What Younger Canadians (18 to 34) Want As Gifts This Holiday Season for the World and Themselves

Toronto, ONTARIO - According to a new poll conducted by Ipsos-Reid for D-Code, asked if they could only receive one material gift, one emotional gift, and one global gift this holiday season, one third (36%) of younger Canadians cite world peace as their global gift. A new car (19%) is the most cited material gift, while spending time with friends/family (14%) and happiness (14%) are the items most mentioned as emotional gifts. When asked if they could receive just one gift this holiday season, world peace/peace in the Middle East (13%) tops the list according to younger Canadians (aged 18 to 34). Followed by good health/good health for family (7%), more money (6%), spending time with family/friends (5%).

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid poll conducted on behalf of D-Code between November 26th and December 17th, 2002. The poll is based on a randomly selected sample of 888 adult Canadians between the ages of 18 and 34. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 3.3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population between the ages of 18 and 34 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 2001 Census data.

Asked if they could only receive one material gift, one emotional gift, and one global gift this holiday season, one-third (36%) of younger Canadians cite world peace as their global gift. The top material gift mentioned is a new car (19%), while the top emotional gifts are to spend time with friends/family (14%) and happiness (14%).

The following chart lists the top response for each of the categories:

Please open the attached PDF version of the release to veiw the table.

• Younger men (24%) are more likely than women (15%) to say they would like a new car as their material gift. This is also true of those 18 to 24 years of age (24%) compared to those 25 to 34 years of age (17%). Meanwhile, younger women (11%) are more likely to cite clothes as their desired material gift than men (6%).
• Canadians between 25 and 34 years of age (39%) are more likely cite world peace as their one global gift than are those between 18 and 24 (29%). Meanwhile those in Quebec (6%) are least likely to make this wish.
• Younger Canadians in lower (17%) or middle (16%) income households are more likely to mention spending time with family/friends as their preferred emotional gift than are those in upper income households (10%). Meanwhile, younger residents of Quebec (18%) are the most likely to say that their emotional gift would be a personal relationship or to get married compared all other regions of the country.

When asked to name just one gift they would like this holiday season, world peace/peace in the Middle East (13%) tops the list according to younger Canadians (aged 18 to 34). Following on the list according to younger Canadians are good health/good health for family (7%), more money (6%), spending time with family/friends (5%).

• Younger residents of British Columbia (24%) are the most likely to cite world peace, while those in Quebec (5%) are least likely to make this wish.
• However, younger residents of Quebec (12%) are more likely than younger Albertans (4%) or those in Saskatchewan/Manitoba (3%) to mention good health/good health for their family. This wish is also more likely mentioned by those between 25 and 34 (9%) than by those 18 to 24 (5%).

In total, one quarter (25%) of younger Canadians mention a gift that could be considered as an emotional gift (including good health, spending time with family/friends, happiness, personal relationship or love), while the same proportion (25%) cite a material gift (including more money, a new car, vacation, electronics, clothes etc.), and 23% mention a global inspired gift (including world peace, helping the needy, an end to terrorism or environmental protection.)

• Younger women (29% versus 21% of men) and those aged 25 to 34 (28% versus 20% of those aged 18 to 24) are more likely to mention an emotional gift. Younger residents of Saskatchewan/Manitoba (32%) are more likely to mention an emotional gift than are those in British Columbia (20%) or Alberta (20%).
• Younger men (28% versus 22% of women), those aged 18 to 24 (31% versus 22% of those aged 25 to 34) as well as residents of Quebec (43%) are the most likely to cite a material gift as the one gift they would like to receive this holiday season.
• Younger residents of British Columbia (39%) are the most likely to mention a `global' gift as the one gift they would like to receive this holiday season, while younger residents of Quebec (6%) are the least likely.

D-Code is a Canadian strategy, research and innovation firm that helps to engage youth and young adults. For more information please visit their website at www.d-code.com .

To view the complete release and tables, please open the attached PDF files.

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For more information on this news release, please contact:

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

Robert Barnard
President
D-Code
(416)953-9956