Support for including creationism in the school curriculum dropped from 44% in 2021 to 38% in 2022.
Vancouver, BC [April 5, 2022] – A sizeable majority of Canadians believe that human beings evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, 65% of Canadians say evolution is closest to their own point of view when thinking about the origin and development of human beings on earth, up eight points since a similar Research Co. poll conducted in March 2021.
Fewer than one-in-five Canadians (18%, -8) think God created human beings in their present form within the last 10,000 years.
“Almost one-in-four Canadians aged 55 and over (23%) believe in creationism,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “The proportion is lower among their counterparts aged 35-to-54 (17%) and aged 18-to-34 (13%).”
Only 12% of Canadians who voted for the New Democratic Party (NDP) in the 2021 federal election side with creationism when pondering the origin and development of human beings on the planet. The proportion is higher among Canadians who cast ballots for the Liberal Party (18%) and the Conservative Party (22%).
Canadians are split when asked whether the belief that the universe and life originated from specific acts of divine creation should be taught in schools. While just under two-in-five Canadians (38%, -6) believe that this should be the case, a higher proportion (42%, +6) disagree.
On a regional basis, more than two residents of Ontario (44%) and Quebec (41%) believe creationism should be taught in the classroom. The proportion is lower in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (37%), Atlantic Canada (31%), Alberta (also 31%) and British Columbia (28%).
Conservative voters and Liberal voters are more likely to be in favour of including creationism in the school curriculum (42% and 40% respectively) than those who voted for the New Democrats (24%).
Methodology:Results are based on an online study conducted from March 25 to March 27, 2022, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in Canada. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is plus or minus 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