British Columbia stands out as the Canadian province with the largest proportion of agnostic, atheist or irreligious residents.
Vancouver, BC [December 25, 2025] – Americans are significantly more likely than Canadians to look at religion as a “very important” aspect of their lives, a new two-country Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of representative national samples, 44% of Americans and 25% of Canadians say religion is “very important” to them personally. The results outline a four-point increase in the United States and a one-point decrease in Canada since a similar Research Co. poll conducted in 2024.
More than seven-in-ten Canadians (74%, -2) and Americans (78%, +4) say family is “very important” to them on a personal level.
In the United States, more than half of respondents deem other two aspects as “very important” this year: friends (54%, -2) and country (53%, -1). Smaller proportions of Americans express the same views on career (37%, -4) and affluence (15%, -6).
In Canada, friends are ranked as a “very important” aspect by more than half of respondents (56%, +5). The results are lower for country (46%, -1), career (36%, -2) and affluence (14%, -1).
In the United States, members of Generation X are the least likely to consider religion as “very important” (38%). The numbers are larger for Millennials (43%), Generation Z (also 43%) and Baby Boomers (49%).
In Canada, fewer than three-in-ten members of all four generations consider religion as “very important”: 23% for Baby Boomers. 24% for Generation X, 26% for Millennials and 25% for Generation Z.
As was the case last year, Americans are more likely to describe themselves as “very spiritual” or “moderately spiritual” (69%, -1) than their Canadian counterparts (56%, -1).
Two thirds of Americans (66%, +1) and half of Canadians (50%, -1) say their religious faith is Christian. Just over a third of Canadians (34%, +2) and just over one-in-four Americans (21%, -2) say they profess no faith, or describe themselves as atheist of agnostic.
British Columbia has the largest proportion of atheist, agnostic or non-religious residents across Canada (47%), followed by Atlantic Canada (36%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (33%), Quebec (32%), Alberta (31%) and Ontario (30%).
Just under three-in-ten Canadians (29%, -5) never attend religious gatherings, while a smaller proportion (22%, -1) visit a church, temple or synagogue at least once a week.
In the United States, almost a third of Americans (32%, =) go to a church, temple or synagogue at least once a week, while one-in-five (20%, -7) never do.
Methodology: Results are based on an online survey conducted from November 21 to November 23, 2025, among 1,002 adults in Canada and 1,001 adults in the United States. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in each country. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, for each country.
Find our data tables for Canada here, data tables for the United States 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