Most Canadians say 2022 was good for them but ‘pessimism’ lingers: poll

As 2022 comes to an end, Canadians seem to have an “improved, but uneven outlook on the country and the world” compared to the last two years, according to new polling that paints a picture of lingering pessimism about a “hot mess” of a broader world.

The Ipsos poll conducted exclusively for Global News was done between Dec. 14 and 16 and surveyed 1,004 Canadians 18 years old or older. Their responses suggest that nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of Canadians say 2022 was good for them and their families, while half (51 per cent) say it was a good year for Canada and only one-third think it was a good year for the world.

“We have come out of a pandemic, but we haven’t come out of the pessimism,” Ipsos Public Affairs CEO Darrell Bricker told Global News on Dec. 30.

READ MORE: Food prices set to rise another 5-7% in 2023 after record inflation year: report

When it comes to the outlook for Canada, people are split on how this year turned out, with half (50 per cent) of Canadians agreeing 2022 was better than they thought it would be (six per cent strongly agreed, 44 per cent somewhat agreed) while the other half (50 per cent) disagree (33 per cent somewhat, 17 per cent strongly).

Regionally, residents of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are more likely to fall on the pessimistic side when asked about the state of the year that was, according to Ipsos.

Overall, Canadians appear to still be pessimistic about the state of the world in a year that has seen much turbulence, with the war in Ukraine. Only 34 per cent said they would rate 2022 on a global scale as good (four per cent very, 29 per cent somewhat), though that is only a six-point improvement compared to 2020 and 2021, according to Ipsos.

“Throw in global inflation and the global economy…it’s a hot mess, that’s the best way to describe it,” said Bricker.

With soaring inflation and repeated interest rate hikes, many respondents said they are wary of what’s to come with three-quarters (75 per cent) of respondents agreeing that 2022 has made them fearful of an upcoming recession.

That fear is higher among households with kids (83 per cent vs. 73 per cent for households without kids).

The poll also shows that 20 per cent of Canadians agree this year has made them fearful for their job security, which is higher among those aged 18 to 34. 

At the same time, 44 per cent of respondents said that they were able to save money this year while a majority disagreed (56 per cent). This proportion is higher among women and people aged 34-54, and comes after a year of rampant inflation and spikes in the cost of everything from groceries to mortgages to a broad range of consumer goods.

All of that combined paints a mixed picture of how Canadians are feeling, Ipsos said in a statement.

“In sum, compared to the past two years, Canadians tend to view 2022 positively, especially when thinking of their personal lives,” the polling firm said. “However, this optimism remains cautious while reflecting on broader economic trend,.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned in a year-end interview with Global National’s Dawna Friesen that 2023 will be a “tough” year for Canadians.

“Global recession fears, slowing down in the global economy, interest rates continuing to be high, inflation still lingering — it’s going to be tough,” he said.

In an International Monetary Fund (IMF) assessment released earlier this month, the global financial agency warned Canada is at risk of tipping into a “mild recession,” despite outperforming its G7 counterparts.

With files from Global News’ Erika Vella and Rachel Gilmore.

Exclusive Global News Ipsos polls are protected by copyright. The information and/or data may only be rebroadcast or republished with full and proper credit and attribution to “Global News Ipsos.” This poll was conducted between Dec. 14 and 16, 2022, with a sample of 1,004 Canadians aged 18-plus interviewed online. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. This poll is accurate to within ± 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadians aged 18-plus been polled.

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