More Canadians trust Pierre Poilievre to do the right thing to help the economy (42%) than Justin Trudeau (38%).
Vancouver, BC [January 12, 2024] – Just over a third of Canadians think the country’s finances are doing well at the start of 2024, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, 35% of Canadians rate the economic conditions in Canada as “very good” or “good”, down six points since a similar Research Co. poll conducted in June 2023.
Just over three-in-five Canadians (61%, +5) think the national economy is in “bad” or “very bad” shape.
“More than seven-in-ten Albertans (72%) are dissatisfied with the state of the Canadian economy,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Majorities feel the same way in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (66%), British Columbia (63%), Atlantic Canada (62%), Ontario (59%) and Quebec (55%).”
More than a third Canadians (37%, +5) expect the nation’s finances to decline over the next six months. Only 14% (+2) predict a recovery, while 41% (-4) foresee no changes.
More than two-in-five Canadians (43%, +7) trust federal Leader of the Opposition Pierre Poilievre to do the right thing to help the economy, while 38% (-5) feel the same way about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The rating is lower for Governor of the Bank of Canada Tiff Macklem (34%, +1).
Trudeau’s best numbers as an economic manager are observed in Quebec (48%), Ontario (38%) and Atlantic Canada (34%). Poilievre fares best in Alberta (56%) and British Columbia (47%) and Ontario (44%).
A majority of Canadians (54%, +2) rate their own personal finances today as “very good” or “good”, while 42% (-4) consider them as “poor” or “very poor.”
Concerns about inflation are slightly lower now than they were in 2023, with more than three-in-five Canadians expecting to pay more for a week’s worth of groceries (74%, -5), gasoline (65%, -8) and a new car (63%, -3) in the next six months. Fewer Canadians predict higher prices for real estate (51%, -4) or a new television set (47%, -4).
Fewer than half of Canadians say they have worried “frequently” or “occasionally” in the past couple of months about the safety of their savings (47%, =), the value of their investments (46%, -2), being able to pay their mortgage or rent (34%, =), themselves or someone in their household becoming unemployed (34%, =) or their employer encountering serious financial trouble (28%, +1).
Methodology: Results are based on an online survey conducted from January 6 to January 8, 2024, 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