Canadians' Views on NAFTA

Seven in ten (71%) Canadians support Canada being in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) according to a National Angus Reid Poll taken between December 16th and 22nd among 1,502 Canadians. One-fifth (21%) "strongly support" Canada's membership in NAFTA, while one-half (50%) "moderately support" it. One-quarter (25%) of Canadians surveyed said they oppose Canada being part of NAFTA.

This result represents a significant increase in Canadian support for NAFTA since the last Angus Reid Group sounding on the issue, taken in November of 1993 -- just six weeks before the trade agreement took effect. At that time, Canadians were evenly divided on entering into the trade agreement with the United States and Mexico: 43 percent in support of entering NAFTA, 46 percent opposed.

Support for Canada being in NAFTA is highest among the following sub-groups of the Canadian population:

• Canadians whose income is $60,000 and higher (82%);
• Residents of Quebec (80%);
• Those who have completed university degrees (77%); and,
• Canadians aged 18 through 34 (75%).

Opposition to Canada being in NAFTA, meanwhile, is highest among those who do not have a high school diploma (35%), Canadians whose income is less than $30,000 (33%), British Columbians (33%) and Atlantic Canadians (31%). Even among these sub-groups, however, a clear majority voiced support for Canada being in NAFTA.

Asked what kind of impact NAFTA has had on Canada since taking effect in 1994, four in ten (40%) Canadians polled said they believe the trade agreement has benefited Canada. This compares to one-quarter (27%) who said it has hurt Canada and the same proportion (25%) who said NAFTA has had no impact (8% were unsure).

Canadians with incomes higher than $60,000 (53%), those with university degrees (53%), residents of Quebec (48%) and men (48%) are most likely to believe that NAFTA has benefited Canada.

Residents of B.C., Manitoba/Saskatchewan, and Atlantic Canada, women, less educated and lower income Canadians were as likely to feel NAFTA has hurt Canada as benefited this country (slightly more likely in B.C.'s case).

This Canada-wide poll was conducted by telephone between December 16th and 22nd, 1997, among a representative cross-section of 1,502 adult Canadians.

The 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.

With a national sample of 1,502, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results are within ±2.5 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within the various sub-groupings of the survey population.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

W. John Wright
Senior Vice President
Angus Reid Group, Inc.
(416) 324-2900

Christian Bourque
Directeur de Recherche
Groupe Angus Reid
(514) 877-5550