Six charts that reveal the story of the 2025 election

Over the past eight elections going back to 2004, Canadians have only twice elected a majority government. But the 2025 election, which returned Liberal Leader Mark Carney to the Prime Minister’s Office with what appears likely to be a minority mandate, still represents a departure from the usual pattern of Canadian elections. This was a two-party race. Normally Canadian elections are decided in the complicated riding dynamics of three- or four-party contests, with the New Democrats, the Bloc Québécois in Quebec and the Green Party (in some constituencies) playing an often unpredictable role in the outcome. That was less the case this time, a fact reflected in the much higher vote share for the Liberal and Conservative parties.