While one-third of Canadians say they have read the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, many fail to distinguish between its text and that of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, according to a new study.

There is also a significant divide when it comes to whether Canadians agree with the opening line of the Charter, which sets the tone for the rest of the document.

For his part, Jack Jedwab, president of the Association for Canadian Studies, which commissioned the survey in cooperation with the Metropolis Institute, said: "They feel they know it better than they actually do."

"We need more Charter education, if you will. Or more Charter knowledge."

The Association released the findings to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the United Nations adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948.

The survey asked participants whether they had read the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which was signed in 1982, and 33% said they had.

Compared to 62% of participants who said they had not, and the remaining 5% who answered either do not know or prefer not to say.

When asked a yes-or-no question about the Charter’s preamble — "Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law" — 38% of participants said they agreed with it, compared to 37% who said they did not. A quarter said they didn’t know or preferred not to answer.

Jedwab also said the results are more surprising when narrowed down to those who said they had actually read the document.

These people were more likely to agree with the opening sentence, but that still represents only 47%.

Among those who said they had not read the document, nearly two-thirds either disagreed with it or said they didn’t know or preferred not to answer.

Jedwab suggested the divide could be traced back to respondents' feelings about the reference to God, as Canadian society considers itself secular.

The survey also indicated that many Canadians also fail to understand the difference between the Charter and the rights enshrined in the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

In response to a question about whether every person living in Canada has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, 88% of participants answered "yes," compared to just 9% who answered "no," and 3% declined to answer.