Canadian Public Opinion Trends
Source Canadian Opinion Research Archive
http:///www.queensu.ca/cora/trends
Economy: State of the Economy
In your opinion, is the Canadian economy getting stronger, weaker or is it staying about the same?
Year Month Stronger Weaker Staying the Same DK/NA Valid N Variable Survey Firm
1986 June 14.1 39.9 42.6 3.4 2054 q4 EFC862 Environics
1986 September 24.5 36.3 35.5 3.6 2038 q1 EFC863 Environics
1986 November 11.3 43.5 42 3.2 2042 q2 EFC864 Environics
1987 March 15.6 41.6 39.6 3.2 2004 q1 EFC871 Environics
1987 May 18.5 33.5 44.6 3.3 2019 q4 EFC872 Environics
1987 September 23.5 36.5 36.6 3.4 2033 q1 EFC873 Environics
1987 November 22.7 31.8 41.3 4.2 2013 q2 EFC874 Environics
1988 February 22.2 25.6 48 4.1 2043 q2 EFC881 Environics
1988 May 30.6 23.6 43.2 2.6 2046 q2 EFC882 Environics
1988 October 30.4 22.4 43.1 4 2053 q3 EFC883 Environics
1988 December 28.8 26 42.2 2.9 2022 q2 EFC884 Environics
1989 March 30.7 19.1 46.8 3.4 2006 q3 EFC891 Environics
1989 June 22.4 34.4 40 3.2 2005 q4 EFC892 Environics
1989 October 15.6 39.6 41.4 3.2 2002 q4 EFC893 Environics
1989 December 17.6 45.9 33.1 3.4 2006 q6 EFC894 Environics
1990 March 10.2 45.5 42 2.3 2002 q6 EFC901 Environics
1990 June 9.1 54.9 32.6 3.3 2002 q3 EFC902 Environics
1990 October 7.9 54.6 34.8 2.7 2028 q4 EFC903 Environics
1990 December 3.6 76.5 17.7 2.2 2019 q4 EFC904 Environics
1991 January 4.4 71 22.1 2.5 2220 q3 EFC911 Environics
1991 April 5.5 72.4 20.1 2 2021 q3 EFC912 Environics
1991 July 7.8 62.2 27.2 2.8 2012 q10 EFC913 Environics
1991 October 6.1 67.7 24.4 1.8 2003 q7 EFC914 Environics
1992 February 4 75.5 19.2 1.2 2001 q3 EFC921 Environics
1992 May 5.2 65.6 27.8 1.4 2005 q3 EFC922 Environics
1992 August 7.1 54.4 37.1 1.3 2019 q4 EFC923 Environics
1992 November 4.1 67.4 27.4 1 2022 q4 EFC924 Environics
1993 March 9.6 56.4 33.2 0.8 2042 q3 EFC931 Environics
1993 June 8.3 56.8 33.6 1.3 2002 q3 EFC932 Environics
1993 August 7.2 59.8 31.7 1.2 2001 q3 EFC933 Environics
1993 December 9.2 52.4 37.3 1 2002 q6 EFC934 Environics
1994 March 16 45.4 37.4 1.2 2020 q5 EFC941 Environics
1994 June 16.4 41.4 40.9 1.3 2026 q3 EFC942 Environics
1994 September 22.3 34.3 41.2 2.2 2001 q5 EFC943 Environics
1994 December 21.4 35.8 41.3 1.4 1996 q3 EFC944 Environics
1995 March 15.1 47.2 35.9 1.7 2003 q5 EFC951 Environics
1995 June 9.5 49.5 39.5 1.5 2037 q3 EFC952 Environics
1995 September 9.4 52.7 36.2 1.7 2022 q9 EFC953 Environics
1995 December 8.7 52.7 36.7 1.9 2005 q3 EFC954 Environics
1996 March 9.4 51.9 37.1 1.6 2034 q3 EFC961 Environics
1996 June 11.4 45.6 41.7 1.4 2015 q6 EFC962 Environics
1996 Q3 17.6 41.6 39.4 1.4 2015 q3 EFC963 Environics
1996 Q4 19.2 37.2 41.4 2.2 2000 q4 EFC964 Environics
1997 Q1 16.7 40.9 39.6 2.8 2014 q3 EFC971 Environics
1997 July 28.7 28.9 40 2.3 2001 q4 EFC972 Environics
1997 October 33.3 30.2 35 1.5 2008 q4 EFC973 Environics
1997 December 26.9 37 34.4 1.6 2022 q5 EFC974 Environics
1998 March 28.9 30.6 38.4 2.1 2013 q2 EFC981 Environics
1998 June 21.9 37.8 38.2 2 2021 q2 EFC982 Environics
1998 October 14 52.3 31.6 2.1 2002 q7 EFC983 Environics
1998 December 16.5 39.7 41.7 2.1 2000 q3 EFC984 Environics
1999 March 21.9 34.6 42.2 1.4 2049 q2 EFC991 Environics
1999 June 20.6 34.7 42 2.7 2018 q3 EFC992 Environics
1999 September 24 34.4 38.3 3.2 2061 q2 EFC993 Environics
1999 December 40.8 19 40.2 2014 q2 EFC994 Environics
2000 March 40.5 21.1 38.4 1974 q2 EFC001 Environics
2000 June 36.2 23.2 40.6 2006 q4 EFC002 Environics
2000 September 35.3 24.3 40.4 2044 q2 EFC003 Environics
2000 December 28.2 24 47.8 2070 q2 EFC004 Environics
2001 April 16.7 41.7 41.6 1982 q3 EFC011 Environics
2001 June 20.5 31 48.4 2000 q2 EFC012 Environics
2001 September 8.6 52.1 39.4 1984 q2 EFC013 Environics
2001 December 10.4 49.1 40.4 1962 q2 EFC014 Environics
2003 Q1 27 25.7 46 1.2 2012 q2 EFC031 Environics
2003 Q2 26.3 29.2 42.7 1.8 2018 q2 EFC032 Environics
2003 Q3 23.6 25.5 49.3 1.6 2001 q7 EFC033 Environics
2003 Q4 30.6 20.3 46.9 2.1 2002 q2 EFC034 Environics
2004 Q1 23.2 26.5 47.7 2.6 2014 q2 EFC041 Environics
2004 Q2 25.7 22.7 49.5 2.1 2020 q4 EFC042 Environics
2004 Q3 35.7 19.1 43.5 1.7 2027 q3 EFC043 Environics
2004 Q4 33.8 16.9 46.6 2.7 2020 q3 EFC044 Environics
2005 Q1 26 23.7 48.1 2.2 2022 q4 EFC051 Environics
2005 Q2 30.5 20.2 47.2 2.1 2022 q3 EFC052 Environics
2005 Q3 33.4 22.5 41.6 2.5 2024 q3 EFC053 Environics
2005 Q4 37.7 18.7 40.9 2.7 2044 q3 EFC054 Environics
2006 Q1 36.4 19.0 42.2 2.4 2035 q3 EFC061 Environics
2006 Q2 48.5 14.5 35.5 1.5 2036 q3 EFC062 Environics
2006 Q3 37.1 17.7 43.7 1.5 2021 q3 EFC063 Environics
2006 Q4 30.7 18.3 48.6 2.4 2045 q4 EFC064 Environics
2007 Q1 29.3 18.8 49.8 2.0 2030 q4 EFC071 Environics
2007 Q2 46.7 15.8 34.3 3 2021 q3 EFC072 Environics
2007 Q3 50.5 14.7 32.6 2.2 2047 q4 EFC073 Environics
2007 Q4 40.3 17.5 39.6 2.7 2032 q3 EFC074 Environics
2008 Q1 24.2 28.9 43.8 3.1 2026 q3 EFC081 Environics
2008 Q2 18.5 36.4 42.6 2.5 2025 q3 EFC082 Environics
2008 Q3 7.4 51.1 38.8 2.7 2023 q3 EFC083 Environics
2008 Q4 2.5 71.8 23.6 2.0 2021 q3 EFC084 Environics
2009 Q1 6.7 54.7 36.6 1.9 2020 q3 EFC091 Environics
2009 Q2 14.7 37.5 45.3 2.5 2023 Q3 EFC092 Environics
2009 Q3 29.7 22.9 44.5 2.9 1601 Q3 EFC093 Environics
2009 Q4 29.5 21.1 46.6 2.8 1209 Q3 EFC094 Environics
2010 Q1 19.5 22.2 54.7 3.6 2020 q3 EFC2010 Environics
2011 Q1 12.0 31.5 54.3 2.3 1500 Q3 EFC2011 Environics
Economy: Personal
Still thinking about the material side of things and looking ahead over the next three or four years, do you think that you will be better off, worse off, or will things stay about the same?
Year Better off Worse off About the Same DK NA Valid N Variable Survey
1974 5.4 7.7 9.4 54.9 22.6 2761 16 CES
1979 25.9 21.5 46.6 5.9 0 2673 1028 CES
1980 11.2 14.6 22.9 48 3.2 1789 2018 CES
1984 35.4 13.6 44.4 6.6 0 3380 27 CES
Do you think that a year from now you will be better off financially, worse off, or about the same as now?
Year Better off Worse off About the Same DK Refused Valid N Variable Survey
1988 31.4 9.3 48.7 10.4 0.2 3609 c2 CES
1992 22.3 18.5 56.4 2.5 0.3 2246 prf2 CES
1997 27.3 15.1 50 7.5 0.1 3946 cpsc2 CES
2000 32.1 8.6 50.6 8.6 0.2 3648 cpsc2 CES
2004 24.8 15.1 51.5 8.4 0.2 4323 cps_f3 CES
2006 28.0 8.8 58.5 4.6 0.2 4058 cps_f306 CES
Would you say that you are better off or worse off financially than you were a year ago?
Year Somewhat better off now About the same Somewhat worse off now Don't Know Refused Valid N Variable Survey
1984 20 58.7 20.7 0.7 0 3380 26 CES
1988 39.3 37 21.2 2 0.5 3609 c1 CES
1993 23.2 25.6 50.2 0.7 0.3 3776 cpsc1 CES
1997 17.9 28.5 53 0.6 0.1 3947 cpsc1 CES
2000 25.4 53.8 19.5 1 0.3 3648 cpsc1 CES
2004 19.1 25.7 54.1 0.8 0.4 4323 cps_f1 CES
2006 23.0 18.2 58.0 0.62 0.2 4058 cps_f106 CES
2008 20.8 54.5 23.0 1.2 0.4 3257 ces08_CPS_F1 CES
2011 15.5 62.9 20.8 0.3 0.4 4308 CPS11_66 CES
Economy: National
What about the next 12 months? Do you expect Canada's economy to get better, stay about the same, or get worse?
Year Get
Better		 Stay
Same		 Get
Worse		 Depends
Who
Wins the
Election		 DK Refused Valid N Variable Survey
1988 28.8 44.7 13 - 13.3 0.2 3580 G2 CES88
1993 23.2 51.2 21.2 - 4.4 0.1 3775 CPSH2 CES93
1997 32.8 43.8 8.2 - 15 0.2 3949 CPSG3A CES97
2000 25.8 49.3 9.3 - 15.6 0.1 3651 CPSG3A CES00
2004 24.1 45.5 14 - 16.4 0.1 4323 CPS_M2 CES04
2004 24.1 45.5 14 - 16.4 0.1 4323 CPS_M2 CES04
2006 25.9 45.4 11.6 10.0 7.0 0.0 4058 cps_m206 CES04-06
Now, I want to ask you about the economy in all of Canada. Would you say that over the past year Canada's economy has gotten better, stayed about the same, or gotten worse?
Year Get
Better		 Stay
Same		 Get
Worse		 DK Refused Valid N Variable Survey
1988 34.6 48.1 12.2 5.1 0 3584 G1 CES88
1993 7.2 28.8 62.4 1.5 0 3774 CPSH1 CES93
1997 33.1 41.9 20.8 4.2 0.1 3946 CPSG1 CES97
2000 40.9 14.6 41 3.5 0 3647 CPSG1 CES00
2004 21.2 48 26.8 4 0.1 4323 CPS_M1 CES04
2006 41.3 40.5 14.6 3.5 0.1 4058 cps_m106 CES04-06
2008 13.7 40.6 42.0 3.7 0.0 3257 ces08_CPS_M1 CES08
2011 34.0 42.5 21.3 2.2 0.0 4308 CPS11_39 CES11
Would you say that over the past twelve months, the state of the economy in Canada has: gotten much better, gotten somewhat better, stayed about the same, gotten somewhat worse, gotten a lot worse?
Year Much
Better
Off Now		 Somewhat Better Off Now About The Same Somewhat
Worse
Off Now		 Much Worse Off Now Refused Valid N Variable Survey
1997 5.7 38.9 42.9 10.4 2.1 - 1845 MBSI10 CES97
Economy: Provincial
What about economic conditions in (province)? Would you say that over the past year economic conditions in (province) have gotten better, stayed about the same, or gotten worse?
Year Got Better Stayed Same Got Worse DK Refused Valid N Variable Survey
1993 7 23.5 68.2 1.3 - 3775 CPSE1 CES93
1997 30 34 31.7 4.2 0.2 3946 CPSG2 CES97