This Report offers an insightful exploration into the dynamic realm of health tech in Canada, driven by a surge in consumer demand for preventative care and digital wellness.
The Future of Health Technology in Canada
40% of Canadians possess at least one wearable device, illustrating growing adoption of health tech across the nation. This adoption is accompanied by the transformative impact of AI-powered tools and cloud-based diagnostics, providing scalable and cost-effective solutions for health management.
With Canada’s demographic shift towards a more diverse population, there is a significant opportunity for health tech companies. By creating inclusive tools with features like multilingual interfaces and culturally relevant content, businesses can resonate with Canada’s multicultural audiences, anticipated to make up over one third of the population by 2040.
However, rising living costs and inflation pose a major threat, pressuring Canadians to choose cost-effective solutions over wellness investments, potentially hindering the uptake of premium health tech products. Additionally, consumer concerns regarding data privacy and the physical impact of technology underscore the need for brands to foster trust through transparency and robust safety measures.
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report was written by Michael Lloy. A tech and media analyst at Mintel with seven years of experience, Michael Lloy focuses on consumer sentiment in AI, social media, tech hardware, and gaming. He previously contributed/ to Comperemedia’s intelligence team and holds an honors BA in history from McMaster University and a Research Analyst certificate from Humber.
Innovation thrives in Canada’s health tech, driven by AI and wearables, yet affordability and inclusivity are crucial factors for 2025.
Michael Lloy
Research Analyst
Innovation thrives in Canada’s health tech, driven by AI and wearables, yet affordability and inclusivity are crucial factors for 2025.
Michael Lloy, Research Analyst
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Market predictions
- What consumers want and why
- Opportunities
- Target younger consumers with gamified health tech
- Develop inclusive health tech for diverse communities
- Focus on convenience and integration in health tech
- Address mental health needs with emerging technology
- Engage older adults with tailored health tech solutions
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THE MARKET
- Market context
- Canada invests in fitness and health tech innovation
- Market drivers
- Costs remain elevated for Canadians
- Graph 1: Consumer Price Index, 2025
- April 2025 CPI trends:Â CPI slows to 1.7% in April as energy prices drop, impacting fitness tech and consumer trends
- The Pan‑Canadian Telehealth Interoperability Initiative gains steam
- Health tech faces challenges as Canadians prioritize affordability over wellness investments
- Graph 2: issues that have been affecting Canadians over the past two months, 2024
- How health & fitness tech can thrive by meeting Canadians’ evolving priorities
- Graph 3: household savings rate, 2020-25
- Embracing diversity: how health tech can innovate for Canada’s multicultural future
- Graph 4: proportion of visible minority in Canada, 1981-2036
- Unlocking opportunities in health tech for Canada’s growing senior population
- Graph 5: population aged 0-14 and 65+, 2000-40 (projected)
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumer health dashboard: perceptions and habits
- Consumers, in general, feel the same about their physical and mental health compared to a year ago
- Graph 6: physical and mental health ratings compared to 12 months previous, 2025
- While many consumers feel the same about their health as last year, many are looking to improve it
- Graph 7: health plans over the next 12 months, 2025
- Canadians are primarily utilizing health devices and apps to track their physical condition and fitness
- Graph 8: top reasons for using health technology products/apps (any rank), 2025
- Younger men are feeling significantly better about their physical health when compared to a year ago…
- Graph 9: “better” physical health rating compared to 12 months ago, by age and gender, 2025
- …and so are less likely to be pursuing active improvement when compared to younger women
- Graph 10: plans to improve physical health over the next 12 months, by age and gender, 2025
- Interestingly, significantly more younger consumers are feeling both better and worse about their mental health than those aged 55+
- Graph 11: mental health ratings compared to 12 months ago, by age, 2025
- Older consumers are significantly less likely to consider mental health maintenance or improvement
- Graph 12: “I don’t think about mental health”, by age and gender, 2025
- Managing mental health tools see about 50% less utilization than tracking physical condition, with younger consumers taking the lead
- Graph 13: use tech health apps/devices to manage mental health (any rank), by age, 2025
- Younger men are significantly less interested in tracking their physical condition
- Graph 14: use tech health products/apps to be aware of own physical condition (any rank), by age and gender, 2025
- While younger women are significantly more interested in apps that can help track their fitness goals
- Graph 15: use health tech products/apps to track fitness progress (any rank), by age and gender, 2025
- However, younger men are more interested in using apps and devices to improve sleep quality
- Graph 16: use health devices/apps to improve sleep quality (any rank), by age and gender, 2025
- To jumpstart health considerations, brands simply need to advertise
- Older men are less interested in using tech to track or improve their nutrition…
- Graph 17: use health devices/apps to manage diet/nutrition (any rank), by age and gender, 2025
- …but are significantly more likely to be utilizing health tech and apps to help with medical conditions
- Graph 18: use health devices/apps to manage existing medical conditions (any rank), by age and gender, 2025
- Community is an incredibly important element to generate and maintain health engagement
- Convince younger men to “try new” tech-related apps and devices may increase adoption for physical-tracking-related health technology
- Graph 19: use health tech devices/apps to try new things (any rank), by age and gender, 2025
- Younger consumers are more likely to utilize tech to connect with medical professionals or monitor the health of dependents
- Graph 20: use health tech devices/apps to connect and/or to monitor (any rank), by age, 2025
- Black and South Asian Canadians are feeling particularly good about their health
- Graph 21: mental health ratings compared to 12 months ago, by race, 2025
- Graph 22: physical health ratings compared to 12 months ago, by race, 2025
- How health brands can drive inclusivity and improve outcomes for diverse communities
- There are significant opportunities for brands to tap into heightened health consciousness among visible minorities
- Graph 23: plans to improve physical and mental health, by race, 2025
- In fact, brands can use tech to empower Black and South Asian communities in health and wellness
- Graph 24: use health tech/apps for select purposes (any rank), by race, 2025
- Health technology device ownership and interest
- Popular tech brands can leverage their reputation
- Canadians desire personalization, real-time feedback and gamification in health tech
- Graph 25: features/content that would attract one to purchase/download a health tech product/app, 2025
- Demand for these features has roughly translated into higher ownership and usage for devices that carry them
- Graph 26: health tech device/app ownership and usage, 2025
- Convenience is top of mind when it comes to health tech
- Younger consumers find most health device and app features more enticing than older consumers
- Graph 27: features/content that would attract one to purchase/download a health tech product/app, by age, 2025
- Tech device brands and apps can attract younger men with community, and appeal to younger women with personalized diet plans
- Graph 28: select features/content that would attract one to purchase/download a health tech product/app, by gender and age, 2025
- Younger consumers are more likely to both own and be actively using the majority health tech products and apps
- Graph 29: health tech devices/apps owned and actively used, by age, 2025
- Brands, especially health app brands, need to work harder to re-engage men
- Graph 30: health tech device/apps owned but stopped using, by gender, 2025
- With younger ethnic demographics, brands should ensure diverse marketing to tap into heightened health take interest
- Graph 31: select features/content that would attract one to purchase/download a health tech product/app, by race, 2025
- Again, diversity is incredibly important for health brands, because diverse demographics tend to be more active users
- Graph 32: health tech devices/apps owned and used, by race, 2025
- Health tech: consumers’ concerns
- Still, consumers feel that the current suite of health devices on offer do not meet their needs
- A significant majority of consumers have concerns about health tech, but these fall dramatically with age
- Graph 33: consumer concerns about health tech (any agree), by age, 2025
- Women are more concerned about health technology
- Graph 34: health tech device/app concerns (any agree), by gender, 2025
- Black and South Asian Canadians have significant concerns about the health effects of technology
- Graph 35: “I am concerned about the unseen negative physical and mental health effects technology can have on the human body” (any agree), by race, 2025
- Spotlight: fitness
- One third of consumers consider fitness tracking a top reason for health device and app usage
- Wearable devices are, by far, the most popular fitness device for consumers
- Graph 36: fitness device/app ownership, 2025
- Fitness features are top draws for health tech
- Graph 37: features/content that would attract me to purchase/download a health tech product/app, 2025
- Gamification, competition and community and convenience are key for fitness tech
- Graph 38: fitness tech attitudes (any agree), by age, 2025
- Younger consumers – and in some cases, younger men – are significantly more likely to own fitness tech
- Graph 39: fitness device/app ownership, by gender, 2025
- Black, Chinese and South Asian Canadians report significantly higher ownership of health and fitness tech
- Graph 40: fitness tech device/app ownership, by race, 2025
- Consumers and mental health
- Younger consumers are more likely to own or have downloaded mental health solutions
- Younger consumers are more likely to own or have downloaded mental health solutions…
- Graph 41: ownership of mental health devices/apps, by age, 2025
- …despite consumers of all ages that utilize mental health apps finding serious benefits in doing so
- Graph 42: “I find mental health apps (eg Headspace, Calm ) to be beneficial and effective in managing my mental health ” (any agree), by age, 2025
- Canadians find stress relief management the most useful way to manage mental health
- Graph 43: methods useful to manage mental health, 2025
- Younger consumers are more likely to take a variety of lengths to manage mental health
- Graph 44: methods used to manage mental health, by age, 2025
- Women are more likely to turn to several key methods of mental health management
- Graph 45: methods used to manage mental health, by gender, 2025
- Strategies for engaging consumers regarding mental health management
- Canada’s ethnic communities have diverse methods of managing mental health
- Graph 46: methods useful in managing mental health, by race, 2025
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COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES
- Launch activity and innovation
- AI-driven personalization is here and transforming the health landscape
- Wearable sensor technology will continue to evolve
- Integration of mental health and wellness into wider health apps is becoming a standard
- Collaborative ecosystems are growing as partnerships bring consumers a wider array of health solutions
- Centreing female care with new wearable rings
- Marketing and advertising
- Keyword and SEO are incredibly important for brands promoting health tech devices and apps
- Graph 47: daily social media and search engine usage, 2025
- How health tech brands can leverage social media to reach across generations
- Graph 48: daily social media usage, by age, 2025
- Abbott unveils Lingo with a bold hybrid marketing strategy: pop-up demos meet traditional advertising
- How expert-led Influencer marketing is redefining trust in health and beauty
- How AI and chatbots are transforming healthcare marketing for a patient-centered future
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APPENDIX
- Consumer research methodology
- Consumer research questions
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
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