Canadian Pride and Optimism on the Rise, but Still Well Below 1980s Levels

A boy reaches for a Canadian flag on Canada Day in Vancouver on July 1, 2024. The Canadian Press/Ethan Cairns

National pride is on the upswing in Canada since last year, yet fewer than half of the country’s citizens report feeling “very proud” to be Canadian, a new survey suggests.

Forty-three percent of those polled by Angus Reid this month say they are “very proud” to be Canadian, up from the 34 percent who expressed the same sentiments last December, but still significantly lower than the 78 percent recorded in 1985.