Global survey confirms Canada as one of the world’s preferred suppliers of oil

June 18, 2025

In a world of change in global trade and geopolitics, Canada’s status as a preferred supplier of oil has stayed constant.

An Ipsos survey, commissioned by Pathways, involved 14,019 adults in 18 countries conducted April 25 to May 9 on its Global Advisor online platform. It saw Canada emerge as the top preferred supplier of oil to G7 countries, as well as in North America.

Ipsos repeated a question it asked in 2023 to respondents to rank suppliers of imported oil as part of its Context Energy study. Respondents could not select their own country as sources of imported oil.

Canada’s position as a preferred supplier remained consistent despite significant changes in attitudes towards other countries from the survey conducted two years earlier. The Middle East rose to become the top supplier among G20 countries, just ahead of Canada. The United States fell sharply, ranking fifth among G7 countries.

The polling results were released the week ahead of Canada hosting the G7 Summit in Kananaskis. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith highlighted the timing as the leaders from the world’s most advanced economies meet at the resort area in the Canadian Rockies outside of Calgary.

“As Canada’s energy province, these results speak to Alberta’s growing reputation and profile as a secure, responsible energy producer with the resources and expertise our partners around the world are looking for,” she said.

“The vote of confidence from our G7 allies also speaks to the incredible scale of the opportunity in front of us. Now is the time for us to work together to unleash the full potential of Alberta’s energy sector and create jobs and prosperity for generations of people in Alberta and Canada.”

Gregory Jack, senior vice president of public affairs for Ipsos in Canada, agrees and says the survey demonstrates Canada continues to stand out as a reliable and democratic source of oil characterized by strong environmental safeguards among G7 allies.

“When people around the world think about oil supply and who they want to buy it from, Canada is top of mind in these countries,” says Jack. “This presents a significant opportunity for Canadian producers to contribute to the global supply as Canada hosts world leaders from the G7 because there is an openness to Canada supplying oil.”

Clementine Benoit, a Public Affairs account manager in at Ipsos Canada that oversaw the survey, sees the results reflect a shift in values from the 2023 survey, as people now value energy security as much or more than concerns about climate change and other values. Canada continues to stand out as a reliable and democratic source of oil with robust environmental safeguards among G7 allies, she says.

“Canada should absolutely keep talking about how its oil is produced, which differentiates us from other suppliers,” she says. “There’s a growing movement, especially among younger generations, actively pushing the oil industry to meet higher environmental and social standards in its sourcing practices. For many countries within the G20, Canada and Norway’s solid ESG track records make them top choices.”

Despite the importance of discussing how oil is produced, new provisions in the Competition Act have created uncertainty and risk in communicating important environmental information. As a result, the industry is currently restricted from sharing its efforts to address environmental issues.

Canada’s continued appeal could also stem from its stable political environment, reliable supply and established trade relationships, Jack from Ipsos says.

Jack hopes the survey helps provide perspective to the conversation about energy within Canada.

“There continues to be a lot of talk about energy issues by Canadians, but we need to think about what the rest of the world thinks. And generally, that view is very positive.”

Respondents to the poll included citizens of the US, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, China, Japan, Brazil, India, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, and Indonesia.

For more on the Ipsos survey and methodology, visit: https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/canada-top-preferred-oil-supplier-g7-nations