Canadian Attitudes Shifting on Military Spending

Fresh polling shows majority back reaching 2% of GDP, but remain cautious about increased spending and U.S. reliance

On Monday, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada will significantly increase military spending this year to meet NATO’s 2% of GDP target—five years ahead of schedule.

Defence spending has become a top-of-mind issue around the world as the global order grows increasingly unstable. Canadians are no exception. New polling from the Angus Reid Institute offers a snapshot of national attitudes toward military investment and priorities.

The survey asked Canadians how confident they are that the Liberal government will make meaningful progress in strengthening the Canadian Armed Forces. A slim plurality (46%) said they are not confident, while 44% expressed confidence in the government's efforts.