Ageism isn’t just something older adults experience. In Canada, our public policy choices often contain an unseen bias against younger generations — Millennials and Gen Z — that quietly shapes their opportunities and wellbeing.

Just as ageism toward seniors can influence decisions in medical clinics, workplaces, and communities, structural ageism against younger people is baked into the way we allocate public resources. It’s rarely the result of deliberate discrimination. Instead, it stems from policy inertia — a failure to update government systems in response to today’s social, economic, and environmental realities. Because this bias is embedded in our institutions, we need systemic solutions to correct it and build a Canada that treats all ages and generations fairly.

Ageism in Housing

Since 1977, rising residential real estate values have generated roughly $1.5 trillion in new housing wealth — most of it going to older homeowners who entered the market decades ago. Many now plan to use this equity to fund their retirements. Canada’s housing policies are designed to protect these “nest eggs,” even as Millennials and Gen Z face high rents and heavy mortgages that bear little relation to their earnings. This erodes financial security and wellbeing for younger generations.

Ageism in Income Supports

Canadian seniors are the least likely age group to live in poverty, enjoy the most wealth, are less likely to face food insecurity, and are most likely to own a home. Yet retirees receive more generous cash benefits than families with children. Senior couples with incomes up to $180,000 can still receive the full $18,000 Old Age Security benefit, while the Canada Child Benefit begins to shrink at household incomes of just $79,000.

Ageism in Government Budgets

Governments across Canada consistently devote more resources to older residents than younger ones, despite younger Canadians being more likely to experience poverty and unaffordable housing. This imbalance dates back decades, when governments failed to prepare for the rising costs of medical care and retirement income supports tied to an aging population.

Now, with fewer working-age taxpayers per retiree, public budgets are under strain:

• Deficits are growing, passing unpaid bills to younger and future generations.
• Millennials already pay 20–40% more of their income taxes toward healthy retirements for older Canadians than baby boomers did for seniors in their day.
• Spending on younger Canadians is being crowded out, even as their wellbeing declines.

Ageism in Climate Policy and Planetary Health

Climate change is perhaps the most profound intergenerational injustice. Scientists have identified nine “planetary boundaries” we cannot cross without destabilizing Earth’s life-support systems. We’ve already breached six, and we’re on track to overshoot two more.

Young people bear the brunt of these risks and costs — and research shows it’s taking a serious toll on their mental health. Many feel betrayed by the slow pace of action, knowing they may lose what previous generations took for granted: summers without wildfire smoke, winters with snow, enough rain to grow food, and safe air to breathe.

The bottom line: If we want a Canada that works for all generations, we need to root out structural ageism, rebalance public priorities, and protect both our fiscal and planetary inheritance.