Omnibus Survey:

The Impact of Economic and Political Strain on Canadians’ Mental Health

ABOUT THE REPORT

The data in this report was collected by Abacus Data through a national one-time survey. The survey was conducted with 1,500 Canadians residents from February 20 - 25, 2025. The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region.

A collection of MHRC’s research briefs and reports providing an in-depth investigation of our polling results can be found here.

 

Amidst economic and political uncertainty, new data reveals nearly half of Canadians are experiencing heightened anxiety, with tariffs quickly emerging as one of the main reasons.

This one-time survey uncovers critical trends and gaps in care for Canadians as political and economic tension escalates.

  • The current political and economic landscape is causing heightened anxiety among Canadians, with nearly half (42%) reporting increased anxiety in the past month. Anxiety levels are particularly high among lower-income households and women.

  • Rising cost of living is the primary source of anxiety (52%), followed by political tensions and uncertainty with the U.S. (38%), personal challenges (27%), and global events (25%).

  • Concerns vary across demographics: older Canadians are more worried about political tensions, younger Canadians are struggling with personal challenges, and those in lower-income households are most concerned by the cost of living.