Support for sovereignty is strongest among the province’s residents aged 18-to-34.
Vancouver, BC [January 8, 2026] – The proportion of Albertans who are in favour of sovereignty has increased over the past year and a half, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, 31% of Albertans support Alberta becoming a country independent from Canada, up nine points since a similar Research Co. poll conducted in June 2023.
Just over three-in-five Albertans (62%, -9) are opposed to independence, while 7% (=) are undecided.
“By a 2-to-1 margin, Albertans currently express a desire to remain in Canada,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Still, the growth of separatist sentiment is significant across some groups.”
More than two-in-five Albertans aged 18-to-34 (42%, +15) support Alberta becoming a country independent from Canada. The proportions are lower among those aged 35-to-54 (27%, +2) and those aged 55 and over (25%, +9).
Separatist feelings rose across all three major regions of the province. More than three-in-ten residents of the Calgary Metropolitan Area (31%, +5) voice support for an independent Alberta, along with 29% of residents of the Edmonton Metropolitan Area (+5) and 34% of those who live elsewhere in the province (+11).
Albertans who voted for the United Conservative Party (UCP) in the 2023 provincial election are significantly more likely to back independence (40%, +11) than those who cast ballots for the New Democratic Party (NDP) (11%, +2).
In a separate question, just under one-in-four Albertans (24%, +5) support their province joining the United States, while more than seven-in-ten (72%, -2) disagree and 5% (-2) are not sure.
The notion of Alberta becoming an American state is more popular among Albertans aged 18-to-34 (32%), those who do not reside in Calgary or Edmonton (27%) and UCP voters in the 2023 provincial election (29%).
Methodology: Results are based on an online survey conducted from January 4 to January 6, 2026, among 703 adults in Alberta. The data has been statistically weighted according to census figures for age, gender and region in British Columbia. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.7 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