17% of Americans say they would prefer Canada join the U.S., poll finds
A Research Co. survey finds 17% of Americans would like Canada to become a U.S. territory or the 51st state, though two thirds back Canadian independence.
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By Torontoer Staff
Seventeen per cent of Americans would prefer Canada become either a U.S. territory or the 51st state, while 66 per cent want Canada to remain an independent nation, according to a new Research Co. poll. The online survey of 1,002 U.S. adults was conducted Jan. 13 to Jan. 15, 2026.
The results are notable for a lifestyle audience because they reflect how mainstream views on sovereignty and national identity can shift, and because they show where public attention sits compared with issues such as housing and cost of living.
Key findings at a glance
- Canada: 66 per cent want it to remain independent, 10 per cent prefer it become a U.S. territory, 7 per cent want it as the 51st state.
- Greenland: 56 per cent favour autonomy, 16 per cent want it as a U.S. territory, 7 per cent as a state.
- Cuba: 57 per cent support Cuban independence, 22 per cent would prefer it as a U.S. territory or state.
- Panama: 54 per cent back sovereignty, 24 per cent favour U.S. control.
- Mexico: 67 per cent want Mexico independent, 10 per cent see it as a territory and 5 per cent as a state.
- Puerto Rico: 43 per cent want it to remain a U.S. territory, 17 per cent favour statehood, 24 per cent prefer independence.
Party differences and how views have shifted
Republicans in the survey were more likely to favour U.S. absorption of Canada than Democrats and independents. Thirteen per cent of Republicans said they would prefer Canada as a U.S. territory and 10 per cent said they would prefer it as a state, while 64 per cent still backed Canadian independence.
Research Co. president Mario Canseco said the numbers are higher than what the firm would likely have recorded before Donald Trump entered politics. He characterised the 17 per cent figure as significant, but not indicative of majority backing for annexation.
It’s definitely a larger number than what we would have found prior to Donald Trump becoming president. The number is definitely significant. I mean, it’s one out of five.
Mario Canseco, Research Co.
Views on other territories and the limits of expansionism
The survey shows Americans are generally reluctant to expand U.S. control beyond current borders. A majority opposed bringing Greenland under U.S. control, and similar majorities supported the independence of Cuba, Panama and Mexico.
Canseco contrasted those results with past moments when public opinion rallied behind international interventions, saying the current mood does not reflect appetite for overseas expansion or for the United States to take on a more interventionist role.
I think the real message, more than anything, is the element of the U.S. once again becoming the world policeman is not something that is resonating with the public.
Mario Canseco, Research Co.
He added that many Americans are focused on domestic concerns such as housing, the cost of living and fuel prices, suggesting those issues outweigh foreign policy ambitions for much of the public.
How this compares to other polls and what it means for Canadians
An Angus Reid Institute poll last March found 60 per cent of Americans had no interest in seeing Canada join the U.S., while 32 per cent said they would be open only if Canadians wanted it. Canadian polling has shown overwhelming opposition to annexation, with roughly 90 per cent against the idea in some surveys.
For readers in Canada, the Research Co. numbers are unlikely to signal an immediate shift in cross-border relations. They do, however, indicate a segment of the U.S. population whose views on sovereignty are different from the majority, and whose opinions may grow or recede over time.
Methodology
The survey was an online study conducted from Jan. 13 to Jan. 15, 2026, among 1,002 adults in the United States. Results were statistically weighted to match U.S. census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Public opinion on national sovereignty can shift with political leadership and global events. For now, most Americans in this sample prefer other countries remain independent, and two thirds want Canada to keep its sovereignty.
pollpublic opinionCanadaUnited Statessurvey
