Canadians More Positive About Immigration Than Americans or Britons

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- Canadians are much more positive about immigration than residents in either the United States or Great Britain.

Gallup has asked a basic question about immigration ("Would you like to see the level of immigration in this country increased, decreased, or remain about the same?") several times during the last year in these three English-speaking countries.

The results consistently show that a majority of residents in the United States and in Great Britain would like to have the level of immigration into their country decreased. That compares to only a minority of residents in Canada who choose this alternative.

Would you like to see the level of immigration in this country increased, decreased, or remain about the same?

In the most recent poll of Canadians, conducted in late November and early December, about as many Canadians, in fact, say that they would like immigration increased as say they would like to have it decreased. The majority of Canadians seem content to have immigration levels remain the same. There are no doubt a number of reasons for this. Canadians are used to a multicultural population, with the legalized use of two separate languages in different parts of the country -- a state of affairs which could encourage residents to think more positively about immigration in general. Some news reports suggest Canadians are worried about having an adequate labor force given levels of out-migration, which in turn could make Canadians more receptive to immigrants coming into the country. Additionally, while both the U.S. and Great Britain have been the target of major terrorist attacks, none have occurred to date on Canadian soil, which could be a factor in the more lenient attitudes in that country toward immigration.

There has been a slight decrease in the percentage of Canadians who choose the "decrease" alternative in the most recent poll, but the same basic pattern of results has been found across all three polls conducted in Canada last year.

It should be noted that this question specifies only "level of immigration" and does not explicitly refer to either legal immigration or illegal immigration. Much of the discussion in the United States in recent years has focused on illegal immigration, particularly in terms of movement northward across the southern border of the United States with Mexico. It may be that Americans are responding to this question with illegal immigration in mind.

Survey Methods

Results in the United States are based on telephone interviews with 921 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Sept. 12-15, 2005. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is ±3 percentage points. The survey was conducted by Gallup USA.

Results in Canada are based on telephone interviews with 1,005 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Aug. 22-31, 2005. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is ±3 percentage points for both surveys. The survey was conducted by Gallup Canada.

These Gallup World Poll results are based on telephone interviews with 1,335 adults in Canada, aged 18 and older, conducted Nov. 30 to Dec. 20, 2005. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is ±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

Results in Great Britain are based on telephone interviews with 1,010 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Aug. 26-Sept. 8, 2005. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is ±3 percentage points. The survey was conducted by Gallup UK.

In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

3. How would you rate economic conditions in this country today -- as excellent, good, only fair, or poor?

6. Right now, do you think that economic conditions in the country as a whole are getting better or getting worse?