December 17, 2023 – Canadians are less optimistic about the future of Canada’s middle class now than at any time over 9 years of tracking by Pollara Strategic Insights. Less than a third (31%) are optimistic about the future of Canada’s middle class, down over 20 points from 2020.
Canadian parents are increasingly pessimistic about their children’s future, as only half (52%) are confident their kids can be middle class (or higher) through hard work. Eight-in-ten (79%) Canadians agreed with this same statement in 2020.
This wave of Pollara’s Middle Class tracking study also finds:
- 77% feel that Canada’s middle class is shrinking, but the percentage of Canadians who self-identify as middle class has stayed consistent in recent years.
- Eight-in-ten (78%) Canadians consider themselves middle class, including 39% of those earning less than $20,000, and 92% of those earning more than $150,000.
- A majority of middle class Canadians are just getting by (43%) or are falling behind (15%) on their monthly expenses.
See the full details in our report and read additional commentary of this poll in the Toronto Star.
