Will Canada Move Beyond Disruption in 2025?

Our clients influence the lives of Canadians every day. We see our job at Ipsos as helping you, our clients, gain the insights you need to make decisions. We also think that the breadth of what we do and our perspective on Canadians as both citizens and consumers can help our clients navigate what is an increasingly uncertain world. As we at Ipsos take stock of the year that was 2024, we are struck by a few broader themes.

First, its hard to be optimistic when you are looking at the data we are looking at. That does not mean 2025 will be all doom and gloom. There will be some bright spots, but the phrase “hope springs eternal” seems to be out of sync with the views of Canadians and the positions of our political leaders. Much of the political and economic narrative is about supporting those in need, fixing the things that are broken or righting the wrongs that have been done. Little today seems aspirational.

Second, public opinion matters, it shapes events. What the public was feeling, their hopes and fears were reflected in the actions of politicians and businesses throughout the year. Affordability and immigration were among the top concerns and while Canada’s leaders have started to respond, the jury is out as to whether these actions will have an impact on the mood or the finances of Canadians. Climate Change remains important to Canadians but lacks urgency and with no consensus on what can be done about it, we have seen political leaders campaigning for removal of a price on carbon.

Third, context matters. The best laid plans can succeed or fail depending on the context in which they are unveiled. Or to steal a quote from Mike Tyson, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face”. We can see the impact of context in how we react to extreme weather events or Canadians’ response to the “GST Holiday”. Severe storms are becoming common place and haven’t resulted in increased concern over climate change. The temporary GST break pales in comparison to the feelings of declining purchasing power Canadians have experienced. Looking ahead, the 2025 “contextual punch” may well have already been delivered by the US electorate.

Despite what has been a busy and disruptive year we think 2024 will be remembered as the first true post-pandemic year.

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