After a year marked by economic uncertainty, global conflict and climate-related disasters, only about one in three Canadians feel optimistic that 2026 will be better than the year now ending, according to a new Leger survey.
The poll, conducted for The Canadian Press, found that 35 per cent of respondents believe 2026 will be better than 2025. Another 37 per cent expect the new year to be about the same, while 22 per cent think it will be worse.
The online survey questioned 1,523 Canadians between Dec. 19 and Dec. 21. As with all online polls, it cannot be assigned a margin of error.
Andrew Enns, Leger’s executive vice-president for Central Canada, said the results reflect the challenges Canadians have faced over the past year.
“Given the kind of year we’ve had, it’s not overly surprising,” Enns told The Canadian Press.
Despite the tempered outlook for the year ahead, the survey suggests Canadians feel their mental health has improved compared with the pandemic period.
In 2025, 86 per cent of respondents reported having good mental health, while 11 per cent said their mental health was poor. Among those reporting good mental health, 31 per cent described it as “very good” and 17 per cent as “excellent.”
That compares with December 2020, when 79 per cent reported good mental health and 19 per cent reported poor mental health.
Regionally, Quebecers were most likely to rate their mental health as good, at 91 per cent. They were followed by Albertans at 88 per cent, British Columbians at 86 per cent and Ontarians at 84 per cent.
Older Canadians were also more likely to report positive mental health. Among those aged 55 and over, 93 per cent said their mental health was good, compared with 83 per cent of those aged 35 to 54 and 80 per cent of respondents aged 18 to 34.
At the same time, younger Canadians expressed greater optimism about the year ahead. Nearly four in 10 respondents aged 18 to 34 — 39 per cent — said they expect 2026 to be better than 2025. That compares with 36 per cent among those aged 35 to 54 and 31 per cent among those 55 and older.
When asked to choose words that best described 2025 for Canada, 40 per cent selected “uncertain,” 37 per cent chose “turbulent,” and 31 per cent said “exhausting.”
Enns said those responses mirror the broader national mood.
“We had some craziness with the Americans, a really hard-fought federal election, and we’re still dealing with affordability,” he said. “There’s also international trouble that seems to dominate the headlines.”
Respondents said their year was shaped most by politics, cited by 72 per cent, followed by family and personal responsibilities at 69 per cent, and health and well-being challenges at 67 per cent.
The survey also explored Canadians’ views on identity, community and national sentiment. More than four in five respondents agreed that “Canada feels culturally different than it did a few years ago.”
Seventy-one per cent said they agreed that “the actions of other Canadians gave me moments of discouragement,” while 68 per cent said they also felt moments of pride because of others’ actions.
Together, the findings paint a picture of a country emerging from a difficult year with improving personal well-being, but with cautious expectations for what lies ahead in 2026.