Quebec is the happiest province in Canada, according to a recent Angus Reid Institute survey.
A randomized sample of 1,609 Canadians aged 18 and older participated in an online poll administered by the non-profit between July 31 and August 2, 2024.
The survey specifically looked at Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and grouped the Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island) together.
| Province | Rank | Net total happy | “Very happy” | “Pretty happy” |
| Quebec | 1 | 75% | 16% | 59% |
| Manitoba | 2 | 65% | 3% | 62% |
| Atlantic Provinces | 3 | 63% | 11% | 52% |
| British Columbia | 4 | 61% | 12% | 49% |
| Alberta | 5 | 60% | 11% | 49% |
| Ontario | 7 | 55% | 10% | 45% |
| Saskatchewan | 7 | 53% | 7% | 46% |
The biggest percentage of respondents came from Quebec, where 59% said they were “pretty happy” and 16% said they were “very happy.”
Manitoba came in second (62%).
In the middle of the spectrum were British Columbia (61%), Alberta (60%) and the Atlantic provinces (63%).
With only 53% of respondents describing themselves as pleased, Saskatchewan had the lowest score, followed by Ontario with 55%.
Survey variables
Respondents were asked to score their level of happiness and satisfaction on a variety of criteria, including:
- health
- outlook on life
- relationship with family
- community
- housing
- free time
- personal finances
- love life
- stress levels
- support systems
- how others think of them
- and overall quality of life.
Canadians appear to be generally content with their relationships and sense of community.
Relationships with friends (77%), family (85%), support system (80%), community (77%), and how others perceive them (85%) were among the factors that respondents evaluated highly, indicating that more individuals are content with those characteristics.
However, stress levels (56%) and money (53%) were the two areas that Canadians were least satisfied with.
Shifting attitudes
According to the study, 36% of people say they are “not too happy” or “not happy at all,” and the number of people in this group has increased since 2015.
It cites several factors, including the COVID-19 epidemic and its aftermath, inflation, housing costs, and affordability, as causes of this decline in the perceived general quality of life in Canada. Another aspect that was identified was growing polarization.
However, the data shows that most Canadians are generally content, with 76% saying they were satisfied with their overall quality of life and 61% describing themselves as cheerful.
Relocating to a province in Canada
The Provincial Nominee Program is a useful route if you’re considering relocating to a particular Canadian province.
In order to assist in the selection of talented workers worldwide, almost every province and territory runs a PNP. For people considering relocating to Canada via this path, there are now more than 80 PNP streams available.