Personal Optimism Meets Global Pessimism: Almost Two Thirds of Canadians (64%) Rate 2022 as Good for Themselves and Their Family, but Only a Third (34%) Would Say the Same for the World

Toronto, ON, December 30^th, 2022 – As 2022 comes to an end, Canadians are reflecting on the events of the past year. Although a sense of post-pandemic and work-life normalcy have warranted cautious optimism - high inflation, rising interest rates and uncertain geopolitics have weighed down Canadians’ year-end outlook. Indeed, a recent poll conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Global News has shown that Canadians look back unevenly on this last year for themselves, the country and the world. Around two thirds (64%) say 2022 was ‘good’ for themselves and their family, half (51%) say the same for Canada, and only a third (34%) think this was a good year for the world.

Improved but uneven outlook on the country and the world

Looking back on the last three years, Canadians believe 2022 was a modest improvement. Almost two thirds believe 2022 was ‘good’ for themselves and their family (10% very, 54% somewhat), which amounts to a 4-point improvement compared to 2020 and 2021. At the nation-wide level, half (51%) say this year was good for the country (7% very, 44% somewhat), which shows a respective 4-point and 8-point improvement compared to 2020 and 2021. Canadians are most pessimistic when thinking on a global scale, where only 34% would rate 2022 as good (4% very, 29% somewhat); however, this represents a 6-point improvement compared to 2020 and 2021.

Age appears to be a key driver of optimism, specifically at the personal level. Those aged 55+ are more likely to rate these past three years as good for themselves and their family: 69% (vs. 51%: 18-34; 58%: 35-54) for 2020, 68% (vs. 54%: 18-34; 56%: 35-54) for 2021 and 75% (vs. 63%: 18-34; 54%: 35-54) for 2022. Similarly, Quebecers appear significantly more optimistic compared to other regions on a personal scale: 79% for 2020 (+19 pts compared to the national average), 77% for 2021 (+17 pts compared to the national average), 77% for 2022 (+13 pts compared to national average).

Even if 2022 was better than the last two years, Canadians are split on their assessment on how this year turned out. Indeed, half (50%) of Canadians agree 2022 was better than they thought it would be (6% strongly, 44% somewhat) while the other half (50%) disagree (33% somewhat, 17% strongly). Regionally, residents of Alberta and Saskatchewan and Manitoba are more likely to fall on the pessimistic side of the coin (AB: 66%; SK/MB: 69% vs. 43%: BC; 50%: ON; 45%: QC; 39%: ATL).

Furthermore, Canadians appear to be tempering their optimism by signaling their apprehension for the uncertain economic situation. Three quarters (75%) agree that 2022 has made them more fearful for an upcoming recession (21% strongly, 54% somewhat), which is higher among households with kids (83% vs. 73% for households without kids). Moreover, only 44% agree that they were able to save enough money this year while a majority disagrees (56%) – this proportion is higher among women (61% vs. 51% for men) as well as those aged 35-54 (69% vs. 51%: 18-34; 48%: 55+). Finally, three in ten (30%) agree this year has made them fearful for their job security, which is higher among those aged 18-34 (52% vs. 35%: 35-54; 9%: 55+). Finally, among working Canadians, more than a third (36%) agree this year has made them fearful for their job security, which is higher among those aged 18-34 (49% vs. 35%: 35-54; 18%: 55+).

Personal stability and cautious optimism

Taking stock of the past three years, most Canadians haven’t experienced significant shifts in their outlook of their personal lives and remain generally optimistic. In 2022, over three quarters (77%, unchanged) rate their personal happiness as good, while a similar proportion say the same for their health (75%, -1). Two thirds rate their social life (66%, -3) and financial situation (64%, -2) as good, while six in ten (59%, +1) say the same for their sex or romantic life.

Thinking about these various aspects of your life, would you rate them to be good or bad?

% Rating Very/Somewhat Good

Again, age appears to be a significant driver of optimism on an individual scale. Those aged 55 and over are more likely to positively rate their financial situation (80% vs. 53%: 18-34; 55%: 35-54), their personal happiness (86% vs. 74%: 18-34; 72%: 35-54) and their social life (72% vs. 62% for both 18-34 and 35-54).

Stability at the individual level is also echoed in Canadians’ yearly personal reviews, registering only slight variations. Continuing its downward trend since the lockdowns of 2020, a quarter (24%, -3) say they have struggled with their mental health. Similarly, the number of Canadians who’ve worked from home for an extended period of time has also continued to steadily decrease (10%, -5) since 2020, which is also the case for those who say they’ve consumed more alcohol over the last year (12%, -2). Tellingly, those who’ve selected ‘none of the above’ (18%) has increased by 4 points since last year, suggesting some return to normalcy.

Thinking about the past 12 months, which of the following apply to you personally?

Unfortunately, stability isn’t synonymous with improvement, especially among certain socio-demographic groups. 47% (-1) still say they cut spending this year. Women (29% vs. 18% for men) and younger age groups (18-34: 35%; 35-54: 29% vs. 10%: 55+) are more likely to have struggled with their mental health over the last year, which is also the case for residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (45%, +21 points compared to the nation-wide average). Further, those aged 18-34 are the likeliest to say they lost their job in 2022 (13% vs. 5%: 35-54; 2%: 55+), which is also the case for households with kids (12% vs. 5% for households without kids). In sum, compared to the past two years, Canadians tend to view 2022 positively - especially when thinking of their personal lives; however, this optimism remains cautious while reflecting on broader economic trends, and is uneven among different generations and regions.

About the Study

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between December 14^th and 16^th, 2022, on behalf of Global News. For this survey, a sample of 1,004 Canadians aged 18+ was interviewed. Quotas and weighting were employed to ensure that the sample’s composition reflects that of the Canadian population according to census parameters. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ± 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadians aged 18+ been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. 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:

Sean Simpson
Senior Vice President, Ipsos Public Affairs
+1 416 324 2002
[email protected]

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