Skip to content

Fewer Canadians have a written will, new survey finds

The younger and less wealthy the person, the less likely they are to think about writing a will.
lastwillandtestament
Men and women are both likely to say they have a will.

Hollywood movies and pop culture suggest the importance of the written will and testament before one's final days. 

But 50 per cent of Canadians said they do not have a last will and testament, according to a recent Angus Reid survey. This statistic hasn't changed since five years ago. 

Canadians 55+ are more likely to have an updated will, whereas Canadians younger than 44 are less likely to have a will at all, the pollster found.

One of the top reasons for not having a written will is that many Canadians feel they are too young to worry about it.

Some Canadians say they haven't written a will due to its cost. A smaller group stated they do not want to think about death, or share asset details with a stranger. 

While age is a factor, household income also impacts one's decision to write a will. Canadians who live in lower income households are less likely to worry about assets, compared to those with six-figure incomes.