Élie Cantin-Nantel: Almost half of my generation wants Canada to join the U.S. Here’s why

In recent weeks, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for Canada to become America’s 51st state.

The proposition, understandably controversial and borderline farcical, has been overwhelmingly rejected by the vast majority of Canadians—with one exception: younger Canadians. That includes Gen Z Canadians and younger Millennials.

A recent Ipsos poll found that 43 percent of Canadians aged 18 to 34 would vote to become American if they were guaranteed U.S. citizenship and that their assets would be converted to USD. Just 33 percent of those aged 34 to 54 and 17 percent of those 55 and older said the same.

Some may find these results shocking. But as a member of Gen Z, I do not, given our generation’s pessimistic outlook on Canada’s future.

Last week, I spoke with Canadians in the 18-34 age range who want Canada to become the 51st state.

They told me they feel the Canadian dream is dead, that homeownership is unattainable, and that their generation will not be better off than their parents—but see the U.S. as offering the economic opportunity Canada once promised.

Responding to their concerns that they would receive backlash for their views, I have omitted interviewees’ last names.

It’s the economy, stupid

“It’s the economy, stupid” is a famous phrase coined by American political strategist James Carville to stress how economic issues trump all other issues when it comes to what voters care about. For young Canadians, a major source of alienation from present-day Canada is the state of the economy.

“The cost of living is generally lower [in America]. You get paid a lot more. I’m poorer in Canada, with our system of government,” said Peter, 24, a student from Ontario.

A Fraser Institute study last year found median employment earnings in all Canadian provinces are lower than in all 50 U.S. states. In 2022, Canada’s wealthiest province, Alberta, had median earnings of $38,969, while Mississippi, one of the poorest U.S. states, had median earnings of $42,430. Back in 2010, only 12 states had higher median earnings than Alberta.

Jonah Davids, 26, from Toronto, who’s contributed to The Hub and now works for a Michigan-based think tank, told me he’s making better money than some of his friends who work in the Canadian finance or tech sectors.

“I’m working at a think tank, [and] I make far more than most of my friends, and even a lot of my close family members [in Canada], who really put in the effort to earn computer science or finance degrees, and are now working for top corporations,” he said. “Most of them know that if they could get to the U.S., their pay would be bumped two or three times, pretty quickly,” he added.

Davids said that he has empathy for those who want Canada to become the 51st state.

Canada’s GDP per capita gap with the U.S. is also widening. According to economist and Hub contributor Trevor Tombe, Canada’s real GDP per capita is about $44,400 (in 2015 dollars), while America’s is $66,300.

Furthermore, the Canadian dollar has weakened. It was once stronger than the U.S. dollar but has recently been trading at below $0.68 USD.

Despite earning less, Canadians pay higher taxes than their neighbours to the South. One need not look further than income tax rates, as well as sales taxes.

Canada’s combined top federal and provincial income tax rates also often exceed 50 percent. In Ontario, the highest combined marginal rate reaches 53.53 percent. Meanwhile, the top U.S. federal tax rate is 37 percent, and several states have no state income tax.

Sales taxes in Canada range from 5 to 15 percent, while U.S. sales taxes range from 0 to 7.25 percent.

Elizabeth, 30, a young professional from Ontario, cited taxes as a major reason for supporting Canada becoming part of the U.S.

“You don’t feel like the work you’re doing is paying off in any major way. I followed all the rules, went to professional school, worked in a professional field, and even doing that, an upper-middle-class lifestyle is really not going to be accessible to me [amidst high taxes],” she said. “Canada becoming the 51st state would just improve my life when I think about taxes, [as well as] health care, and housing affordability.”

Housing unaffordability has young Canadians on the brink

In addition to lower wages and higher taxes, many goods and services cost significantly more in Canada than in the U.S.—including cell phone plans, gasoline, domestic flights, and, most notably, housing.

“My friends who are dual citizens, many of them have moved to the U.S., and they’ve been able to buy homes that I could never imagine being able to afford in Canada,” said Elizabeth.

For Peter, the price differences in housing, particularly in border towns, are outrageous. For example, the typical house in Niagara Falls, Ontario costs approximately $688,966 CAD while the typical house in Niagara Falls, New York costs approximately $178,588.^{1Unless otherwise indicated, all prices in this article are in Canadian dollars.}

“You make less in Canada, but you have to pay more to have a house. Make that make sense,” he said.

Today, the average house in Canada costs nearly $700,000. That figure rises to over $1 million in Toronto and over $1.2 million in Vancouver. Just a decade ago, Canada’s average home price was $413,000.

In the U.S., the median home currently sells for approximately $500,000. In several states, the average house price is below $360,000.

The price difference is even starker when comparing housing prices in Canada and the U.S. to disposable income.

An Ipsos poll from April 2024 found that 90 percent of Gen Z Canadians believe owning a home in Canada is now only for the rich. More than half have given up on owning a home.

According to a survey conducted by Globe and Mail personal finance columnist Rob Carrick, the main emotions Gen Z and Millennial Canadians have about the housing situation are “furious” (38.7 percent), “frustrated” (29.0 percent), and “angry” (13.6 percent).

Canada is broken beyond repair 

A 2024 Ipsos poll found 78 percent of Canadians aged 18 to 34 feel Canada is “broken.”

James, 27, a young professional from Alberta, is among them.

“Our generation is significantly poorer and has fewer opportunities for growth. I really don’t know how people in my generation and around me are ever going to be able to advance in life,” he explained. “If you can’t even get into a condo, let alone a townhouse, let alone a house, you’re never going to build up that generation of wealth. It’s a terrible system.”

Peter not only believes Canada is broken, but broken beyond repair.

“I think Canada is only going to get worse. Maybe there will be some fluctuations here and there, but I think we’re going to lag behind the U.S.. The damage Trudeau did to our country is permanent,” he said.

Seventy-eight percent of Canadians aged 18 to 34 believe Canada is broken and 64 percent feel that Canada is heading in the wrong direction. Meanwhile, a large majority of Gen Z Americans are more optimistic about their future.

A huge challenge for Canada 

In addition to speaking to alienated young Canadians, I spoke to Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs and Hub contributor—who conducted the poll which found that almost half of my generation want to become Americans.

He told me the results pose a significant challenge for Canada.

“We’ve noticed a significant decline in Canadian pride and national attachment, especially among younger Canadians. The most patriotic Canadians are older Canadians,” he said.

Bricker noted that an increasingly globalized culture coupled with a lack of knowledge about Canadian history has led to many young people in English Canada not seeing much distinction between Canada and the U.S.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s claim that Canada is a “post-national state” with no core identity that merely defines itself as “not America,” along with his and other Canadian progressives’ importation of woke U.S. grievances, coupled with the Canadian legacy media’s unhealthy obsession with U.S. news and politics, hasn’t helped.

Combine that with Canada’s economic situation and you find yourself with almost half of Canadians 18 to 34 wanting to become Americans.

Because why struggle as a failing country fixated on American politics and culture when you can level up economically by joining them?

Speaking to alienated young Canadians, you really sense a lack of Canadian identity and pride.

James told me he sees no cultural distinction between Canada and the U.S., yet he feels much of Canada’s identity is wrapped up in being supposedly better than the U.S.

Peter, who identifies as a conservative, said he is no longer proud to be Canadian.

Elizabeth said the lack of patriotic culture in Canada compared to that of the U.S. is demoralizing.

Youth dissatisfaction with Canada has reached a boiling point that policymakers can no longer ignore. Bricker said it’s now time for Canada’s political class to take the issue of Gen Z and Millennial alienation and declining sense of national pride and identity seriously.

“We have to get our economic house in order so that the economic proposition for being in Canada gets closer to equivalence with the United States. The idea that we have a 0.69 cent dollar is not great,” he said.

“I [also] think we have to have a conversation about telling our Canadian stories and getting back to who we are as a special species on the North American continent. And by that I mean not importing the oppression politics from the United States and trying to find [Canadian] examples to undermine any sense of national pride,” he said. “[Instead we must tell] a bigger story about what is Canada that makes us one of the best countries, if not the best country in the world.”

Canada was once a land of opportunity, but many feel like it no longer is.

Our leaders must give Canada a chance of redeeming itself for my generation and future generations. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be surprised if the number of Canadians my age who want Canada to join the U.S. climbs from 43 percent to 80 percent in the coming years.

At that point, Canada’s future may be a 51st star on the American flag.