The country’s oldest adults focus primarily on health, while younger residents are preoccupied with finances.
Vancouver, BC [January 1, 2026] – Canadians of four generations react differently when asked about their top wish for the year that is starting, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, 37% of Canadians say more money is their top wish for the year, while 30% prefer more health, 26% choose more time with friends and family and 7% select more travel.
Half of Baby Boomers (50%) wish for more health, while significantly fewer would rather have more time with family and friends (23%), more money (20%) or more travel (8%).
Generation X is almost evenly divided between more health (38%) and more money (36%), followed by more time with family and friends (22%) and more travel (4%).
Millennials place more money at the top of their wish list (44%), followed by more time with family and friends (31%), more health (20%) and more travel (9%).
More than half of Generation Z (52%) wish for more money, followed by more time with family and friends (29%), more health (11%) and more travel (9%).
More than half of Canadians believe 2025 was a “very good” or “good” year for their family (71%), themselves personally (66%), their municipality (54%) and Canada (51%). Fewer offer the same assessment when thinking of their work (48%) and their province (47%).
At least three-in-ten Canadians expect 2026 to be a better year for themselves personally (39%), their family (38%) and Canada (30%). Fewer Canadians foresee better things for their work (28%), their province (23%) and their municipality (22%) in the year that is beginning.
“About one-in-five Canadian Millennials (20%) and Generation Z (21%) think 2026 will be worse for their municipality,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Baby Boomers and Generation X are more pessimistic when considering their province (25% and 22% respectively).”
Almost half of Generation Z (46%) believe 2026 will be a better year for them on a personal level. The proportions are lower among Millennials (37%), Baby Boomers (26%) and Generation X (23%).
Methodology: Results are based on an online survey conducted from November 21 to November 23, 2025, among 1,002 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 +/- 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