Two Thirds of Canadians Agree with Decision to Phase Out the Penny

by Angus Reid | January 15, 2013 11:00 am

Most people in Canada are content with the idea of abandoning the one-cent coin, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,008 Canadian adults, two thirds of respondents (68%) agree with the government’s decision to take the penny out of circulation this year.

In its 2012 budget, the federal government decided to phase out the penny “due to its excessive and rising cost of production relative to face value, the increased accumulation of pennies by Canadians in their households, environmental considerations, and the significant handling costs the penny imposes on retailers, financial institutions and the economy in general.”

The one-cent coin will no longer be circulated in Canada as of Feb. 4.

Quebecers (73%) and British Columbians (71%) are more likely to agree with the abolition of the penny, along with male respondents (73%) and those over the age of 55 (70%).

Three-in-five Canadians (60%) oppose taking the nickel out of circulation in the country, while one third (32%) support this idea.

Quebecers (39%), men (38%) and Canadians aged 18-to-34 (36%) are more likely to endorse phasing out the five-cent coin.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)[1]

Methodology: From January 7 to January 8, 2013, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,008 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panellists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

Endnotes:
  1. Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF): http://www.angusreidglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/2013.01.15_Penny_CAN.pdf

Source URL: https://angusreid.org/two-thirds-of-canadians-agree-with-decision-to-phase-out-the-penny/