Canadian Seniors’ Optimism Declines, Pressuring Manulife’s Longevity Strategy
Event summary
- Manulife is supporting the National Institute on Ageing’s (NIA) Ageing in Canada Survey, a key initiative of its newly launched Manulife Longevity Institute.
- The 2025 NIA survey reveals a sharp 5-percentage-point decline in Canadians’ positive feelings toward aging (from 62% in 2024 to 57% in 2025).
- The survey highlights a disconnect between older Canadians’ desires and available resources, and a drop in the proportion of those who can afford to retire at their desired time (from 35% in 2022 to 29% in 2025).
- Manulife’s own data, from the Financial Resilience and Longevity Report, indicates 48% of Canadians are behind on retirement savings.
The big picture
The survey underscores a growing demographic challenge: Canadians are living longer but facing increasing financial and social insecurity in their later years. Manulife’s investment in the Longevity Institute signals an attempt to capitalize on this trend, but the declining sentiment and retirement readiness metrics suggest the company faces significant headwinds in achieving its goals. The findings also highlight the broader systemic issues within Canada’s retirement planning ecosystem, which require more than just product innovation to address.
What we're watching
- Consumer Sentiment
- The continued decline in positive sentiment towards aging could impact demand for Manulife’s longevity-focused products and services, requiring adjustments to marketing and product development.
- Regulatory Response
- Increased scrutiny of retirement planning practices and access to healthcare resources is likely, potentially leading to new regulations that could impact Manulife’s business model.
- Investment Strategy
- Manulife’s Longevity Institute will need to demonstrate tangible results and a clear ROI to justify the C$350 million commitment, particularly given the challenging macroeconomic environment.
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