(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Fewer adults in Canada are satisfied with their country’s financial standing, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 59 per cent of respondents rate the economic conditions in Canada as good or very good, down eight points since July.

In addition, 47 per cent of respondents expect Canada’s economy to remain the same over the next three months, 35 per cent forecast a decline, and nine per cent predict an improvement.

In January 2002, the Canadian dollar was worth $0.61 U.S. In November 2007, the Canadian currency briefly surpassed the $1.10 U.S. mark. Canada has recorded ten straight budget surpluses—the only country in the G-7 to do so. Last month, the national unemployment rate stood at 6.1 per cent, slightly up from a 30-year low of 5.8 per cent in February.

Canadians renewed the House of Commons in January 2006. The Conservative party—led by Stephen Harper—received 36.3 per cent of the vote, and secured 124 seats in the 308-member lower house. Harper formed a minority administration after more than 12 years of government by the Liberal party. In December 2006, former environment minister Stéphane Dion became the new leader of the Liberals.

On Sept. 15, the stock market plummeted in North America, Europe and Asia. Harper discussed the current state of affairs, saying, "There are and there will be difficulties in the world economy. My own belief is if we were going to have some kind of big crash or recession, we probably would have had it by now."

Dion criticized the current government’s handling of finances, saying, "[Harper] made bad choices regarding the way he spent. He spent more than any other government before him, but he built nothing with it."

Polling Data

How would you rate the economic conditions in Canada today?

Over the next three months, do you think the Canadian economy will improve, remain the same, or decline?

Source: Angus Reid Strategies
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,007 Canadian adults, conducted on Sept. 8 and Sept. 9, 2008. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

Archive Search

Over 19,500 Polls
Search the Angus Reid Global Monitor Polls & Research archive.