Improving the health of men and boys in Canada

On this page

• Canada's Men and Boys' Health Strategy
• National conversation
• International strategies for men's health
• About men's health
• Other programs
• Contact us

Canada's Men and Boys' Health Strategy

The Government of Canada is engaging provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous partners and key stakeholders to develop a Men and Boys' Health Strategy. The goal is to create supportive and safe environments, challenge harmful stereotypes, reduce stigma and encourage men of all ages to seek help when they need it.

Improving the health of men and boys is a shared effort. The factors that lead to poorer health outcomes for men and boys are complex and interrelated, and don't begin in adulthood.

National conversation

In February 2026, we launched a national conversation on men and boys’ health to hear about the challenges that men and boys face, what contributes to those challenges, and solutions to address them.

The conversation included:

• public engagement through an online questionnaire (closed on June 1, 2026)
• written submissions from stakeholders and experts (closed on June 1, 2026)
• Ministerial roundtables
• stakeholder-led regional roundtables
• Parliamentarian-led engagement with constituents
• discussions with federal-provincial-territorial officials and international partners

Many people across Canada participated in the conversation by answering the following questions:

1. How can we support boys and men in understanding and dealing with traditional ideas about masculinity in healthy ways, including:
   1. overcoming stigma?
   2. feeling comfortable asking for help?
2. How do we help men build healthy relationships and adopt healthy habits that improve their overall well-being?
   1. What role do male role models, mentors and community leaders play in shaping healthier norms?
   2. How can we amplify positive examples of masculinity?
3. How do we help men seek out the care they need:
   1. to support their mental health and well-being?
   2. for any challenges with substance use or addiction?
4. How do different life stages shape men's well-being? For example, adolescence, early adulthood, fatherhood, midlife and retirement.
   1. Where are the biggest transition points where support is most needed?

Thank you to those who took the time to share their views on this issue.

Canada’s first Men and Boys’ Health Strategy will be published in fall 2026. It will set out the key themes from what we heard and outline what is needed to:

• create supportive and safe environments,
• challenge harmful stereotypes,
• reduce stigma, and
• encourage men of all ages to seek help when they need it.

International strategies for men's health

To inform our work, we are also looking at international approaches to men's health:

• Australia: National Men's Health Strategy 2020 – 2030
• Ireland: National Men's Health Action Plan 2024-2028
• United Kingdom: National Men's Health Strategy 2025 - 2030
• WHO Europe: Strategy on the Health and Well-being of Men

We are also looking at previous provincial and territorial work, such as Quebec's former men's health strategy, and work by men's health stakeholders, like Movember.

Learn more:

• Plan d'action ministériel : Santé et bien-être des hommes (2017 - 2022) (French only)
• The Real Face of Men's Health: 2025 Canadian Report

About men's health

Health includes physical, mental and social well-being at all stages of life.

Men in Canada face distinct health challenges, including shorter life expectancy (80 years compared to 84 years in women). They also experience higher rates of:

• premature death
• suicide
• substance use and related harms (70% of opioid-related deaths nationwide)
• some sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections, such as gonorrhea and infectious syphilis
• some chronic diseases such as diabetes and ischemic heart disease
• gambling problems

Figure 1: Descriptive text

An image with two silhouettes and text. On the top of the image, there is text saying "as of 2024". Under the male silhouette, the text reads "80.0 years (male)". Under the female silhouette, the text reads "84.3 years (female)."

Men are also less likely to engage with primary care or access preventive services, including health screening, with 65% of Canadian men waiting more than six days with symptoms before visiting the doctor.

These differences are not simply biological. Social, economic and cultural factors also play a major role in shaping health outcomes. For example, men are more likely to have lower education levels, and experience higher rates of incarceration and homelessness than women.

Mental health of men and boys

Young men aged 15 to 24 show concerning trends in their self-rated mental health and rates of mental illness. For instance, between 2012 and 2022:

• the percentage who reported "very good" or "excellent" mental health fell from 70% to 52%
• the percentage who experienced:
  • mood disorders increased from11% to 16%
  • generalized anxiety disorder increased from 4% to 10%

Figure 2: Descriptive text

An image with two arrows and text. On the left side, there is an arrow pointing down with the text "declining self-rated mental health" underneath. On the right side, there is an arrow pointing up with the text "increasing prevalence of mental illness."

Young men who are not in employment, education or training face higher risks of mental illness and substance use.

Learn more:

• Statistical checkup of Canadian men's health
• Online resources on men's health issues
• It's Your Health series for men
• Things you should know about men's health (Movember)
• Men's health conditions (Canadian Men's Health Foundation)
• Problem gambling (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health)
• Statement of the Chief Medical Officers of Health: Latest national data on substance-related harms

Structural, social and economic influences on health

There is a growing body of evidence on how gender, along with other social determinants of health, influence risk factors and health outcomes. Additionally, some groups of men face greater health challenges, such as men who are:

• Indigenous
• part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community
• Black or from other racialized groups

Some groups of men in Canada are at higher risk of suicide, including men who are:

• veterans
• Indigenous
• part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community
• in the criminal justice system or incarcerated
• lacking access to supportive relationships or sense of community

These men often face more barriers to accessing supports due to social and economic influences on health, such as:

• systemic racism
• colonialism
• discrimination
• economic inequality

Learn more:

• Social determinants of health and health inequalities

Other programs

Within the Health Portfolio, we support men's health and well-being by:

• promoting healthy living
• helping to prevent suicide
• sharing key statistics on health trends
• providing resources for men and boys affected by:
  • family violence
  • intimate partner violence
  • substance use
  • mental health challenges

The federal government also funds and supports:

• sexual and reproductive health initiatives
• youth mental health programs and services
• research into the influence of sex and gender on health
• chronic disease prevention programs

A focus on men's health does not replace the important work underway to support women's health. Women continue to face distinct health risks and inequities, and we remain committed to closing those gaps. Our focus on men's health complements this approach.

Learn more:

• Women's Health Strategy

Contact us

Health Policy Branch
Health Canada
Email: menshealth-santemasculine@hc-sc.gc.ca