Immigrants believe more than Canadians in the values of their new country
A survey showed that newcomers are more likely than native residents to consider human rights and gender equality as Canadian values.
According to poll results included in briefing documents for Immigration Minister Lena Diab, immigrants are more likely than native-born Canadians to view respect for human rights and gender equality as shared Canadian values. These materials were obtained through an access to information request and were prepared for the minister upon taking office in May of last year.
Statistics Canada Research Findings
The Statistics Canada study asked participants to rate whether they considered human rights, respect for the law, gender equality, linguistic duality, ethnic and cultural diversity, and respect for Indigenous culture to be typical Canadian values.
For each of these items, the proportion of immigrants who recognized these values as characteristic of Canada exceeded the corresponding figure among native-born citizens. The data was collected as part of a general social identity survey in December 2022, conducted from August 2020 to February 2021 among more than 34,000 respondents, including nearly 14,000 immigrants with permanent status.
The study found that 67 percent of immigrants who arrived in Canada at age 13 or older consider respect for the law a shared Canadian value, while only 40 percent of native-born citizens agreed. Responses from immigrants who arrived before age 12 were closer to the views of native-born Canadians.
Expert Opinion
Lori Wilkinson, Canada Research Chair in Migration at the University of Manitoba, explained this statistic by noting that the younger cohort of immigrants grew up in a Canadian environment. According to her, the longer immigrants live in the country, the more they absorb Canadian norms and values of the society around them.
The survey also revealed that about 58 percent of immigrants are satisfied with their lives, while among those born in Canada this figure was only 44 percent. It should be noted that the study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many people were forced to stay home due to restrictions and faced unemployment.
Daniel Bernhard, CEO of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, noted that this result aligns with his organization's research. Immigrants tend to focus more on the potential for future prosperity after the personal sacrifices they made to move to Canada. As long as they feel they're making progress, they're willing to stay in the country, despite acknowledging the difficulties of adaptation and economic challenges.
Life Satisfaction and Current Trends
Bernhard also confirmed that his institute found immigrants' views converge with those of native-born citizens the longer they live in Canada. Wilkinson suggested that satisfaction rates across the entire population have likely declined in recent years due to rising cost of living and unresolved issues with housing affordability and homelessness.
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To conduct the survey, Statistics Canada sent invitations to 87,000 households with an offer to complete an electronic questionnaire or participate in a 45-minute interview.
Impact on the Housing Market
The briefing materials indicate that immigrants and non-permanent residents play an important role in shaping Canada's housing market. Immigrants drive demand for both owned and rental housing, while temporary residents significantly affect demand for rental apartments.
The documents show that immigrants are more likely to own duplexes, townhouses, or condos, while native-born Canadians predominantly own detached homes. The federal government has linked rising housing costs to immigration, which partly explains the reduction in the number of new temporary and permanent residents accepted into Canada annually.
Bernhard stated that the connection between immigration and housing is misunderstood. Housing prices in some regions have doubled over the past 10 years, although the population certainly hasn't doubled. According to him, the best Statistics Canada research estimates immigration's contribution to rising housing costs at about 10 percent, which isn't the main factor.
A Statistics Canada report from June 2025 showed that immigration accounted for 11 percent of the increase in average housing prices from 2006 to 2021. In municipalities with populations over 100,000 that received 80 percent of new immigrants, this figure reached 21 percent.
Criticism and Economic Consequences
Wilkinson expressed dissatisfaction with how the briefing materials describe immigration's impact on housing, noting the lack of regional detail. According to several public opinion polls, including government ones, about half of Canadians believe too many immigrants are coming into the country.
The expert warned that the planned reduction in immigration could negatively impact Canada's economy. For example, international students spend $4 billion annually, and cutting their numbers in half would reduce GDP, with this impact being felt unevenly across the country.
