Canadian Views on Selected Religions and on Atheism

August 5, 2026

The survey results suggest that Canadian opinion toward major religious groups is generally positive but uneven, with Christianity receiving the highest net-positive rating overall at 57%, followed by atheism at 50%, Judaism at 40%, and Islam at 26%. One of the most striking findings is generational: Canadians aged 18–24 give Islam its highest rating, at 41%, and place atheism highest of all at 58%, while older Canadians remain considerably more positive toward Christianity and Judaism. This points to a younger cohort that is less anchored in traditional Christian identification and more open toward religious diversity, though Islam still trails Judaism and Christianity in most groups. Regionally, Quebec stands out for ranking atheism slightly above Christianity and for giving comparatively low ratings to Islam and Judaism, while Ontario, Manitoba/Saskatchewan, and British Columbia are more positive toward Judaism and Islam than Quebec. The results also show that education, language, immigration status, and identity shape perceptions in important ways. University-educated Canadians are more positive toward all four categories, suggesting that education is associated not simply with secularism but with broader tolerance across religious and non-religious identities. Francophones give the lowest positive ratings to Islam and Judaism while ranking atheism highest, reflecting Quebec’s distinctive secular culture. By contrast, allophones and immigrants are more positive toward Christianity and Islam, and foreign-born Canadians are notably more positive toward Judaism than Canadian-born respondents. It is interesting to note that people who rate one religious or non-religious group positively often rate others positively as well, suggesting that favourable attitudes are less a zero-sum competition between faiths and more a general disposition toward pluralism. The major exception is that Islam remains the most weakly rated group, indicating that anti-Islamic sentiment or discomfort with Islam remains a significant challenge within the broader Canadian landscape of religious tolerance.