Report

Today we live in a time of social and political fracture. Much of what people know and how they communicate with others is happening on social media that channels content through narrow audiences, and feeds conflict and outrage. Amidst the noise of heated political rhetoric and ranting Tik Tok videos, are we losing trust in each other?

Every year since 2019, the Confederation of Tomorrow survey has been asking Canadians the following three questions about respect, influence and spending in the federation.

In the past few years, evidence has appeared suggesting that concerns about the implications of technological change may be growing. According to the most recent survey waves, a growing proportion of workers are now expressing concern with the pace of change in general, and more specifically with the prospect of automation leading to unemployment.

Satisfaction with democracy, trust in elections, and the sense that votes are always counted fairly, have all declined steadily and significantly among Conservative Party supporters since the party lost power a decade ago – and in the context of four consecutive election losses.

In 2025, Canadians find themselves facing a much less certain international situation than they have been used to. Some of this is due to the persistence of conflicts in Ukraine, and in Israel and Gaza, and the wider threats they pose to international peace and security.

The war between Israel and Hamas is approaching its second anniversary, with no clear prospect of resolution or peace. Over much of this period Canada adopted a principled but cautious position on the conflict.

A majority of Canadians continue to say there is too much immigration, but opinions have stabilized since 2024 following a sharp increase over the two previous years. Those who express this view increasingly point to poor government management as the problem.

This year’s report from the 2025 survey provides an opportunity to assess the state of public opinion on these issues 10 years after the completion of the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The latest wave of the Survey on Employment and Skills asked Canadians to think about what advice they would give to a young person regarding their career path.

Public concerns about climate change notwithstanding, Canadians are placing increasing priority on economic security over the importance of reducing carbon emissions.