More than three-in-five (64%) think human beings evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years.
Vancouver, BC [April 26, 2024] – There is no clear consensus among Canadians on whether creationism should be taught in public schools, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, 41% of Canadians think creationism—the belief that the universe and life originated from specific acts of divine creation—should be part of the school curriculum in their province (down two points since a similar Research Co. poll conducted in April 2023), while 42% (+4) disagree and 17% (-2) are undecided.
“Almost half of Canadians aged 18-to-34 (48%) believe there is a place for creationism in public school classrooms,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “The proportions are lower among their counterparts aged 35-to-54 (44%) and aged 55 and over (33%).”
Almost half of Atlantic Canadians (48%, +2) have no problem with creationism being part of the school curriculum. More than two-in-five residents of Ontario (44%, -3), Alberta (43%, +3) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (42%, +1) feel the same way, along with more than a third of British Columbians (37%, -2) and Quebecers (35%, -4).
Canadians who voted for the Conservative Party in the 2021 federal election are more likely to support the teaching of creationism in public schools (46%) than those who cast ballots for the New Democratic Party (NDP) (43%) or the Liberal Party (37%).
More than three-in-five Canadians (64%, -1) think human beings evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years, while just over one-in-five (21%, =) say God created human beings in their present form within the last 10,000 years.
Canadians aged 55 and over are more likely to embrace creationism (25%) than their counterparts aged 35-to-54 (21%) and aged 18-to-34 (20%).
More than a quarter of Canadians who voted for the Conservatives in 2021 (26%) think God created human beings in their present form within the last 10,000 years. Fewer Canadians who supported the New Democrats (20%) or the Liberals (17%) share this view.
Canadians of East Asian descent are more likely to side with creationism when asked about the origin and development of human beings on earth (24%) than Canadians whose origins are European (19%), South Asian (also 19%) or Indigenous (9%).
Methodology: Results are based on an online survey conducted from April 17 to April 19, 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, nineteen times out of twenty.
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