Canadian values
Canadian values are the perceived commonly shared ethical and human values of Canadians. The majority of Canadians believe they share specific values, with a plurality identifying human rights, respect for the law and gender equality as collective principles. Canadians generally exhibit pride in equality before the law, fairness, social justice, freedom, and respect for others; while often making personal decisions based on self-interests rather than a collective Canadian identity. Tolerance and sensitivity hold significant importance in Canada's multicultural society, as does politeness.
Canadians typically tend to embrace liberal views on social and political issues. In Canada the idea of a "just society" is constitutionally protected, with government policies—such as publicly funded health care; higher and more progressive taxation; outlawing capital punishment; strong efforts to eliminate poverty; an emphasis on cultural diversity; the legalization of same-sex marriage, pregnancy terminations, and euthanasia—being social indicators of the country's political and cultural values.
Political scientist Denis Stairs connects values with Canadian nationalism, noting Canadians feel they hold special, virtuous values. Historian Ian MacKay associates Canadian values with egalitarianism, equalitarianism and peacefulness. Canada promotes its domestically shared values of multilateral and international solutions through its foreign relations participating in multiple global organizations. The majority of Canadians believe it's important for Canada to help other countries in need. Canadians express pridefulness with the country's military peacekeeping and the national park system and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Despite Canadians progressive views, ongoing societal challenges exist, including what has variously been described as neglect, indifference and human rights violations of marginalized groups; such as the treatment of Indigenous peoples, profiling of visible minority, poverty faced by those with disabilities, concerns with the treatment of migrants and refugees and the freedom of religion and language expression in Quebec society.
Surveys
Statistics Canada
According to the 2020 General Social Survey on Social Identity by Statistics Canada, there was broad agreement amongst Canadians on the social and democratic values of human rights, respect for law and gender equality. Close to 7 in 10 agreed to a great extent with respect for Indigenous culture and ethnic and cultural diversity, while the percentage of Canadians who were strongly supportive of having both English and French as Canada's official languages was lower, at 55%. Women and young people are more likely to support diversity and gender equality values. 92% of the population aged 15 and older agreed that ethnic or cultural diversity is a Canadian value.With the exception of linguistic duality where there was no gender differences larger share of women agreed to a great extent with social and democratic values when compared with men. Among the values with the biggest differences across gender were respect for Indigenous cultures ; ethnic and cultural diversity and gender equality.
Younger Canadians were also more likely to value respect for Indigenous cultures and ethnic and cultural diversity, while older Canadians placed a high degree of value on respect for law. Specifically, nearly 8 in 10 of those aged 15 to 24 agreed to a great extent with ethnic and cultural diversity and with respect for Indigenous cultures. This compared with 57% and 62% of those aged 55 and older, respectively. Conversely, almost 9 in 10 Canadians aged 55 and older agreed to a great extent with respect for law, compared with nearly 7 in 10 Canadians aged 15 to 24.
Higher education was related to a stronger support for social and democratic values. For instance, 87% of people with a bachelor's degree or higher agreed to a great extent with gender equality and 76% agreed strongly with ethnic and cultural diversity. This compared with 78% and 62% for those with any form of education below a bachelor's degree, respectively. Quebec residents are the most supportive of gender equality and linguistic duality.
Geographically, significant differences exist with respect to the values of gender equality and having English and French as Canada's official languages. Quebec had the largest share of residents who agreed to a great extent with gender equality, while the Prairies had the lowest share. Likewise, the share of Quebec residents who agreed to a great extent with linguistic duality was much higher than in the Prairies. British Columbia had the lowest share of residents who agreed to a great extent with having English and French as Canada's official languages.
Data from 2020 shows that for immigrants who arrived in Canada at age 13 or older, a majority reported shared values in several areas, including 70.1% for human rights and 67.3% for respect for the law. In contrast, younger arrivals reported lower percentages, such as 56.5% for human rights and 43.6% for respect for the law. Among Canadian-born citizens, the figures are generally lower across these values, indicating a difference in perception between immigrants and native-born Canadians.
When assessing shared values by province, the statistics indicate varying beliefs. For example, in Canada overall, 67.1% of immigrants felt that human rights are respected, compared to 54.9% of Canadian-born individuals. In the Atlantic provinces, the figures stood at 60.0% for immigrants and 54.4% for Canadian-born; in Quebec, 65.0% and 56.6% respectively; in Ontario, 67.9% and 55.3%; and in Manitoba, 71.3% for immigrants and 48.1% for Canadian-born individuals.
The perception of shared values changes based on how long immigrants have been in Canada. For those who have been in the country for 0 to 5 years, a high percentage felt there is a strong adherence to human rights. After 20 years or more, this perception drops to 61.9%. Over the years since landing, the perception of respect for the law, gender equality, linguistic duality, ethnic and cultural diversity, and respect for Indigenous culture also showed a gradual decline..
The 2013 Statistics Canada survey showed older Canadians tended to be less confident that shared values were collectively upheld, particularly regarding ethnic and cultural diversity. Younger individuals showed more belief in these shared values, with significant declines in confidence as age increased. Additionally, women were generally less inclined than men to believe that Canadians shared specific values.
Angus Reid Institute
According to the 2020 Angus Reid Institute survey, Canadians exhibit a variety of perspectives on social issues, demonstrating both consensus and discord on numerous subjects. A considerable majority endorses accessible doctor-assisted dying, with 80% currently advocating for reduced regulations, an increase from 73% in 2016. Conversely, the discourse surrounding abortion rights continues to be contentious, especially concerning third-trimester procedures, where opinions are evenly divided on the necessity for legislation.The intersection of religion and public life elicits mixed reactions; while a significant portion of the population prefers a secular framework, a substantial minority desires a more overt acknowledgment of faith's influence. Most Canadians are against public prayers during government meetings, yet 58% are in favor of permitting public sector employees to don religious symbols.
Cultural diversity presents another intricate challenge. Though Canada has a history of embracing multiculturalism, recent patterns indicate increased support for prompting newcomers to assimilate into mainstream society, with 68% of respondents previously endorsing this perspective. Nevertheless, younger Canadians generally display a preference for cultural diversity.
Economic opinions are similarly fragmented, with half of Canadians expressing support for free-market ideologies, while the other half calls for enhanced government regulation. Comparable divisions arise in the discussion surrounding the increased representation of women in top management roles, where responses are closely split.
Views on the equilibrium between security and civil liberties highlight a generational divide; older Canadians demonstrate a greater willingness to compromise civil liberties for the sake of security, whereas younger Canadians predominantly resist such infringements. Confidence in media reporting remains low, as approximately fifty percent of Canadians believe that the news media accurately conveys information. Canadians find commonality on certain matters like assisted dying and LGBTQ rights, while persisting in polarized opinions regarding abortion, economic policies, and the influence of religion in public affairs.
According to the 2016 opinion poll carried out by the Angus Reid Institute and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation there is transformations in values, beliefs, and identity among Canadians based on regions and demographics. On social and economic matters, Canadians concur on several issues; however, divergent opinions emerge concerning immigration and multiculturalism. While approximately two-thirds are pleased with the integration process of newcomers into communities, many insist that minorities ought to conform more closely to mainstream cultural practices instead of preserving their own traditions and languages.
Economic inequalities catalyze varying opinions among provinces regarding contributions to national revenue. Satisfaction with job availability varies; regions affected by the downturn in oil markets, such as Alberta and Atlantic Canada, display lower satisfaction levels in comparison to Quebec and Manitoba. Canadians are divided on the role of government in the economy, with an equal number supporting free market policies as those advocating for increased regulation.
Significant discussions revolve around the balance between environmental issues and economic expansion, particularly as they relate to sectors like oil sands in Alberta. Although many Canadians regard the oil industry as essential for economic prosperity, local perspectives on its environmental ramifications differ by region, resulting in polarized views across the nation.