This spring marks one year since the 2025 federal election—a perfect time to use our Elections by the Numbers educational resource, which now features the latest data on voter turnout. These statistics will quickly become an indispensable tool for teaching numeracy, math, language arts and social sciences. Voter turnout varies over time. With a focus on youth voting trends, you can explore this subject with your students from multiple angles.
2025 data available
In the latest version of Elections by the Numbers, students still explore the inquiry question “How does youth voting compare to that of other age groups?” They are then asked to think about trends in their school or community and what they mean. Finally, they compare voter turnout data for different age groups and try to predict trends for future elections.
The resource was recently updated with data from the 2025 federal election. The table now allows students to compare over a decade of voter turnout data by age group. The graph shows voter turnout at federal elections from Confederation to 2025.
A new enhancement activity has been added by popular demand from teachers. For a more in-depth analysis of voter turnout by age group, invite students to examine Elections Canada’s interactive visualization tool on voter turnout. The tool also allows students to compare voter turnout across provinces and territories: Are the same trends being observed throughout the country? What can you observe about first-time voters?
These latest changes provide a richer learning experience and help students to better represent their interpretation of the data by designing a graph, map, diagram or other visual. Elections by the Numbers uses a variety of learning methods to encourage both teamwork and individual reflection. It can be used in many courses such as mathematics, data management, language arts or social studies. It is an excellent resource for developing students’ literacy and numeracy skills and sharpening their analytical abilities.
Youth voter turnout trends
Your students will notice the consistent gap in voter turnout between 18- to 24-year-olds and 65- to 74-year-olds. Numerous studies have attempted to better understand why fewer young people are voting. For more information on the topic, visit our Youth Voting Trends in Canada page.