Young Canadians report low levels of hopefulness
According to a new study from Statistics Canada, Canadians are feeling less hopeful about the future compared with how they felt in 2016. Moreover, young Canadians are experiencing larger declines in hopefulness.
In 2016, young Canadians were more hopeful than the older population. However, in 2021/2022, the younger group was as hopeful about the future as older Canadians. About 63% of 15 to 34-year-olds Canadians had a positive view of the future, down significantly from 2016 (-15%).
“This finding coincides with a steady decline in mental health among youth,” says Statistics Canada. A decade ago, young Canadians reported better mental health than their older counterparts. However, the situation has since been reversed. The report suggests factors such as the pandemic, and the cost of living could make Canadians feel uncertain about the future.
Young new Canadians could leave Canada due to the high cost of living
According to a national survey conducted by Leger for the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC), 30% of new Canadians aged 18-34, and 23% of university-educated new Canadians, said they are likely to move to another country in the next two years.
One of the challenges for this group is the cost of living in Canada. According to this poll, 75% of new Canadians between the ages of 18 and 34 said they believe the rising cost of living means immigrants are less likely to stay in Canada. Also, 6% of Canadians in the same age group agreed with this statement.
Survey findings:
- New Canadian immigrants are more likely to believe that Canadians don’t understand the challenges that immigrants face.
- Immigrants with university degrees tend to have less favourable opinions on matters related to fair job opportunities than other immigrants.
- Among those who would not recommend Canada as a place to live, current leadership and the high cost of living were the top two reasons.
In February 2022, Canadian consumer prices increased to 5.7%, up from a 5.1% gain in January. This was the largest gain since August 1991 (+6.0%) said Statistics Canada. “February marked the second consecutive month where headline inflation exceeded 5%.” Housing is also becoming increasingly scarce, with record-low mortgage rates propelling Canadian home prices 52% higher over the past two years. There are also fewer rentals available.
This year, the Canadian government revealed its Immigration Levels Plan for 2022-2024. It plans to welcome more than 1.3 million new permanent residents to the country over the next three years. However, immigrants and professionals have raised doubts about the government’s ability to bring more people to Canada while struggling with an unprecedented backlog.
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