Few Canadians are expressing a favourable view of the Russian Federation, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, only 12% of Canadians have a positive opinion of Russia, while 77% hold negative views and 10% are undecided.
“Negative opinions on Russia are extremely high among Canadians aged 55 and over (87%),” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Sizeable majorities of Canadians aged 35-to-54 (76%) and aged 18-to-34 (69%) convey similar feelings.”
Positive perceptions of the Russian Federation have dropped by 12 points since a similar Research Co. poll conducted in December 2021. Russia is now the least-liked of the 15 countries included in this tracking survey, below North Korea (13%, -1) and Iran (16%, =).
In a separate Research Co. poll conducted in February, only 1% of Canadians thought that the Canadian government should support the Russian Federation in what were then the early stages of an international crisis involving Ukraine.
Only one-in-five Canadians (20%, =) hold favourable views on China. The rating is higher for Saudi Arabia (24%, +1), Venezuela (31%, +3) and India (37%, =).
While 30% of Canadians aged 18-to-34 have a positive opinion of China, the rating falls to 21% among their counterparts aged 35-to-54 and to 10% among those aged 55 and over.
More than seven-in-ten Canadians have a favourable view of the United Kingdom (73%, +2) and Italy (73%, +4). More than two thirds also express positive opinions on Germany (70%, +1), Japan (69%, =) and France (69%, +1).
More than half of Canadians (56%, +6) express a favourable view of the United States. The rating is slightly lower for Canada’s other free trade partner in North America, Mexico (50%, +5).
Only 48% of British Columbians hold a positive opinion of the United States. The rating is higher in Quebec (54%), Atlantic Canada (57%), Alberta (also 57%), Ontario (59%) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (60%).
Seven-in-ten Canadians who voted for the Conservative Party in the 2021 federal election (70%) hold favourable views on the United States. The numbers are slightly lower among those who cast ballots for the Liberal Party (66%) but drop markedly among those who supported the New Democratic Party (NDP) (43%).
Methodology: Results are based on an online study conducted from May 22 to May 24, 2022, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error – which measures sample variability – is +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
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