A Note of Thanks and a Look Ahead from Abacus Data CEO, David Coletto
December 23, 2025
As 2025 comes to a close, I want to take a moment to look back at the year we have had at Abacus Data and share a bit about where we are heading in 2026. But above all, I want to say thank you. This year has reminded me just how fortunate we are to do this work, how much trust Canadians place in us, and how essential strong public opinion research is in a time of uncertainty.
We are living through what some have called a permacrisis: a period marked by instability, rapid change, and a constant sense of disruption. Political tension, economic anxiety, technological acceleration, rising misinformation. All of it affects how people feel, how they make decisions, and how leaders across the country chart their path forward.
In that kind of environment, clarity becomes more valuable. Understanding becomes more urgent. And trusted insight becomes essential.
That is why I believe Abacus Data has never been more relevant. And it is why I am so grateful to everyone who helped us shape conversations across Canada this year.
Almost two million people visited our website in 2025 to read our polling, our analysis, and the stories we told about how Canadians and Americans are thinking and feeling. To everyone who read, shared, or reflected on our work, thank you.
To the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who completed one of our surveys or took part in a focus group this year, thank you as well. Your voice makes our work possible. You help build a more informed public dialogue. You help ensure leaders see the country clearly. We could not do what we do without your participation.
To the more than 380 clients who trusted us with your most important questions, I want to express my sincere appreciation. You asked us to help you see the world differently, to bring you closer to the people you serve, and to guide you through moments of uncertainty. It is a privilege to be invited into your decision making.
This year, our revenue grew by 15 percent. We worked with organizations across business, government, advocacy, and civil society. We briefed leaders across the country. We presented to audiences of more than 100,000 people through in person and through virtual talks.
Our work was cited by national news outlets, policymakers, and industry leaders and our partnership with the Toronto Star and The Logic helped clarify Canadian and Ontario politics. I think we helped shape national conversations on trade, Canada-U.S. relations, affordability, trust, generational change, housing, health care, and the evolving mindset of Canadians.
Another major development this year was the widespread interest in our work on the precarity mindset. Eddie Sheppard and I have traveled across Canada sharing this story, and the response has been remarkable. Audiences immediately connect with it because it gives language to something many were already feeling but could not quite express. That is the power of a clear narrative in public opinion research. It takes scattered data points and turns them into understanding. It helps leaders make sense of the country and chart a path forward.
Looking ahead, I believe we are entering one of the most important periods for our industry. There’s generational change in the leadership of the industry. Artificial intelligence is transforming how insight is generated and delivered (not all of it good). And yet, in the middle of all that change, one thing has become more valuable than ever: trusted interpretation.
AI can produce charts in seconds. It can summarize text, organize data, and speed up workflows. What it cannot do is understand the nuance of how Canadians think. It cannot interpret mood or risk. It cannot read a room or brief a cabinet minister or a board of directors. It cannot replace the human judgment at the core of what we do.
Next year, we will build on what worked in 2025. We will continue to strengthen our methods and expand our insight offerings. We will invest in new content, new tools, and new ways to help leaders understand the world around them. We will also introduce new public facing research products and strategic insight reports.
The goal is simple. Help people see the world more clearly, and give decision makers the confidence to act.
And we are just getting started. I believe 2026 will be one of the most exciting years in our history.
Thank you again to everyone who has supported Abacus Data this year. To our readers. To our research participants. To every client who trusted us. To every partner who collaborated with us. And to every Canadian who took time to share their perspective.
Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year. I cannot wait to share what comes next.
-David Coletto
