87% of Canadians Say Oil & Natural Gas is Important to the Economy: POLL

87% of Canadians Say Oil & Natural Gas is Important to the Economy: POLL

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A new public opinion survey commissioned by the University of Ottawa’s Positive Energy program shows that Canadians continue to see oil and natural gas as a major part of the country’s economic success. Conducted by Nanos Research, the poll showed a strong majority, 87% – or nearly nine-in-ten Canadians – say oil and gas is important to Canada’s current economy, while 71% said that it is important to the country’s future economy.

Compared to the previous edition six months ago, acknowledgement of the importance of oil and gas to the current economy rose from 81% to 87%, and for the future economy from 63% to 71%, pushing both back toward their all-time highs.

The poll also found growing support for expanding Canadian oil and natural gas exports. Three in four Canadians, or 75%, “agree” or “somewhat agree” that Canada should expand these exports to help provide the world with more secure and reliable energy supplies, higher than the previous numerical high of 72% recorded in August 2025.

The survey was conducted from July 28 to 30, 2026, and included 1,104 Canadians aged 18 and older. Nanos reports a margin of error of ±3.0 percentage points, 19 of 20 times. The research also asked Canadians about affordability, electrification, future electricity generation, confidence in energy decision-making, and the use of artificial intelligence in energy project decisions.

Poll Highlights

  • 87% of Canadians say oil and gas is important to Canada’s current economy, up from 81% six months earlier
  • 71% of Canadians say oil and gas is important to Canada’s future economy, up from 63% six months earlier.
  • 75% of Canadians agree or somewhat agree that Canada should expand oil and gas exports to help the world access more secure and reliable energy supplies, a new high for the survey series.
  • When asked to rank various energy needs for Canadians, affordability placed first most frequently at 38%, while energy reliability ranked 26%.
  • Three in five Canadians are interested in using more electricity in their personal energy consumption: 35% have already taken steps, 27% are interested but have not started, and 26% are not interested at all.
  • Canadians see hydroelectricity as having the biggest role in the country’s future electricity mix, with an average preferred share of 28%, and 39% say it is the type of generation they would be most comfortable having in their community.
  • Canadians are most comfortable with AI being used to review past projects and compile key findings (54%) and to automate tasks and improve productivity (51%). Comfort drops to 23% for answering community questions about a new project and 22% for making approval recommendations.
  • Views on how Canada is doing in building public confidence and a shared long-term vision for energy have improved, although more Canadians still rate performance negatively than positively. For both measures, 41% say poor or very poor, while 21% and 17% say good or very good, up from 10% and 7% in 2024.

Oil & Gas and the Canadian Economy

The poll results show that Canadians understand oil and gas is not a side story in this country’s economy, but an economic foundation that supports jobs, trade, investment, public revenues, and living standards from coast to coast.

This is especially important at a time when families are focused on affordability and economic/energy security. When people look at the role oil and gas plays in Canada, they see an industry that supports workers, strengthens government finances, and helps pay for the goods we import from around the world.

Some statistics help explain why Canadians continue to rank the sector so highly:

  • 20% to 25% of our total merchandise exports are oil and gas every year [2]
  • 900,000 jobs are supported by oil and gas across the country [3]
  • $1.1 trillion in government revenues are projected to be created by the sector between 2000 and 2032 [4][5]

In other words, oil and natural gas are deeply connected to Canada’s prosperity. They help drive economic activity in every region, support families and communities, and generate the revenues governments use to fund the services Canadians rely on day in and day out.

Oil & Gas Makes Canada Stronger

Oil and natural gas development makes Canada stronger by supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs and creating opportunity in communities across the country. It gives Canadian and Indigenous workers, businesses, and families a foundation they can build on.

It also makes Canada stronger by reinforcing our role as a reliable global supplier. In a world that wants secure energy from stable, democratic countries like Canada, we have a real advantage.

Supporting oil and natural gas in Canada also underpins our way of life. A successful energy sector helps generate exports, public revenues, and investment that support healthcare, education, infrastructure, and a higher standard of living for Canadians.

Join us today if you’d like to learn more about how oil and natural gas are critical to Canada’s economic success.

SOURCES:

1 - https://nanos.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-3101-Positive-Energy-July-Populated-Report-FINAL.pdf

2 - https://www.canadianenergycentre.ca/canadas-oil-and-gas-sector-barrels-ahead-with-record-annual-exports/

3 - https://www.capp.ca/en/our-priorities/energy-and-the-canadian-economy/

4 - https://www.canadianenergycentre.ca/495-billion-in-government-revenues-from-the-canadian-oil-and-gas-industry-projected-over-next-decade/

5 - https://www.canadianenergycentre.ca/755-billion-the-energy-sectors-revenue-contribution-to-canadian-governments-2000-2021/