Most Canadians don’t know how much the prime minister earns, survey finds

Most Canadians are unaware of how much Justin Trudeau earns annually as prime minister, according to a survey conducted by Research Co. 

Of the 1,000 Canadians who were asked, only 18 per cent of them correctly said that the prime minister makes between $301,000 and $400,000 annually.

Trudeau’s salary this year is $379,000.

According to the survey, 42 per cent of people thought the prime minister’s annual salary was less than $301,000, while 24 per cent believed Trudeau made more than $400,000 each year.

“Only nine per cent of Liberal Party voters in the last federal election believe the prime minister’s salary is higher than $500,000 a year,” Research Co. president Mario Canseco said in a news release. “The proportion is higher among those who supported the Conservative Party (17 per cent) and the New Democratic Party (19 per cent) in 2021.”

Once respondents were informed about the annual compensation of the prime minister, 41 per cent of them said they believed it is “too much,” while 47 per cent stated that it is “about right.”

Breaking down the data by province, more than half (52 per cent) of Saskatchewan and Manitoba residents said they believe the prime minister’s salary is too high.

When it comes to Albertans, 51 per cent of them felt the same way.

However, the proportion in other provinces was lower. Only 45 per cent of respondents in Atlantic Canada, 41 per cent in B.C., 39 per cent in Ontario and 35 per cent in Quebec said they believe that the money prime minister makes each year is too much.

Methodology:

Results are based on an online study conducted from Feb. 9 to Feb. 11, 2023, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error – which measures sample variability – is +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Reporting for this story was paid for through The Afghan Journalists in Residence Project funded by Meta.