A new Statistics Canada study reveals that Canadian women and university graduates are significantly more concerned about climate change than their male counterparts, with 53% of Canadians overall reporting being "very" or "extremely" concerned about the issue. The report, titled "Feeling the heat: More than half of Canadians are highly concerned about climate change," was released on July 8, 2026.
Gender and Education Gaps in Climate Concern
According to the study, women were consistently more likely than men to express concern about climate change across multiple categories. "Women were more likely to think that climate change would affect any of the multiple-choice categories than men," the report states. "This result is consistent with other research on gender differences, which has found that women are slightly but consistently more likely than men to report belief in and concern about climate change."
Specifically, 59% of women reported higher levels of concern compared to their male counterparts. The report also highlighted that 59% of Canadians aged 64 and older expressed elevated concern, challenging assumptions that younger demographics are most affected by climate anxiety.
Regional Variations in Climate Beliefs
The study found significant regional differences in beliefs about climate change's impact on future generations. Albertans were the least likely to believe future generations would be affected, with 75% saying they would be affected. In contrast, more than 85% of people in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Quebec stated that climate change would affect future generations.
Rates of high concern were highest among retirees in British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, according to the analysis.
Education and Urban-Rural Divide
Education level was strongly associated with climate change beliefs. "Education continued to have a strong association with the belief that climate change would affect future generations of people, with 85% of university graduates selecting this response, compared with 78% of people without a high school diploma," the release said. Urban residents were also more likely to believe climate change would have an effect.
Mental Health Impacts and Skepticism
The report noted that climate change has greater mental health impacts on women than men, with some respondents reporting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. "Climate-related hazards in Canada and abroad can have a mental health impact, with some people experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression or anxiety related to ecological disasters and climate change," the report noted. "Regardless of educational attainment, women aged 25 to 34 were more likely to report at least monthly stress about climate change than boys and men."
However, the study also identified a level of distrust among some Canadians who expressed skepticism about the government's climate agenda and legacy media reporting. "This response may indicate some skepticism about the existence of climate change," wrote analysts.
Overall Concern Levels
Overall, 53% of Canadians reported being concerned about climate change, while another 31% reported being somewhat concerned. Conversely, 16% said they were not concerned about climate change. The report concluded: "Despite assumptions that climate change has stronger psychosocial effects on youth, seniors were the most likely age group to report high levels of concern about climate change in Canada."
