A new survey suggests that even as Ontario voters see living costs rising, health care remains their top priority as they prepare to cast their ballots.

The latest Nanos Research survey conducted for CP24 and CTV News finds that 89 per cent of respondents said investing in health care is an important priority for the next government, no matter who is elected.

At 80 per cent, the next issue listed as important by voters is helping Ontarians manage the rising cost of living. That was followed by protecting the environment (78 per cent), promoting a stronger economy (77 per cent), and helping to make housing more affordable (71 per cent).

Some 65 per cent of respondents listed controlling taxes as important while 58 per cent said fighting crime is an important priority.

Those priorities were roughly similar for voters within the GTA and across the rest of Ontario.

However younger voters (those 18 to 34) listed managing the rising cost of living as just slightly more important than investing in health care.

The hybrid online and telephone survey gathered responses from 501 Ontario voters between May 28 and May 31. The margin of error for a survey of that size is plus or minus 4.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The results indicate that after more than two years of living with a global pandemic, voters have a heightened awareness about the need for maintaining a robust health-care system.

In addition to dealing with COVID-19, the health-care system has been strained in recent years by a backlog for services that resulted from the pandemic, as well as heightened demand for mental health services.

Recent polling by Nanos shows that over the past month of the campaign, health care has consistently remained top of mind for Ontario voters.

Asked unprompted what the most important provincial issue of concern is, 24 per cent of respondents to the latest survey cited health care. That's down just slightly from early in the campaign. In a survey released May 2, some 26.6 per cent listed health care as the most important issue.

But it still maintains a sizeable lead over the next closest issue, which is cost-of-living/inflation (17.1 per cent in the latest survey vs. 11.9 per cent on May 2).

Voters head to the polls on June 2.

Methodology

Nanos conducted an RDD dual frame (land and cell lines) hybrid telephone and online random survey of 501 residents of Ontario, 18 years of age or older, between May 28th to 31st 2022 as part of a tracking survey. Participants were randomly recruited by telephone using live agents and were administered the survey online. The results were statistically checked and weighted by age and gender using the latest Census information and the sample is geographically stratified to be representative of Ontario.

Individuals were randomly called using random digit dialling with a maximum of five call backs. The margin of error for a random survey of 501 Ontario residents is 4.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The research was commissioned by CTV News and CP24.