Financial estimates for nursing and residential care facilities in 2023
The combined operating revenues of private and public nursing and residential care facilities in Canada grew by 7.6% from 2022 to reach $43.3 billion in 2023. With an ever-increasing proportion of the Canadian population being aged 65 years and older, demand for these services has continued to rise in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Likewise, as active COVID-19 cases have decreased, pandemic-related restrictions have eased and day-to-day operations have begun to more closely approximate their pre-pandemic norm.
Key highlights of public facilities
The operating revenue of public facilities increased by 7.4% from 2022 to reach $24.1 billion in 2023, representing 55.7% of the nursing and residential care facilities subsector's total operating revenue. Quebec ($8.8 billion) continued to be the largest provincial contributor to public facilities' operating revenue, followed by Ontario ($4.7 billion) and Alberta ($2.8 billion).
Operating expenses grew by 6.4% from the previous year to reach $24.1 billion in 2023. Salaries, wages, commissions and benefits, representing almost three-quarters (73.7%) of operating expenses, rose by 5.8% from 2022 to $17.8 billion in 2023.
Public facilities recorded an operating surplus of $31.3 million in 2023, following successive deficits from 2015 to 2022. The largest deficit occurred in 2020 (-$878.2 million), following the onset of the pandemic.
Key highlights of private facilities
In 2023, the operating revenue of private facilities rose by 7.9% from the previous year, reaching $19.2 billion and representing 44.3% of the nursing and residential care facilities subsector's total operating revenue. This was the first increase in their share of the industry since 2019. In the private sector, Ontario (40.1%) continued to be the largest contributor to operating revenue in 2023, followed by Quebec (26.2%) and British Columbia (13.7%).
Operating expenses of private facilities grew by 6.2% from 2022 to reach $17.4 billion in 2023. Salaries, wages, commissions and benefits, representing over half (55.1%) of operating expenses in private facilities, rose by 5.8% to $9.6 billion. The profit margin of private facilities rose to 9.0% in 2023, following steady declines from 2018 to 2022.
Note to readers
The nursing and residential care facilities data for 2021 and 2022 have been revised.
These estimates represent an aggregate of administrative financial data for the fiscal year going from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024.
The nursing and residential care facilities subsector covers nursing care facilities; residential facilities for persons with an intellectual or developmental disability, a mental health or substance use condition; community care facilities for the elderly; and other residential care facilities.
Separate estimates are published for private and public facilities. Public facilities are owned by non-profit organizations and the government.
Information on the decreasing number of active COVID-19 cases can be found in the article, "Long-Term Care Home COVID-19 Data."
Information about age and demographics comes from table 17-10-0005-01.
These and other data related to business and consumer services can be found on the Business and consumer services and culture statistics portal.
Reference
Data tables: 13-10-0101-01 and 13-10-0102-01.
- Note: some data tables may best be viewed on desktop.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey numbers 3210 and 5255.
Previous release: Nursing and residential care facilities, 2022.
Contact information
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