Canadians’ feelings of pride and attachment towards the country have seen a stark decline over the past several years, according to a new poll.
The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from Nov. 29 to Dec. 5, 2024, among a randomized sample of 4,004 Canadian adults who are members of its forum.
According to the survey’s findings, the results reflect how the COVID-19 pandemic, economic impacts, and regional angst have contributed to the decline in pride and attachment Canadians have felt over the past several years.
In a 1991 survey, 65 per cent of Canadians said they had a deep emotional attachment to Canada and loved what the country stood for; in 2016, 62 per cent of respondents felt the same way.
However, in 2024, only 49 per cent of Canadians shared those feelings.
The Angus Reid Institute notes the pride people have in Canada has also diminished over the years.
In 1985, over three-quarters (78 per cent) of people surveyed by polling company Environics said they felt “very proud” to be Canadian; in 2016, that dropped to 52 per cent.
In 2024, that feeling of pride has slumped even lower, as only 34 per cent of respondents said they felt “very proud” to be Canadian.
Regional trends in declining Canadian pride
Regarding regional dissatisfaction with Canada, the survey showed that Quebecers were less likely to say they had a deep attachment to the country (30 per cent) than Canadians overall (49 per cent).
Quebec has been vocal about its sovereignty in the past, holding two referendums on the issue in 1980 and 1995.
Eight years ago, at least two-thirds of Canadian provinces other than Quebec said they had a “deep” connection to the country.
This sentiment dropped dramatically in all provinces between 2016 and 2024, with Alberta (67 per cent to 47 per cent) and Quebec (37 per cent to 30 per cent) showing the most significant declines.
A transactional relationship with Canada
Generationally, the poll found younger Canadians less attached to the country than their older counterparts.
Men and women over 54 were more likely to agree that they felt a deep attachment to Canada.
The Angus Ried Institute highlights that younger Canadians had a more “transactional” relationship with the country.
A significant number of men aged 18 to 34 (43 per cent) said they felt attached to Canada as long as it provided a good standard of living, and 63 per cent of women in the same age group said the same.
The survey results reveal a staggering decline in the proportion of people across all age groups who say they are no longer “very proud” or “proud” to be Canadian.
Newcomers also showed a transactional relationship with their sense of Canadian pride.
Over half (51 per cent) of those who arrived in Canada less than 10 years ago and 45 per cent of respondents who had lived there between 10 and 20 years said they were attached to Canada, but only as long as the country provided a good standard of living.
Immigrants who had been in the country for 20 years or longer appeared more attached to Canada. While 33 per cent said their attachment to the country depended on the standard of living, a larger proportion (57 per cent) said they had a deep emotional attachment to Canada and what it stands for.
What are your thoughts on the decline in Canadian pride?
