- A strong majority find the economy (91%) and healthcare (90%) to be key considerations when deciding which political party they would vote for, followed by housing (84%) and poverty (78%).
- When asked which one single issue the government should focus on, one third mention the economy (34%), followed by healthcare (25%) and housing (18%).
- When asked about additional priorities the government should concentrate on, one quarter mention the housing and rental crisis (24%), followed by about two in ten each stating cost of living, as well as inflation (19%) and healthcare (17%).
November 8, 2023
The economy and related cost of living issues are clearly top of mind for Canadians. Indeed, the vast majority of Canadians feel the economy (91% gave scores of 7 – 10), healthcare (90%), housing (84%), and poverty (78%) are highly important issues in deciding which party they would vote for (if an election were held today). A smaller majority rate education (74%) and the environment (68%) with the same level of importance, while fewer feel the same about transportation (56%).
Notably, with the exception of housing, residents in Quebec are more likely to rate every other national issue as highly important, compared to those residing in other regions of the country. Mentions of the economy and healthcare are consistent across the rest of the country, including demographic groups. Compared to Gen X and Boomers, younger Canadians are more likely to identify housing as highly important. Women, as well as those with a household income of less than $60K are more likely to regard issues such as poverty and the environment highly, compared to their respective counterparts.
Canadians were then asked to choose the single most important national issue that they feel the federal government should focus efforts on. Compared to when this question was asked in 2021, there has been a noticeable increase across all issues, besides the environment. The economy (34%; up from 10% in 2021) replaced the COVID-19 pandemic as the single most important issue for the federal government to prioritize, while other top concerns include healthcare (25%; up from 9%) and housing (18%; up from 6%). One in ten each mention poverty (11%; up from 1%) and the environment (9%; unchanged since 2021), while other issues are stated by fewer than one in ten.
Key demographic differences exist:
- By region: Across the country, residents living in the Prairies are more likely to rank the economy as the single most important issue for the federal government to focus on, whereas those in Quebec are more likely to mention education. Within the Atlantic region, Nova Scotians are more likely to mention housing but least likely to state poverty.
- By age: While Gen X and Boomers are more likely to claim that the economy is the most important issue, Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to mention housing. Mentions of healthcare are highest among Boomers.
- By gender and income: Women, and those with a household income of less than $100K are more likely to mention healthcare, whereas men and those with household income of $100K+ are more likely to mention the economy.
When asked about other priorities the government should concentrate on in the next year, the top issues include the housing and rental crisis (24%), followed by cost of living/inflation (19%), and healthcare (17%). One in ten each again mention the economy (13%), the environment, including climate change (10%), poverty and homelessness (10%), and education (7%). Results are generally consistent across the country, however there were some differences within the Atlantic region. More specifically, while Nova Scotians are more likely to mention the housing and rental crisis, residents in New Brunswick and Newfoundland & Labrador are more likely to be concerned about cost of living/inflation. Furthermore, women are more likely to mention the housing and rental crisis, as well as healthcare, compared to men.
Results are from an online survey conducted in partnership between Narrative Research and the Logit Group. The survey was conducted between October 14th and 16th, 2023, with 1,230 Canadians, 18 years of age or older from the Logit Group’s Canadian Omnibus. Data were weighted based on the 2016 Census by gender, age, and region to reflect actual population distribution. As a non-probability sample a margin of error is not applied.
The questions asked were:
If a federal election were held today, how important would each of the following issues be to you in deciding which party to vote for?
- Healthcare
- Housing
- Education
- Transportation
- The environment
- Poverty
- The economy
And if you had to choose just one issue, which is most important for the federal government to focus on?
And what other priorities should the federal government concentrate on in the next year?
For more information, please contact:
Margaret Chapman, COO & Partner, Narrative Research – 902-493-3834, mchapman@narrativeresearch.ca
OR
Sam Pisani, Managing Partner, Logit Group – 416.629.4116, sam.pisani@logitgroup.com
Narrative Research (www.narrativeresearch.ca), is a leading public opinion and market research company headquartered in Canada. The company is certified as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE). As a non-partisan, 100% Canadian-owned research company, Narrative Research is dedicated to providing clients with state-of-the-art research and strategic consulting services.
The Logit Group (https://logitgroup.com/) is a leading North American data collection and market research execution company headquartered in Toronto, conducting large-scale projects for a variety of well-known research agencies and brands. Logit employs industry-best technologies across an array of methodologies, and is independent, experienced and quality-oriented.
Follow us on Twitter at @EveryNarrative and @LogitGroup
