Survey of Calgarians

Survey of Calgarians

2023 Fall Survey of Calgarians Results

The City conducts an annual Fall Survey of Calgarians to gather views about living in Calgary, perception of quality of life, attitudes towards City Administration and Council, overall satisfaction with services, perception of value for taxes, and Calgarians’ outlook for the future.

Public opinion research is a critical tool in helping Council and Administration better understand the needs and perceptions of Calgarians, informing decision-making and providing accountability through performance measures and insights.

Given that the Fall Survey of Calgarians is a year-over-year longitudinal survey, it provides more than opinions captured in a single moment of time; tracking Calgarians' perceptions annually allows for comparison against previous years’ findings and helps The City to gauge and better understand shifts and changes in perception. 

The Fall Survey of Calgarians and other surveys conducted throughout the spring and fall of 2023 are critical tools in helping Council and The City identify opportunities for improvement. Annual and semi-annual survey findings like this provide data-driven and performance-based reporting for Council, Administration, and the public. When making decisions on municipal matters, the opinions and priorities of the general population are an important consideration.

2023 Fall Survey of Calgarians Report

Along with the Fall Survey, data for the summary presentation was also collected from several other research initiatives:

Survey Highlights

Quality of Life

The overall quality of life in Calgary remains stable with three-quarters of Calgarians considering it 'good’, a growing majority (now six-in-ten) feel that the quality of life has 'worsened' over the past three years. 

Calgarians are experiencing greater uncertainty regarding their own financial well-being as well as others in their community. Seven in ten agree that Calgary is a great place to make a living, a drop from the same time last year, reflecting less certainty regarding their own ability to navigate through changes in Calgary’s economy.

Seven in ten agree that the city is on the right track to be a better city ten years from now. However, the same cannot be said of the longer-term outlook, with less than four in ten agreeing that Calgary is moving in the right direction to ensure a high quality of life for future generations. This may reflect growing concerns over the impacts of forest fires, climate change, and international social and political trends.

Issue Agenda

For the first time since tracking on issues in Calgary began, ‘homelessness, poverty and affordable housing’ top the list of important issues that Calgarians want local leaders to address. This is followed by ‘infrastructure, traffic and roads’ and ‘crime, safety, and policing.’

Perception of Safety

  • While seven-in-ten Calgarians continue to rate Calgary as 'safe’ overall, this measure has also seen a decline in recent years. 
  • Almost one-half of Calgarians feel neighborhood crime has 'increased.’
  • New measures also indicate that Calgarians feel safety needs to be improved on transit and in downtown.  

Perceptions of Taxes and Value

  • One-half of Calgarians feel they receive ‘good’ value for their tax dollars, which is consistent with spring 2023, and on par with the Municipal Norm.   
  • Calgarians are split on whether they think it would be best to deal with increased costs through increasing taxes or cutting services. Many feel The City can improve on providing Calgarians with information on how property tax dollars are invested. 

2023 Ward Maps & Summary Reports

Ward reports and maps are coming soon.

2023 Spring Survey of Calgarians Results

The City of Calgary has conducted the annual Spring Pulse telephone survey since 2017.

We hear from Calgarians that they expect and value opportunities to provide input to The City; the Spring Pulse survey is one way Council and Administration can hear directly from Calgarians.

Annual and semi-annual survey findings like this provide data-driven and performance-based reporting for Council, Administration, and the public. The Fall and Spring Surveys of Calgarians are critical tools in helping Council and The City better understand the needs and perceptions of Calgarians and identifying areas for improvement.

2023 Spring Survey of Calgarians Report

Additional 2023 Spring Research Results:

Additional Resources

  • Media information

    ​Additional resources for media are available in City newsroom.

    Go to City newsroom

  • Additional research reports

    ​Access reports from previous years via the Research and Engagement Library.

    Go to Research & Engagement Library

  • Online Panel

    ​To provide input into City programs and services on an ongoing basis, join Calgary's online panel.

    Go to Online Panel

  • Toolkit for teachers

    ​A teacher's guide is available to help students understand how surveys can be used to gauge Calgarians' satisfaction and help with decisions about City services.

    Survey toolkit for teachers
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