Consumer Economic Pulse
Monitoring Uncertainty
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Key Insights
Four things you should know
1
Recession fears continue to increase
2
Flights to the US are still down since before Trump’s second term
3
Poor US relations still means that US products are taking a hit – but not to the same extent
4
More Canadians are cutting back on entertainment and travel to save
Perception of Canadian Economy
Are we in a recession?
The proportion of Canadians who believe the country is in or about to enter a recession continues to increase, rising 15 percentage point since the start of the year. Since February, significantly more Canadians believe that the country is about to enter a recession (33%, +6pp vs. Feb 2026).
Canadian vs American Purchase Behaviour
Over the past month, most Canadians report making an effort to avoid American products and purchase Canadians products instead. Leaning towards preferring Canadian products is more common among Women (77%) and Boomers (84%).
Decrease in Discretionary Activities
Since February 2026, a greater proportion of Canadians have decreased their spend on entertainment and travel/vacations in order to save money.
Get the full Consumer Economic Pulse report here
About the report
Angus Reid conducts a monthly tracker to understand Canadians’ purchasing behaviors and perceptions of the economy.
Sample
Wave 45: n= 1,512
For this wave, a nationally representative sample of n=1,512 Canadian Adults (age 18+ yrs.) who are members of the Angus Reid Forum.
The sample frame was balanced and weighted on age, gender, region and education according to the latest census data. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would yield a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
Field Window
Wave 45: March 23-26, 2026
Next Field Date:April 2026
Study
With inflation continuing to ease, many households are still adjusting to elevated prices and the overall cost of living.
The introduction of U.S. tariffs under President Trump in 2025 has added fresh uncertainty to the economic outlook, potentially influencing the cost of imported goods and further shaping consumer sentiment. Angus Reid conducts a monthly tracker to monitor Canadians’ purchasing behaviours and perceptions of the economy amid these evolving conditions.
This study has been running since May of 2022.
