Confidence in public institutions differs across generations

First-generation Canadians who immigrated to Canada in adulthood had higher levels of confidence in public institutions (the police, the justice system and courts, Federal Parliament, and the Canadian media) than third generation or more Canadians. By contrast, first-generation Canadians who arrived in Canada during childhood had similar or lower levels of confidence in public institutions than Canadians of the third generation or more. These findings are from the article "Differences in confidence in public institutions across generations of Canadians," released today in Economic and Social Reports.

A larger percentage of first-generation Canadians who arrived in Canada in middle adulthood (76%) had a great deal of confidence in the police than third generation or more Canadians (71%), while a smaller percentage of those who arrived in early childhood (62%) and middle childhood (60%) had a great deal of confidence in this institution. The percentage of first-generation Canadians who had a great deal of confidence in the justice system and courts was higher for those who arrived in Canada from adolescence (67%) to middle adulthood (73%), but similar for those who arrived in childhood (54%) and pre-adolescence (57%), compared with third generation or more Canadians (55%). A similar age-at-arrival pattern was found for confidence in Federal Parliament. More immigrants who arrived in early adulthood (50%) and middle adulthood (52%) had a great deal of confidence in the Canadian media than third generation or more Canadians (42%).

Among first-generation Canadians, these age-at-arrival patterns in confidence in institutions were fairly consistent across population groups. However, levels of confidence varied. Among people who immigrated as children, a low of 49% of those from the Black population group and a high of 80% of those from the Latin American population group had a great deal of confidence in the police. Furthermore, not all people who immigrated to Canada as adults had higher levels of confidence in the police than third generation or more Canadians. Those from the South Asian, Filipino and Southeast Asian, and Arab and West Asian population groups had higher levels of confidence in the police, while those from other population groups had similar levels of confidence as third generation or more Canadians. Among first-generation Canadians, levels of confidence in public institutions were mostly lowest among those from the Black population group.

Confidence in public institutions did not increase from the first to second generations. Among the Canadian-born children of immigrants, the percentage of those who had a great deal of confidence in the police (64%), the justice system and courts (51%), and the Canadian media (38%) was lower than among third generation or more Canadians.

Confidence in institutions is an indicator of the Quality of Life Framework for Canada, and it is important to understand social differences in perceptions of public institutions.

For other articles in today's release of Economic and Social Reports, please see The Daily article "Economic and Social Reports, August 2024."