Canadians’ Satisfaction with Public Services

How satisfied are Canadians with some of the most important services that governments provide? This report tackles this question by providing an updated look at Canadian public opinion, as it is changing over time and in comparison to other countries around the world. The results show that Canadians are most satisfied with health care and education, and their level of satisfaction with these services is higher than the average for OECD countries. They are less satisfied when it comes to how they move around their cities – that is to say, with roads and public transit. And Canadians as a whole — and young Canadians in particular — are even less satisfied with the availability of good, affordable housing. This is also the one area where satisfaction is declining. These findings provide some evidence that, while Canadians’ overall economic outlook is improving, some concerns are emerging about the issue of affordability, particularly among younger adults. The results also suggest that more attention could be paid to the question of how well-equipped local governments are to meet Canadians’ expectations regarding transportation and housing.

This report features data from the Gallup World Poll, which is conducted annually in over 100 countries. This research includes a set of indicators that have been tracked in each country since 2006. Comparisons are drawn between Canada and the results for all 35 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which comprise the most relevant benchmark for Canada. The Canadian survey data were collected by Gallup in August 2018 via telephone with a representative sample of 1,009 Canadians aged 15 and over.