Leo Canada’s 2025 Humankind Study Reveals Canadians Grapple with a ‘Win or Lose’ Culture

Canadians believe life nowadays looks like a win or lose competition, and they’re worried about falling short. But key data signals they are taking steps to focus on what they can control, according to Leo Canada’s 2025 The HumanKind Study – a national annual study of 2,500+ Canadians that provides a comprehensive overview of what keeps them up at night.

Check out the study here. 

In its fourth edition, The HumanKind Study focuses on a deeper understanding of younger Canadians, specifically those aged 16-45, and new to Canada, revealing a significant gap in their needs and expectations of brands and how they can help.

“Amid the cynicism, Canadians are making conscious choices,” said Tahir Ahmad, chief strategy officer, Leo Canada. “They are investing energy into manageable aspects of their lives, like altering work perceptions and reducing social media dependency.”

This year's study underscores the overwhelming pressure exerted by today's performance-driven culture, particularly affecting younger generations, with 52% of gen z and 44% of millennials reporting unbearable levels of stress and anxiety. In response, Canadians are increasingly focusing on aspects of their lives they can control, rather than on distant global issues. Nearly two-thirds (61%) have adopted this proactive mindset, prioritising personal agency and achievable goals.

"We hear from Canadians about the constant pressure to excel in every area – work, school, saving the planet, or personal well-being, " Ahmad added. "They want to redefine what success means today, and this is where brands can and should step in. "

Feeling misunderstood and on their own in a dog-eat-dog world

Young Canadians are experiencing burnout and defeat as they grapple with the pressure to excel at everything, often failing short. Over half (52%) report chasing an elusive ‘better life,’ yet they feel unsupported. A significant 73% of gen z and millennial Canadians are uncertain or convinced that brands fail to understand their concerns, a sentiment that has worsened by four percentage points since last year.

Gen z (55%) and millennials (45%) particularly feel the exhaustion, believing that slowing down could lead to failure. Students aged 16-22 face great academic pressure, with 65% prioritising good grades over actual learning.

“Companies can help alleviate the hustle culture,” said Sarah Carpentier, PhD, senior strategist, Leo Canada. “Brands can encourage a more balanced approach by making room for genuine connections and normalising awkward moments and failures”.

Challenging the 'Hard Work' Paradigm

With nearly one-third of individuals aged 16-45 experiencing household layoffs in the past three years, most feel extremely disillusioned by the lack of payoff possible for hard work, prompting a noticeable shift toward new strategies for quality of life, realistic gains and fulfilment beyond traditional career paths. In this age group, 83% are either unsure or believe that workplace loyalty and hardworking will be exploited, not rewarded. As a result, 59% of younger Canadians are making changes to the nature of their work to try and have better life satisfaction.

However, the experience differs for newcomers to Canada. While they arrive with more hope and optimism than the wider population, they also face greater pressure to succeed and quickly face challenges. Within their first two-five years in Canada, they struggle more than expected to build a career and community here. More than half (58%) feel pressured to outwork others to avoid replacement, 69% worry their hard work will be exploited, and they are 1.5 times more likely to experience layoffs.

“Companies shouldn’t gloss over the challenges,” said Sarah. “They have the power to shift the focus from constantly chasing 'what's next' to celebrating 'what's now’. This also means respecting the boundaries that young Canadians have set for themselves”.

Conflicted about AI, social media, and technology

While Canadians remain wary of AI's growing influence, there’s a clear movement toward moderating technology use, amidst concerns over its impact on critical thinking and personal opinions. A stark 58% of the general population and an even higher 70% of students believe that AI and social media threaten independent thinking, behaviours and opinions.

Despite these concerns, engagement with AI remains significant as 51% of Canadians and 67% of students use it at least occasionally.

“When younger Canadians engage with AI and technology, they want it to be additive, not a replacement,” Sarah said. “They’re seeking to celebrate individuality over conformity, and diverse opinions over mass thinking – elements that make us inherently human”.