Two-thirds of Canadians say multiculturalism boosts national identity despite immigration backlash
A new diversity study finds broad support for multiculturalism even among those skeptical of immigration levels, highlighting a disconnect in public attitudes.
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About two-thirds of Canadians agree that multiculturalism has contributed positively to the country's identity, according to a new report released Tuesday—a finding that stands in contrast to recent backlash over immigration numbers.
The Canadian Diversity Study 2026, conducted by the Environics Institute and Global Migration Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University, surveyed 6,818 adult Canadians between March 4 and April 24. The results were weighted to match the 2021 census population.
Toronto resident Mahak Bhateja, who moved from India, reflects the broader sentiment. "One thing I really like about this country is the people are very welcoming and they were very supportive," she said.
Yet the study reveals a paradox: while about 20 per cent of Canadians expressed wholly positive opinions about immigration, a majority of those with more negative views still believed multiculturalism has a positive impact. "What we found is that concern about the numbers of immigrants who had been coming was not translating into a more broad-based concern with diversity," said Andrew Parkin, executive director of the Environics Institute.
Canada's population fell by 0.2 per cent last year—the first annual decline since Confederation—and dropped another 0.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2026. The decline marks a sharp reversal from 2022-2025, when the country added about one million people annually following loosened restrictions on non-permanent residents during Justin Trudeau's tenure as prime minister. The surge strained housing, infrastructure, and healthcare systems.
As public concern mounted, the Trudeau government introduced measures to reduce immigration, and Prime Minister Mark Carney further tightened targets. A late-2025 survey found nearly three-quarters of Canadians supported reducing the number of new immigrants. Yet even with heightened skepticism about immigration levels, the diversity study shows majority support for multiculturalism itself—and stronger support among first-generation immigrants, at 73 per cent, compared to 65 per cent of the general population.
