Marital Infidelity

Loneliness (32%) is the Main Reason Canadians Say they Would Have an Affair

Canadians are Unsure Whether To Forgive an Affair (52%) or End the Marriage (55%)

Two-Thirds (67%) Would Not Tell an Adulterer's Spouse About an Affair

Toronto, ON - The results of an Ipsos-Reid/CTV poll released today show that approximately one in ten (9%) Canadians who are married or living common-law (or have been in the past) say they have had an extramarital affair. However, this number almost doubles to 17 percent if Canadians are asked if someone they were married to has ever had an affair and increases yet again (to 61%) when Canadians are asked if they have ever known a family member or friend who has had an affair. Loneliness (32%) emerges as the number one reason for which Canadians would consider having an affair. Canadians are divided about what they would do if their spouse were to have an affair. Fifty-two percent (52%) agree that they would forgive their spouse but a similar number (55%) also agree that they would end the marriage. But, if they knew someone was having an affair, most Canadians (67%) would keep quiet and not tell the person's spouse.

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid/CTV poll conducted between March 8th and March 10th, 2001. The poll is based on a randomly selected sample of 803 adult Canadians. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 1996 Census data.

One in Ten (9%) Canadians Admit to Having an Extramarital Affair

One out of every ten (9%) Canadians who is currently married, divorced , separated or living common-law admits to having an extramarital affair and 6 percent of Canadians who have not had an affair say that they are likely to have an affair in the future.

• There are no statistically significant demographic or regional differences among those who admit to having affairs.
• Men (9%) are more likely than women (4%) to say they are likely to have an affair in the future.
• Younger Canadians (11%) are more likely than middle aged (4%) and older (3%) Canadians to say they are likely to have an affair in the future.

But 17% Say Someone they Were Married to Has Had an Affair and 61% Say they Know a Family Member or Friend Who has Had an Affair

While one in ten admit to having an affair, 17 percent say someone they were married to has had an affair and another 5 percent say they have suspected their spouse of having an affair. But, almost two-thirds (66%) of Canadians say they know a family member or friend who has had an affair.

• Middle aged (66%) Canadians are more likely than older (57%) and younger (59%) Canadians to say that they know someone who has had an affair.

Loneliness (32%) is the Main Reason Canadians Say they Would Have an Affair

Thinking about why people have affairs, Canadians say that if they were to have an affair in the future, "loneliness" (32%) would be the main reason. "sex" (19%) and "love" are tied for second place, followed by "money" (7%) and "power" (1%).

• Women (37%) are more likely than men (26%) to say they would have an affair out of loneliness.
• Men (29%) are much more likely than women (8%) to say they would have an affair for sex.
• Canadians who have never been married (30%) are much more likely than those who are married (16%) and those who are divorced (16%) to say they would have an affair for sex.
• Canadians who are married (14%) are less likely than those who are divorced (28%) or who have never been married (24%) to say they would have an affair for love.

Canadians are Unsure Whether To Forgive an Affair (52%) or End the Marriage (55%)

Canadians seem unsure about what they would do if their spouse had an affair. Despite many (52%) Canadians agreeing to the statement "if my spouse had an affair but the affair was over I would forgive them", a similar number (55%) of Canadians also agree with the statement "if my spouse had an affair, I would sever the relationship and end the marriage". However, only 15 percent "strongly agree", that they would forgive their spouse compared with 30 percent who "strongly agree" that they would end the marriage thereby suggesting that at the end of the day Canadians would be more likely to sever a relationship than forgive. This corresponds with the data among those who have actually been in an adulterous marriage - 63 percent say the affair caused the end of their marriage.

• Men (56%) are more likely than women (48%) to forgive an affair and both sexes are equally (54% men, 55% women) likely to sever the relationship.
• Younger Canadians are least likely to forgive (45%) and most likely to sever (71%) while older Canadians are most likely to forgive (59%) and least likely to sever (41%).
• Married people are equally likely to forgive (53%) an affair as they are to end their marriage (52%), while divorced people say they would be much more likely to end a marriage (64%) than to forgive (46%). Canadians who have never been married are slightly more likely to say they would end a marriage (64%) rather than forgive an affair (54%).

Two-Thirds (67%) Would Not Tell an Adulterer's Spouse About an Affair

Canadians are tight lipped about others' affairs, with most Canadians (67%) disagreeing with the statement "if I knew someone was cheating on their spouse I would tell their spouse". This "code of silence" is strong with four in ten (41%) saying the "strongly disagree" while another quarter (26%) "somewhat disagree". Only 31 percent say they would tell someone's spouse about an affair.

• Women (33%) are more likely than men (27%) to tell the spouse of an adulterer about an affair.
• There is a strong inverse relationship between age and likelihood to tell a spouse about an adulterer's affair. Younger Canadians (45%) are much more likely than middle aged (28%) and older (15%) Canadians to say they would tell the spouse.
• Quйbecers (21%) are less likely than other Canadians to say they would tell a spouse.
• Canadians who have never been married (45%) are more likely than those who are married (28%) or divorced (27%) to say they would tell an adulterer's spouse about an affair.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice President
Public Affairs
Ipsos-Reid
(416) 324-2900