Canadian Pride and Optimism on the Rise, but Still Well Below 1980s Levels

National pride is on the upswing in Canada since last year, yet fewer than half of the country’s citizens report feeling “very proud” to be Canadian, a new survey suggests.

Forty-three percent of those polled by Angus Reid this month say they are “very proud” to be Canadian, up from the 34 percent who expressed the same sentiments last December, but still significantly lower than the 78 percent recorded in 1985.

The survey said that “Canadians have rediscovered some of their national pride” following comments by U.S. President Donald Trump about wanting to make Canada the 51st U.S. state as well as imposing tariffs.

Fifty-two percent of those surveyed in 2016 said they were “very proud” of being Canadian, nine points higher than this year.

The 2025 survey also found that 21 percent of respondents say they are “proud” to be Canadian and 15 percent are “somewhat proud.” Nine percent say they are “not very proud” and 7 percent are “not proud at all.”

Although a majority of individuals across all surveyed regions demonstrated a degree of pride in their Canadian identity, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Quebec exhibited the highest percentage of respondents indicating they were either “not very proud” or “not proud at all.”

Only 38 percent of those living in Alberta and Saskatchewan say they are “very proud” to be Canadian compared to just 30 percent in Quebec.

Alberta has the highest level of respondents to express negative views of Canada, with 28 percent of those polled saying they are either “not proud at all” or “not very proud.” That number was 23 percent in both Saskatchewan and Quebec.

The premiers of Alberta and Saskatchewan have indicated that residents of their respective provinces are opposed to several key federal government policies that impact the energy sector, as well as personal freedom issues such as gun control.

Ontario and Atlantic Canada exhibited the highest level of pride in being Canadian, with approximately 50 percent of participants indicating that they are “very proud,” while B.C. and Manitoba sit at 45 percent and 42 percent respectively.

Optimism for the Future

Personal optimism about the future has experienced a decline over several years, decreasing from a high of 81 percent in late 2018 to 61 percent by December 2024, the survey said. Optimism increased by 11 points to 72 percent following the turmoil of the initial months of 2025, only to drop five points to 67 percent this month.

Pessimism about Canada’s future peaked in December, with 61 percent expressing concern about the path the country was on. There has been a significant resurgence in optimism since Justin Trudeau was replaced by current Prime Minister Mark Carney. Fifty-six percent of individuals now describe Canada’s future as promising compared to 39 percent in January, according to the survey results.

A December 2024 poll found that optimism for the future of the country was low, the recent survey noted. Only 39 percent of respondents in B.C. and Saskatchewan, 37 percent in Ontario, and 32 percent in Alberta said they felt Canada had a bright path ahead of it.

This summer’s resurgence of optimism was noticeable even in Alberta and Saskatchewan, regions that usually lag behind other provinces in their perception of the country’s future. Forty-seven percent of Albertans and 50 percent of Saskatchewan residents expressed hope for the nation’s future in this month’s poll.

“While challenges are evident in building the public’s confidence, at least one indication is that the nation has some momentum,” the report said. “More Canadians now say the country is on the right track than the wrong track.”

Forty-six percent of those surveyed said the country is currently on the “right” track, in contrast to 40 percent who disagreed, while 15 percent expressed uncertainty.

Liberal voters were the demographic most inclined to believe that Canada is currently heading in the right direction, the poll found. While 72 percent of Liberals conveyed this opinion, only 50 percent of New Democrats and 17 percent of Conservatives shared the same view.

Quality of Life

While 72 percent of respondents say Canada provides a good quality of life, those aged 35 to 54 are more inclined than both younger and older demographics to assert that the country does not, with 28 percent expressing this view, according to the survey.

Conservatives were also the least likely to be satisfied with the quality of life the country offers, with 42 percent expressing dissatisfaction. While only 52 percent of Tory supporters were happy with Canada’s quality of life, that number rose to more than 80 percent among all other voters.

More than two-thirds of Canadians—68 percent—also say Canada is a good place to start a family, although younger age groups are less likely to hold that opinion compared to older demographics.

Sixty percent of respondents in the 18 to 34 age group agreed with that sentiment compared to 79 percent of Canadians aged 65 and older.

When asked if “Canada is a country where everyone has the same opportunities,” 53 percent of those surveyed said the statement was false.

Older Canadians tended to have a greater belief that Canada is a nation where everyone enjoys the same opportunities, while younger Canadians were more inclined to disagree.