Three in four Canadians want to increase defense spending to at least two per cent (Bloomberg/Nanos)

Close to seven in ten Canadians prefer increasing defense spending to reach the current two per cent NATO ally target (69%) of the GDP, followed by those who want to maintain our current level of spending at 1.4% (13%) and those who prefer to increase spending to a potential new five per cent (nine per cent). Four per cent prefer to spend less than the 1.4% we currently spend. Men are more likely to say they prefer to increase spending to reach the current two per cent NATO ally target (74%), compared to women (65%). Older Canadians aged 55 plus are more likely to support increasing spending to reach the current two per cent NATO ally target (76%) than younger Canadians aged 18 to 34 (54%).

Nanos conducted an RDD dual frame (land- and cell-lines) hybrid telephone and online random survey of 1,001 Canadians, 18 years of age or older, between February 28 and March 5, 2025, 2025 as part of an omnibus survey. The margin of error for this survey is ±3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The research was commissioned by Bloomberg News and was conducted by Nanos Research.

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