Only Iran and North Korea post a lower favourability ranking among the 15 nations included in the semi-annual survey.
Vancouver, BC [January 7, 2022] – As has been the case for the past year, only one-in-five Canadians hold favourable views on the People’s Republic of China, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, 20% of Canadians have a positive opinion of China. The results are similar to the ones reported by Research Co. after nationwide polls conducted in July 2021 (21%) and December 2020 (19%).
“Just a few weeks before Beijing hosts the Winter Olympics, two thirds of Canadians (68%) say their perception of China is negative,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “The proportion rises to 71% in British Columbia and to 77% among Canadians who voted for the Conservative Party in the 2021 federal election.”
Half of Canadians (50%, =) hold a positive opinion of the United States, while 41% (+1) express negative views.
The favourability rating for the United States on this question is highest in Alberta (58%), followed by Quebec (56%), Ontario (51%), Atlantic Canada (44%), British Columbia (43%) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (36%).
Canadians who voted for the Conservatives and the Liberal Party last year are more likely to express positive views on the United States (59% and 55% respectively) than those who cast ballots for New Democratic Party (NDP) candidates (31%).
Sizeable majorities of Canadians continue to hold favourable perceptions on the five other countries that—along with the United States and Canada—are part of the G7: the United Kingdom (71%, -2), Germany (69%, =), Japan (69%, +1), Italy (69%, -4) and France (68%, -5).
A majority of Canadians (55%, -2) have a positive opinion of South Korea. The rating dropped markedly for two other nations: Mexico (45%, -4) and India (37%, -4).
Fewer than three-in-ten Canadians hold favourable views on Venezuela (28%, -1), Russia (24%, -4), Saudi Arabia (23%, =), Iran (16%, -1) and North Korea (14%, -1).
While just over three-in-ten Canadians aged 18-to-34 (31%) express positive opinions on Russia, the proportion drops to 26% among those aged 35-to-54 and to 16% among those aged 55 and over.
Methodology: Results are based on an online study conducted from December 15 to December 17, 2021, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error – which measures sample variability – is +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490 [e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca