All Things Considered, Three Quarters (74%) of Canadians Say 2011 was a Good Year for their Family,
While One Quarter (26%) Say it was a Bad Year

Toronto, ON - All things considered, three quarters (74%) of Canadians say that 2011 was a good year (15% very/59% somewhat) for them and their family, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television. While most say the year was good for them, one quarter (26%) of Canadians maintain that 2011 was a bad year (6% very/21% somewhat) for them.

Canadians over the age of 55 were most likely (78%) to say that 2011 was good for them, followed by those aged 18 to 34 (75%) and 35 to 54 (69%). Almost all (93%) Atlantic Canadians say 2011 was good to them, followed distantly by those living in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (77%), Alberta (76%), Ontario (72%), Quebec (72%) and finally British Columbia (66%).

Asked to rate whether five specific aspects of their life were good or bad, Canadians are most likely to say their health is good (84%), followed by their personal happiness (82%), social life (76%), their sex or romantic life (64%) and their financial situation (61%):

• Most (84%) Canadians say their health is good (27% very/56% somewhat), while just two in ten (16%) say it's bad (4% very/13% somewhat). Men (20%) are more likely than women (13%) to say their health is bad. Interestingly, middle-aged (20%) Canadians are most likely to say their health is bad, while fewer younger (16%) and older (11%) Canadians say their health is bad. British Columbians (20%) and Albertans (20%) are most likely to say their health is bad, followed by those living in Ontario (17%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (16%), Quebec (14%) and Atlantic Canada (10%).
• Eight in ten (82%) Canadians say their personal happiness is good (29% very/53% somewhat), while two in ten (18%) indicate that their level of personal happiness is bad (5% very/13% somewhat). Men (22%) are significantly more likely than women (15%) to say their level of happiness is bad, as are younger Canadians (24%) compared to middle-aged (20%) and older (11%) adults. British Columbians are most likely to say their level of happiness is bad (22%), while fewer Albertans (20%), Ontarians (19%), Quebecers (17%), residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (17%) and Atlantic Canadians (8%) say the same.
• Three quarters (76%) of Canadians say their social life is good (19% very/56% somewhat), while one quarter (24%) admit that it is bad (5% very/19% somewhat). Men (29%) are more likely than women (20%) to say their social life is bad, as are younger (29%) and middle-aged (27%) adults compared to those over the age of 55 (17%). British Columbians (29%) are most likely to say their social life is bad, compared to fewer residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (28%), Ontario (27%), Alberta (23%), Quebec (22%) and Atlantic Canada (11%).
• Two in three (64%) Canadians say their sex or romantic life is good (26% very/39% somewhat), while one in three (36%) say that it is bad (14% very/22% somewhat). Men (41%) are considerably more likely than women (31%) to say their sex life is bad, as are middle-aged (40%) Canadians compared to older (34%) or younger (31%) Canadians. British Columbians (39%) are most likely to say their sex or romantic life is bad, followed closely by Albertans (38%) and Ontarians (38%), residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (34%), Quebec (33%) and Atlantic Canada (23%).
• Just six in ten (61%) Canadians say their financial situation is good (10% very/51% somewhat), while four in ten (39%) confess that their financial situation is bad (12% very/27% somewhat). Younger (46%) Canadians are most likely to say their financial situation is bad, followed by middle-aged (44%) and younger (27%) Canadians. A full majority (51%) of British Columbians say their financial situation is bad while fewer residents of Ontario (40%), Quebec (38%), Alberta (37%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (36%) and Atlantic Canada (27%) say their financial situation is bad.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between December 14 and 19, 2011, on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television. For this survey, a sample of 1,021 Canadians who season from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had the entire population of adults in Canada been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Reid, Public Affairs
416.324.2002
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

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