people living off reserve, 12% of Métis and 9% of Inuit indicated that their cultural protocols were not respected (e.g., not allowed to smudge or use traditional medicines).

Of those who stated that culturally appropriate services were important, 68% of First Nations people living off reserve, 67% of Inuit and 61% of Métis reported such services would make them feel respected for their culture, beliefs and identity. Roughly half of First Nations people living off reserve (49%) and Inuit (50%) reported that such services would make them more likely to seek health care. About half of Inuit (48%), 41% of First Nations people living off reserve and 32% of Métis reported that these services would make them feel safer discussing sensitive or traumatic experiences (Table 7).

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).