Most Canadians are “deeply alarmed” by Iran’s restriction of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and its impact on the economy along with their own pocketbooks, according to a new poll.
The survey conducted by Canada Pulse Insights for CityNews found 88 per cent were concerned, including 52 per cent who were very concerned, about the impact on the global economy and Canada’s economy.
Iran’s stranglehold on the strait, the waterway leading out of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported during peacetime, has driven up global oil prices, as have Tehran’s attacks on regional energy infrastructure.
Concern for the impact on economies was highest in Atlantic Canada with 69 per cent very concerned about the global economy and 64 per cent concerned about the Canadian economy and among women with 58 per cent concerned for both compared to 45 per cent of men for the global economy and 46 per cent for the Canadian economy.
Higher levels of concern were also found in older Canadians and middle income – between $50,000 and $99,000 – earners.
Over 72 per cent said they were worried about their ability to make ends meet while nearly one-third of those surveyed also said they were very concerned. The groups that were the most concerned were lower-income Canadians, earning under $50,000, middle-aged adults and women.
Atlantic Canadians concern was highest among the provinces with 81 per cent fearing for their pocketbooks followed closely by those in Saskatchewan/Manitoba at 79 per cent and Ontario at 75 per cent.
Those in B.C. were the least concerned of the provinces with 64 per cent followed by Quebec at 66 per cent and Alberta at 70 per cent.
Meanwhile, 60 per cent are Canadians aged 55 and older were concerned about their ability to make ends meet compared to 50 per cent of those 35 to 54 years old and 44 per cent of younger Canadians between 18 and 34 years old.
Middle and lower income earners, those earning under $99,000, were more concerned about their finances with 77 per cent compared to 63 per cent for those earning over $100,000.
“This is going to ripple through the economy of the world in terms of how we transport goods and services, how we deal with everything from groceries to home heating oil. This is going to touch every part of our lives. Canadians are tuned into that,” explained pollster John Wright.
“Canadians are watching this with alarm. They’re seeing that all of these things are not only likely to have an impact on prices at the global level, at the economic level of our country and in their own pocketbooks, but they basically have no control over it.”
Canada Pulse Insights surveyed 1,511 Canadian adults powered by the SAGO online panel platform, March 21 – 25, 2026. The results have a comparable margin of error of ± 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20
