The cost of living remained top of mind for many Canadians this year, even though inflation dropped in 2024 and the Bank of Canada lowered its key interest rate several times.
That issue was considered the top domestic news story in Canada by 71 per cent of Canadians, according to new Ipsos polling conducted exclusively for Global News on what people considered the biggest stories of this year.
“The challenge of getting by financially from day-to-day is the fundamental preoccupation of Canadians,” Darrell Bricker, global CEO of Ipsos public affairs, told Global News. “It’s not surprising that it (cost of living) shows up as the number one domestic story.”
Next to cost of living, the homelessness crisis ranked second at 40 per cent and the Canada Post strike in third at 37 per cent.
The polling was conducted between Dec. 6 and 10, with 1,001 Canadians over the age of 18 interviewed online.
Political parties made cost of living a top priority during election campaigns in four provinces this year: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick.
The federal government also looked at the cost of living, with the recent tax “holiday” that took effect earlier this month aimed at giving Canadians what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said would be a “real break” on various items they purchase — though specific federal relief measures like the cut itself were only seen by eight per cent as a top news story.