The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of 86 think-tanks. Its mission is to measure, study, and communicate the impact of competitive markets and government intervention on the welfare of individuals. To protect the Institute’s independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit Top 10% of income-earners earned 34% of Canada’s total income—yet paid more than 54% of total income taxes
TORONTO—The share of income tax paid by the top 10 per cent of income-earners in Canada is markedly disproportionate to the share of income earned by this group of Canadians, finds a new essay released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
“Despite common misperceptions and misleading rhetoric, our top 10 per cent of income-earners pay more than half of Canada’s income taxes—and this group includes people that few would consider wealthy,” said Philip Cross, former chief economic analyst at Statistics Canada, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and author of Should Upper-Income Canadians Pay More Income Tax?
- Thursday, January 23, 2020
VANCOUVER—Every high-income country with universal health care allows private medical insurance to cover some necessary health-care costs, except Canada, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
Currently, the provinces prohibit or severely restrict the ability of Canadians to pay privately for medically necessary services in their efforts to comply with the Canada Health Act.
TORONTO—Since 2007/08, the year before the last recession, combined federal and provincial debt has grown from $837.0 billion to a projected $1.5 trillion in 2019/20, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
“Government debt—federally and in every province—has grown over the past 12 years, creating serious fiscal challenges for Ottawa and many provincial governments,” said Jake Fuss, economist at the Fraser Institute and co-author of 
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VANCOUVER—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has now recorded the highest ever per-person spending level of any federal government, including those that fought wars or faced recessions, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
MONTREAL—Despite common misperceptions, CEO compensation in Canada largely reflects the nature of the job, the skills required and the global demand for top talent, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
VANCOUVER—The amount Canadians donate to charity—as a percentage of their income claimed on their taxes—has hit a 20-year low and lags far behind the amount Americans give, finds a new study by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
CALGARY—Despite billions of dollars in government spending, nearly one of every five First Nation communities in Canada has experienced a decline in living standards since 2001, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
TORONTO—Spending on public schools in Ontario increased 3.1 per cent per student in recent years, surpassing the national average, finds a new study by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
VANCOUVER—The median wait time for medically necessary treatment in Canada this year was 20.9 weeks, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
This is the second-longest wait ever recorded by the Fraser Institute, which has been measuring wait times across Canada since 1993 when patients waited just 9.3 weeks.
TORONTO—Government employees in Ontario received 10.3 per cent higher wages on average than comparable workers in the private sector last year, and enjoyed much more generous non-wage benefits, too, finds a new study by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
“Bringing government-sector compensation in line with the private sector would not only help governments in Ontario control spending without reducing services, it would also maintain fairness for taxpayers,” said Ben Eisen, a Fraser Institute Senior Fellow with the Ontario Prosperity Initiative.
CALGARY—Texas is more than two times as attractive than Alberta for oil and gas investment, according to a new survey of petroleum-sector executives released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan, Canadian public policy think-tank.
TORONTO—Electricity prices in Ontario continue to rise, despite the Ontario government’s attempts to lower them, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian policy think-tank.
“Ontarians know their hydro bills skyrocketed over the past 10 years, but many may be surprised to learn those costs continue to go up,” said Elmira Aliakbari, associate director of natural resource studies at the Fraser Institute and co-author of The Ontario Government’s Electricity Policies 2018-2019: How They Are Failing and How to Fix Them.
CALGARY—Canada’s equalization program has cost taxpayers—including taxpayers in “have” provinces such as Alberta—$2.1 billion more in equalization payments since 2017 due to a program design flaw, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
“Most Canadians likely assume that if the fiscal disparity between richer and poorer provinces shrinks, equalization payments also shrink—but currently, that’s not how the program works,” said Ben Eisen, Fraser Institute senior fellow and co-author of Why is Equalization Still Growing?
TORONTO—Throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, but particularly in the City of Toronto, businesses pay much higher property tax rates than residents, which can lead to businesses leaving the area or simply closing, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
“When punitive commercial property taxes force businesses to leave or close, the make-up of our communities and cities can change profoundly,” said Josef Filipowicz, a senior policy analyst with the Fraser Institute and co-author 
VANCOUVER—An annual economic growth rate of 3 per cent would spur an approximately $45,000 increase in Canada’s per-person income after 20 years, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
“Increased economic growth means improved living standards for Canadians, so economic growth remains an issue worthy of serious attention,” said Steven Globerman, Fraser Institute senior fellow and editor of 
“With Thanksgiving just around the corner, Canadians may be surprised to learn that the global food supply chain—and not the local farmers’ market—provides safer, more affordable food that is better for the environment,” said Pierre Desrochers, associate professor at the University of Toronto Mississauga, Fraser Institute senior fellow, and author of The Myths of Local Food Policy: Lessons from the economic and social history of the food system.
VANCOUVER—Despite spending more on health care than most other developed countries with universal coverage, Canada has a relatively short supply of doctors and hospital beds—and the longest wait times, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
“Canada’s health-care system remains one of the most expensive in the world yet struggles with a comparative dearth of medical resources and comparatively long wait times,” said Bacchus Barua, associate director of health policy studies at the Fraser Institute and co-author of 
TORONTO--Despite popular misconceptions about class size and student performance, provinces with larger secondary school class sizes such as Quebec and Alberta outperform Ontario on international tests, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
TORONTO—Ontario lost 169,800 manufacturing jobs from 2007 to 2017 while neighbouring Michigan added 47,000 above pre-recession levels over the same period, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
“Michigan and Ontario have a lot in common, but while Michigan has revived its manufacturing sector since the recession, Ontario manufacturing continues to struggle,” said Ben Eisen, Fraser Institute senior fellow and co-author of