Fewer Canadians believe in other concepts, such as astrology, mediumship and clairvoyance.
Vancouver, BC [June 16, 2023] – The proportion of Canadians who think buildings can be inhabited by the spirits of dead people has increased markedly this year, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, 39% of Canadians say they “definitely” or “probably” believe in haunted houses, up seven points since a similar Research Co. survey conducted in December 2021.
“At least two-in-five residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (46%), Alberta (40%) and Quebec (also 40%) believe in haunted houses,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “The proportions are lower in Atlantic Canada (38%), British Columbia (37%) and Ontario (36%).”
Fewer than a third of Canadians believe in two other concepts: mediumship, or mediating communication between living human beings and spirits of dead people (32%, +6), and clairvoyance, or the ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through extrasensory perception (31%, +3).
Women are more likely to believe in both mediumship and clairvoyance (36% and 34% respectively) than men (28% and 29% respectively).
Across the country, more than a third of Canadians (35%, +3) believe in astrology, or studying the movements and relative positions of celestial objects to make observations about human affairs and terrestrial events.
Compared to 2021, belief in astrology has increased in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (43%, +12), Quebec (32%, +10), Atlantic Canada (35%, +5) and Alberta (42%, +2). There was no change in Ontario (38%, =) and a reduction in British Columbia (27%, -7).
Fewer than one-in-five Canadians (17%, +3) say they currently pay attention to astrology, while just under three-in-ten (28%, =) used to follow the concept, but do not anymore.
More than half of Canadians (55%, -3) say they have never paid attention to astrology—including 60% of men and 63% of Conservative Party voters in the 2021 federal election.
Canadians aged 18-to-34 are more likely to believe in astrology (45%) and to be currently paying attention to it (24%) than their older counterparts.
Methodology: Results are based on an online study conducted from June 9 to June 11, 2023, 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