June 29, 2026
Over the past year, Canadians have spent a lot of time thinking about their country.
Some of that reflection has been driven by challenges. Housing affordability remains a defining concern. The cost of living continues to put pressure on households. Political debates about immigration, identity, and the country’s future have become more intense. Trade tensions and economic disputes with the United States have raised questions about Canada’s economic resilience and its ability to defend its interests in an increasingly uncertain world.
At the same time, Canadians have also been reminded of their country’s strengths and place in the world. Canada has found itself at the centre of major international moments, from co-hosting the FIFA World Cup and celebrating the men’s national team’s first-ever World Cup victory, to Canadian representation in science, culture, and global affairs. Discussions about sovereignty, economic independence, and Canada’s role internationally have placed renewed attention on what distinguishes Canada and what Canadians value about it.
The result is a somewhat unusual moment. Canadians appear to be thinking more consciously about Canada itself. Not simply whether life is getting easier or harder, but what kind of country Canada is, what it stands for, and where it fits in a changing world.
Pride Has Become More Broad-Based
Against that backdrop, one finding stands out.
Today, 77% of Canadians say they are proud to be Canadian, up from 68% last year and 65% in 2024. In just two years, national pride has increased by 12 points.
What makes this notable is how broadly that increase is being felt. Older Canadians remain the most likely to express pride, with 85% of those aged 60 and older saying they are proud to be Canadian. But the largest gains are found among younger and middle-aged Canadians. Pride has increased by 8 points among those aged 18 to 29, 12 points among those aged 30 to 44, and 15 points among those aged 45 to 59.
The same pattern appears across the country. Ontario reports the highest level of pride at 82%, up 13 points from last year. Alberta (74%) and Quebec (66%) report lower levels, but substantial majorities in both provinces still say they are proud to be Canadian. Outside Ontario and Saskatchewan/Manitoba, where pride is also up by 10 points, provincial results are largely unchanged, suggesting regional differences persist but attachment to Canada remains widespread.
The breadth of the increase matters because it comes at a time when Canadians are far from uniformly optimistic. Younger Canadians, in particular, are more likely to struggle with housing affordability, concerns about economic opportunity, and doubts about their ability to get ahead. They are also more likely than older Canadians to describe Canada as a place where it is becoming harder to build a successful future.
Yet pride has increased among them too.
That suggests something more complex than a simple improvement in national mood. Pride and optimism may not be moving together. Canadians can be frustrated with the cost of living, worried about the country’s direction, or uncertain about their own future prospects while still feeling a strong connection to the country itself.
If anything, the uncertainty of the past year may have prompted Canadians to think more carefully about what Canada means to them and what aspects of the country remain worth valuing. The rise in pride appears less connected to satisfaction with current conditions and more connected to a renewed appreciation for the country’s identity, values, and place in the world.
So what exactly are Canadians feeling proud of?
The Canada Canadians Are Proud Of
When Canadians explain why they are proud, their answers are surprisingly consistent.
The country’s natural beauty tops the list, with 60% citing it as a source of pride. A peaceful and safe society (56%), universal healthcare (56%), and Canada’s reputation for tolerance and inclusivity (52%) follow closely behind.
These are familiar themes. They’ve long been part of how Canadians describe themselves.
What feels slightly different this year is the prominence of identity and sovereignty.
Nearly half of proud Canadians (48%) say that being distinct from the United States is something that makes them proud. 45% point to Canada’s ability to stand up for its interests and sovereignty on the world stage.
That stands out because these are not passive sources of pride. They are about differentiation. They are about how Canada positions itself relative to others.
Perhaps pride is becoming less about what Canada has and more about what Canada is.
What Gets in the Way of Pride
At the same time, the findings reveal why pride is not universal.
Among the minority of Canadians who say they are not proud to be Canadian, the most common reason is disagreement with Canadian policies or political decisions (57%). Half point to a feeling that Canada is becoming more divided and polarized, while 47% say they feel little connection to Canadian values or identity.
Economic concerns also play a significant role. Four in ten (41%) cite economic struggles or a lack of opportunities as reasons they are not proud of the country.
What is interesting is how closely these concerns mirror some of the broader anxieties found elsewhere in the data. Questions about affordability, social cohesion, opportunity, and national identity are not confined to those who lack pride in Canada. They are part of a wider conversation about the country’s future.
There is also a notable concern about Canada’s standing in the world. Nearly one-third (32%) worry that Canada is losing influence internationally, while 29% believe the country is not doing enough to stand up for its interests and sovereignty.
Taken together, these concerns point to an important distinction. For many Canadians, pride is not undermined by the belief that Canada lacks strengths. Rather, it is challenged by a perception that the country is not fully living up to its potential.
Pride and Worry Are Living Side by Side
The challenge with interpreting national pride is assuming it tells us how people feel about the country’s future.
It doesn’t.
Only 11% of Canadians say they are more proud of Canada today than they were a few years ago. Another 28% say they remain proud despite the challenges Canada faces.
Then there is a group that may best capture the mood of the country right now. 22% say they feel both pride and concern when they think about Canada.
Not pride or concern. Pride and concern.
That distinction matters.
16% say they are increasingly worried about Canada’s future. 12% are disappointed in the direction the country is heading. 8% feel disconnected from Canada and what it stands for.
These numbers do not describe a country that is comfortable. They describe a country that is thinking about itself.
A Country Without a Dominant Story
One of the more revealing findings in the data is how difficult it is to describe Canada today with a single narrative.
When asked what kind of country Canada feels like, no response comes close to dominating. The most common answer, selected by just 11% of Canadians, is “a country facing an uncertain future.” Beyond that, opinions spread almost evenly across a range of competing descriptions: a country where it is becoming harder to get ahead (10%), a diverse and multicultural country (10%), a country where people can build a good life (10%), a country that feels increasingly divided (10%), and a country that is losing its sense of identity (10%).
In many ways, this may be the most important finding in the study.
Canadians are not rallying around a shared understanding of where the country is today. Some see a welcoming and diverse society. Others see growing division. Some still see opportunity and upward mobility. Others see barriers and stagnation. The result is not a country that lacks identity, but one that is actively negotiating it.
This helps explain why pride and concern can coexist so comfortably in the data. Canadians are looking at the same country and seeing very different things.
The clearest fault line in these perceptions is generational.
Older Canadians are more likely to see Canada as a place where people can build a good life. 15% of those aged 60 and older choose this description, compared with just 6% of Canadians aged 18 to 29. Younger Canadians, meanwhile, are more than twice as likely to describe Canada as a country where it is becoming harder to get ahead (15% versus 7% among those over 60).
The divide is telling because it is less about identity than opportunity. Younger Canadians are not substantially less proud of the country than older Canadians. In fact, pride among younger Canadians has increased significantly over the past year. What differs is their assessment of what Canada can deliver.
For many older Canadians, Canada is a country that largely fulfilled its promise. For many younger Canadians, the promise still exists, but it feels less certain, less accessible, and perhaps further out of reach.
That tension runs through much of the data. Canadians remain proud of their country, but they are not all experiencing it in the same way. The debate is increasingly not about whether Canada is worth being proud of. It is about whether the opportunities and sense of possibility that once defined the Canadian experience are still available to everyone.
The Upshot
The past year seems to have made Canadians more conscious of Canada itself.
That does not mean Canadians feel settled about the country’s direction. They don’t. Many are worried about affordability, opportunity, division, and whether Canada can protect its interests in a more uncertain world. Younger Canadians, especially, are less likely to see Canada as a place where it is easy to get ahead.
But pride has moved in the other direction. It has increased nationally, across age groups, and across much of the country.
That shift matters. It suggests Canadian pride is not simply a reflection of satisfaction with daily life or confidence in the future. It is something a little more complicated. Canadians can be frustrated by the country’s problems while still feeling attached to its values, its institutions, its natural beauty, and its distinct place in the world.
The strongest signal in the data may be this: Canada does not have one dominant story right now. Some see possibility. Some see uncertainty. Some see a country becoming more divided. Others still see a place where people can build a good life.
And yet, through that uncertainty, pride is rising. Not because Canadians think the country is perfect, but because more of them seem to be asking what makes it worth holding onto.
Methodology
The survey was conducted across two surveys from June 12 to 17, 2026 with 3,080 Canadian adults living outside of Ontario and 2,185 Ontario adults. A random sample of panelists were invited to complete the survey from a set of partner panels based on the PureSpectrum platform. These partners are typically double opt-in survey panels, blended to manage out potential skews in the data from a single source.
The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the same sizes is +/- 1.76%, 19 times out of 20.
The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region.
This survey was paid for by Abacus Data.
Abacus Data follows the CRIC Public Opinion Research Standards and Disclosure Requirements that can be found here: https://canadianresearchinsightscouncil.ca/standards/
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