Religion looks and operates distinctly in Canada and the United States.
This article was originally published in The Hub on November 21, 2025.
Yankee Doodle became a symbol of pride during the American Revolution, turning what was meant as British mockery into an anthem of patriotism and national confidence. Captain Canuck is a more recent Canadian icon, who shows up on time, values service to neighbour, restores order, and resolves conflict. The contrast between these two mirrors recently released data on the nature of religion and public life in North America today.
To put it simply, despite some commonality, religion looks and operates distinctly in Canada and the United States—so much so that the political-religious fusion we’ve seen south of the border is likely impossible north of it.
First, the data are clear that Americans simply are much more religious than Canadians. When the Angus Reid Institute partnered with Cardus to survey 5,000 adults in Canada and 5,000 in the United States, for example, it found that 32 percent of Americans attend religious services at least monthly, compared to 17 percent of Canadians. Whether the metric is reading a sacred text, believing in the afterlife, or the importance of teaching children religious beliefs, on almost every one of the seven metrics asked about, Americans reported roughly double the level of religiosity of Canadians.
Combined, these metrics allow us to place the population of each country on a spectrum of spirituality. Americans lean toward religious commitment; Canadians are much less certain.
Meanwhile, both countries remain predominantly Christian. Sixty-two percent of Americans and 52 percent of Canadians identify as some sort of “Christian” when asked their religion, while 8 percent of Americans and 11 percent of Canadians claim some other religion. Non-religion is the choice of 33 percent of Canadian respondents and 30 percent of Americans.
But measuring religious behaviour only tells part of the story. The embodiments of Yankee Doodle and Captain Canuck may share a Bible and a border, but when it comes to the public square, they think and behave differently.
Religiously committed Americans are much more patriotic and optimistic than the overall U.S. population. Eighty-two percent of them say they love their country and what it stands for, compared to 68 percent of Americans generally.
Religiously committed Canadians are less enthusiastic about their country than Canadians overall (at 70 percent and 77 percent, respectively). In terms of optimism for their country’s future, 62 percent of religiously committed Americans are optimistic (compared to 47 percent of Americans overall), while only 43 percent of religiously committed Canadians are optimistic (compared to 47 percent of Canadians overall).
There are also distinctions in political affiliation. In the United States, 79 percent of those on the more religious side of the spectrum were in the Trump camp in 2024. In Canada’s 2021 federal election, 44 percent voted Conservative, 29 percent Liberal, 20 percent NDP, and 19 percent Bloc, reflecting much less of a political consensus among them. It seems Yankee Doodle finds his faith reinforced through political engagement; Captain Canuck is less confident about his politics.
That doesn’t mean Captain Canuck is passive or withdrawn. In fact, he is more active in the broader community than is his American cousin. For example, 55 percent of the religiously committed in Canada reported volunteering for a community group or cause, far higher than the 40 percent of Canadians generally. On the American side, 51 percent of the religiously committed report volunteering for a community group or cause, compared to 39 percent of Americans generally.
When it comes to donating money to a charitable cause, 82 percent of the most religious Canadians do so (compared to 66 percent of Canadians overall), while 71 percent of the most religious Americans report doing so (compared to 58 percent of Americans overall). Religiously committed Canadians also help out someone in need, socialize with their neighbours (beyond a quick hello), and participate in neighbourhood or community projects at higher rates than their American counterparts.
Despite their higher social involvement, religiously committed Canadians feel out of step with broader society. While the polling finds Americans in this group are much more likely than Americans in general to be satisfied with “the way things are going,” their Canadian counterparts are less satisfied than Canadians overall. What’s more, the most religious Canadians feel less welcome in their communities than the general population. In the United States, it’s the opposite.
Combining these numbers creates a fascinating story of difference. Religiously active Americans are more homogeneous in their political views, more optimistic than their neighbours about their country’s future, and feel more connected to their society. Their Canadian counterparts are less enamoured with politics but more engaged with their neighbours, yet still likely feel somewhat excluded from broader society.
So, it’s not surprising that the drumbeat of Yankee Doodle’s march is more confident than Captain Canuck’s quiet service. Sixty-nine percent of Americans in general agree that they’re public about their religion, compared with only 52 percent of Canadians.
While it may be convenient shorthand to describe the religion that rallies behind figures like Donald Trump, fuels movements like Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA, and blends faith with populist nationalism as common on both sides of the border, the data does not bear it out. Granted, most Canadians see the American context as unbalanced. For the most part, they’d be right. That doesn’t mean, however, that Canada has the balance right either.
- Ray Pennings is co-founder and executive vice president of Cardus
November 21, 2025
