Canadians are feeling typically hopeful heading into 2026, however are pessimistic concerning the specifics of whether or not urgent points at house and overseas can be resolved, a brand new ballot suggests.
The brand new Ipsos ballot carried out solely for International Information additionally discovered Canadians really feel typically optimistic about their private well being and happiness after the previous 12 months, however much less so about their monetary state of affairs and their social and romantic lives in comparison with 2022.
Lower than half of these surveyed mentioned they felt 2025 was a greater 12 months than they anticipated, whereas even fewer — 42 per cent — mentioned they had been in a position to save sufficient cash over the earlier 12 months.
Seven out of 10 Canadians mentioned they’re fearing a future recession, although that quantity is 4 factors decrease than what it was three years prior. And whereas 41 per cent mentioned 2025 made them extra fearful about their job safety, that’s 11 factors increased than 2022.
Regardless of that pessimism, 62 per cent they had been feeling typically optimistic about 2026.
“I feel Canadians are hoping that (subsequent 12 months) can be higher as a result of fairly frankly, it could actually’t get a lot worse,” mentioned Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs.
“Issues have been fairly dangerous — not simply by means of the house of the final 12 months or so, however going all the best way again to the start of COVID. And I feel individuals are considering that in some unspecified time in the future, issues are going to bounce again. So their optimism could also be extra hope than any true expectation that issues are going to get higher.”
Ipsos contacted 1,502 Canadians age 18 and over between Dec. 8 and 15 for the ballot.
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The outcomes present 75 per cent of respondents, when trying again on 2025, really feel very or considerably good about their well being — the identical share as three years in the past. Seventy-two per cent felt optimistic about their very own private happiness, although the latter quantity is down 5 factors from 2022.
Slightly below 60 per cent mentioned they felt good about their monetary state of affairs, whereas simply 56 per cent had been optimistic about their romantic and intercourse lives, with each numbers down from three years prior.
Solely the variety of Canadians who mentioned they had been completely happy about their social life ticked up throughout that interval, from 66 per cent in 2022 to 67 per cent in 2025.
What are Canadians cautious about?
Waiting for the brand new 12 months, 59 per cent of Canadians are optimistic that their monetary state of affairs will enhance, based on the ballot.
Nonetheless, Ipsos additionally discovered simply 29 per cent imagine they’ll be capable to buy and personal a house, whereas solely 22 per cent are relying on groceries getting extra reasonably priced.
That pessimism extends to political and international points as effectively.
Roughly one-third of these surveyed mentioned they imagine the commerce conflict between Canada and the U.S. can be resolved and that lasting peace can be achieved in each Ukraine and Gaza.
Though the ballot suggests Canadians are typically optimistic about their private well being, lower than half mentioned they anticipate to entry higher public health-care providers within the coming 12 months.
Bricker mentioned the outcomes converse to Canadians feeling just like the pandemic is additional behind them, however that the general health-care system hasn’t essentially improved.
Total, he mentioned a lot of the cautious optimism from Canadians could also be tied to public confidence in Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Ipsos polling final month confirmed Carney’s job approval sits at 55 per cent — 15 factors increased than his Liberal Celebration on the whole, which holds only a slim lead over the opposition Conservatives.
“There’s no purchaser’s remorse that we’re seeing within the voters proper now about Mark Carney,” Bricker mentioned.
“He’s seen by Canadians as the perfect particular person to handle this type of factor. … So I feel they’re optimistic about their nationwide management.”
Bricker added Carney can have his palms full with these and different points all through the approaching 12 months.
“I feel one factor that we are able to say about the best way 2026 is shaping up, it may find yourself being one of the crucial consequential years in Canadian historical past,” he mentioned. “There’s going to be an terrible lot happening.
“Primarily based on the information, Canadians are saying, ‘We predict we can have the fitting management in place, that we’ve gone by means of the worst of this. And hopefully we’ll be capable to meet the challenges which might be coming our approach.’”
Bricker added: “Which may be, as they are saying, whistling previous the graveyard. We’ll should see what occurs.”
These are a number of the findings of an Ipsos ballot carried out between Dec. 8 and 15, 2025, on behalf of International Information. For this survey, a pattern of 1,502 Canadians aged 18+ was interviewed on-line. Quotas and weighting had been employed to make sure that the pattern’s composition displays that of the Canadian inhabitants based on census parameters. The precision of Ipsos on-line polls is measured utilizing a credibility interval. On this case, the ballot is correct to inside ± 3.1 share factors, 19 instances out of 20, had all Canadians aged 18+ been polled. The credibility interval can be wider amongst subsets of the inhabitants. All pattern surveys and polls could also be topic to different sources of error, together with, however not restricted to protection error, and measurement error.
© 2026 International Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
