The state of healthy lifestyles in Canada in 2025 reflects a blend of progress and persistent challenges. On the one hand, the country has seen a rise in public awareness regarding physical fitness and nutrition, driven in part by education campaigns and digital platforms. Many Canadians, particularly younger generations like Gen Z, are integrating regular exercise and balanced diets into their routines, often influenced by content from social media creators. However, disparities remain evident. Access to healthy foods and fitness resources continues to vary widely based on income and geographic location, creating barriers for vulnerable populations. These trends underline the importance of inclusive policies and innovative strategies to bridge economic and social divides in promoting healthier lifestyles for all Canadians.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Analysis of Canadians’ self-assessment of physical health and activity
- Exploration of nutritional habits and diet among Canadians
- Examination of health maintenance expenses and behaviours
- Insights into diverse consumer health concerns and disparities
- Discussion on the impact of economic factors on health practices
- Trust levels in social media influencers for health information
- Concerns around aging and health maintenance
Health is wealth. But, wealth innately impacts Canadians’ health. Consumers seek out healthy lifestyles, though a one-size-fits-all approach is not the way forward.
Candace Baldassarre, Senior Analyst
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Market predictions
- Opportunities
- What consumers want & why
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THE MARKET
- Market drivers
- Economic snapshot
- Inflation rates continue to cool…
- Graph 1: Consumer Price Index, 2020-25
- …but consumers still are feeling the pinch
- Graph 2: consumer price index, 2020-25
- Canadians’ higher savings rates persist amid inflationary pressure
- Graph 3: household savings rate, 2019-24
- Tariffs, Trump and tumultuous times
- Canadian identities have become more racially diverse
- Graph 4: proportion of racialized population, 2001 vs 2021
- Graph 5: population by race, 2001 vs 2021
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumer fast facts
- Consumers’ self-assessment of physical health and activity
- Most Canadians are feeling somewhat healthy…
- Graph 6: current physical health rating, 2024
- …and somewhat physically active
- Graph 7: physical activity level, 2024
- Younger consumers tend to gravitate toward extremes
- Graph 8: current physical health rating, by age, 2024
- Younger men’s physical health is optimal
- Graph 9: current physical activity rating, by gender, 2024
- Graph 10: current physical health rating is ‘very healthy’, by age and gender, 2024
- Black consumers stand out
- Graph 11: current physical health rating is ‘very healthy’, overall vs Black consumers, 2024
- Graph 12: “I am very physically active”, overall vs Black consumers, 2024
- BLK+GRN prioritizes Black consumers’ health and wellbeing
- Newcomers are feeling very healthy
- Household financial situation has everything to do with it
- Graph 13: current physical health rating, by household financial status, 2024
- Graph 14: current physical activity level, by household financial status, 2024
- Rural Canadians are less active
- Graph 15: current physical activity level, by area lived, 2024
- Consumers’ self-assessment of nutrition
- Canadians are eating healthily most of the time
- Youngest Canadians are less fussed about healthy eating
- Graph 16: “I eat a balanced and healthy diet…”, by age, 2024
- Graph 17: healthy diet assessment (NET), by age, 2024
- Enormous room for growth with students
- Graph 18: healthy diet assessment for 18-34s, students vs non-students, 2024
- Healthy financial status begets a healthy diet
- Graph 19: “I eat a balanced and healthy diet…”, by household financial situation, 2024
- Reasons for not feeling healthy
- Medical conditions and illnesses top the list
- Graph 20: contributing factors to feelings of poor health, 2024
- Age’s impact on feelings of poor health are apparent
- Graph 21: contributing factors to feelings of poor health (select), by age, 2024
- Youngest and oldest consumers stand out
- Graph 22: medical conditions or illnesses are contributing factors to poor health, by age, 2024
- Graph 23: medical conditions or illnesses are contributing factors to poor health, by age and gender, 2024
- Newcomers to Canada are less fussed by medical conditions
- Health maintenance expenses
- Consumers are willing to shell out in the name of health
- Graph 24: expenses to maintain/improve health in past 12 months, 2024
- Expenses around health are oriented by age
- Graph 25: has spent money on medication to improve/maintain health in the past 12 months, by age, 2024
- Graph 26: expenses to maintain/improve health in past 12 months, by age, 2024
- Women’s and men’s health spending looks different
- Graph 27: expenses to maintain/improve health in past 12 months (select), by gender, 2024
- Newcomers are not prioritizing medication
- Graph 28: expenses to maintain/improve health in past 12 months (select), overall vs consumers living in Canada for less than five years, 2024
- Multicultural consumers are actively engaged in bettering their health
- Graph 29: expenses to maintain/improve health in past 12 months (select), by race, 2024
- Making health tracking equipment accessible for non-English or French speakers
- Graph 30: has spent money on health tracking equipment in the past 12 months, by language spoken in the home, 2024
- Health management behaviours
- Canadians are eating their fruits and veggies
- Graph 31: habits done to stay healthy, 2024
- Most Canadians are generally satisfied with their healthcare
- Universal healthcare isn’t felt universally
- Mental health is health
- Not all activities stack up the same
- Graph 32: percentage of consumers who do these activities and do them regularly, 2024
- The age divide is obvious when looking at healthy habits
- Graph 33: “I do this regularly”, by age, 2024
- Gen Z is dehydrated
- Younger men are tracking their daily behaviours
- Graph 34: tracks daily behaviours to stay healthy, by age and gender, 2024
- Students are striving to stay healthy
- Graph 35: habits done by 18-34s to stay healthy (select), students vs non-students, 2024
- Diverse Canadians adopt diverse strategies to stay healthy
- Graph 36: habits done to stay healthy (select), by race, 2024
- Household financial situation has everything to do with it
- Graph 37: habits done to stay healthy (select), by household financial status, 2024
- Top concerns around health while ageing
- Physical health decline tops Canadians’ concerns around ageing
- Graph 38: top concerns around leading a healthy lifestyle while ageing (any rank), 2024
- Stereotypical concerns plague men versus women
- Graph 39: top concerns around leading a healthy lifestyle while ageing (select) (any rank), by gender, 2024
- Consumers aged 65+ stand alone
- Graph 40: top concerns around leading a healthy lifestyle while aging (select) (any rank), by age, 2024
- Graph 41: top concerns around leading a healthy lifestyle while aging (select) (any rank), by age, 2024
- Financial security worries those without it
- Graph 42: top concerns around leading a healthy lifestyle while ageing (select) (any rank), by household financial situation, 2024
- Multicultural Canadians’ concerns vary
- Graph 43: top concerns around leading a healthy lifestyle while aging (select) (any rank), by race, 2024
- Trusting social media influencers
- Not all information stacks up the same
- Graph 44: attitudes toward social media influencers (% agree), 2024
- Gen Z trusts influencers
- Younger men are keen to hear influencers’ opinions on health
- Graph 45: “I trust social media influencers for health information” (% agree), by age and gender, 2024
- Multicultural Canadians’ trust of social media influencers is marked
- Graph 46: attitudes toward social media influencers (% agree), by race, 2024
- Half of newcomers trust influencers for nutrition information
- Quebec’s interest in influencers isn’t there
- Graph 47: attitudes toward social media influencers (% agree), by region, 2024
- Attitudes toward health
- Healthy living means living in the now but planning for the (financial) future
- Older Canadians’ opinions are stronger
- Graph 48: attitudes toward healthy lifestyles, by age, 2024
- Canadians are considering cannabis
- Older consumers still need convincing to light one up
- Graph 49: cannabis products are a viable remedy for certain mental and physical ailments (% agree), by age, 2024
- Cooking at home is key
- Baby Boomers are adamant that cooking at home is the healthier option
- Graph 50: cooking at home is healthier than dining out (% agree), by generation, 2024
- Canadians are feeling the winter blues
- Black and South Asian consumers find winters especially challenging
- Graph 51: Canadian winters make exercising year-round challenging (% agree), overall vs Black vs South Asian, 2024
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COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES
- Launch activity and innovation
- GoRuck and MADabolic’s partnership encourages getting active
- Steppin into screentime
- #Winterarc motivates consumers to lead healthier lives
- Noom Vibe gameifies health
- Saucony’s Marathumb Challenge battles scrolling
- GROW-on-the-GO
- Nix Biosensors offers advanced hydration monitoring
- NOVOS tests for biological age
- Targeting sugar-induced skin ageing
- Marketing and advertising
- WeWard partners with Venus Williams
- Find ways to stand out in the growing sea of ingredient-focused products
- Activia cares about Canadians’ gut health
- All is golden around aging
- #TEARPOURLIVEMORE campaign
- GOLF TOWN EVENT ENCOURAGES INCLUSIVITY
- Knorr shows that cooking is a green flag
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APPENDIX
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
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