Student Vote 2025: A surprising result?
The results of the 2025 National Student Vote are in and the Conservatives win the most votes and would win the most seats as 900,000 elementary and secondary students vote across the country
Before diving into the results, it’s worth pausing to acknowledge the important work that CIVIX does in strengthening democracy through education. For years, Abacus Data has had the privilege of partnering with CIVIX on programs like Student Vote and the Student Budget Consultation. Together, we’ve helped track, understand, and amplify student civic engagement across Canada. By providing young people with a platform to learn, discuss, and experience democracy firsthand, CIVIX plays a critical role in fostering the next generation of engaged citizens. This year's Student Vote Canada program, run alongside the 2025 federal election, is another example of that commitment—and the results offer valuable insights into how political attitudes are evolving among young Canadians.
The results are in from Student Vote Canada 2025—and they’re revealing.
If students under 18 could cast ballots in this year’s federal election, they would have elected a Conservative minority government, with the Liberals as the Official Opposition. After participating in a national simulation organized by CIVIX, more than 900,000 students made their voices heard—and what they said offers an important glimpse into how political attitudes among young Canadians are evolving.
Across 5,900 schools and nearly a million votes cast, the Conservative Party captured 165 seats (48.1% of all seats) and 36.4% of the popular vote. The Liberals won 145 seats (42.3%) and 31.7% of the popular vote. The Bloc Québécois captured 18 seats, the NDP fell to just 13, and the Green Party secured 2.
Compared to the last Student Vote in 2021, this represents a dramatic realignment among young Canadians. In 2021, students elected a Liberal minority with the NDP forming the Official Opposition. At that time, the NDP won 108 seats and 28.5% of the popular vote—nearly tying the Liberals in seat count.
In 2025, that NDP support collapsed. The party fell from 108 seats to 13, and its vote share dropped by almost half to 14.5%. Meanwhile, Conservative support among students surged, nearly doubling both in seats and popular vote share.
What’s driving the shift?
The issues young Canadians said mattered most mirror what we’ve seen in the general electorate: cost of living, housing affordability, and access to healthcare topped the list. Through the Student Budget Consultation conducted earlier this year, youth across the country indicated that making life more affordable was their top concern. It was the most important step they believed the federal government could take to support them.
The concerns about affordability are not new—but the urgency seems to have intensified. In the context of stubborn inflation, rising interest rates, and a housing market that feels increasingly out of reach, many young Canadians appear to be recalibrating their political instincts. Economic precarity is shaping not just their personal futures, but also their political choices.
At the same time, the issue landscape shifted during the campaign itself. When students first engaged with the Student Budget Consultation in December 2024 and January 2025, Canada-U.S. relations weren't top of mind. But by March and April—as Donald Trump’s threats on tariffs, NATO, and Canada’s sovereignty dominated headlines—students reported growing concern about the Canada-U.S. relationship.
This mirrors a trend we saw among the youngest voters in the general election: an initially low level of concern about Trump, but one that grew as the campaign wore on. For many, however, Trump remained a background concern—secondary to more immediate pressures like affording groceries, paying rent, or finding a stable job.
How do the student results compare to the general election?
While the seat distribution is different, some core dynamics are consistent. Among voters 18 and older, the Conservatives and Liberals captured the vast majority of seats and votes, just as they did among students. And among the youngest cohort of general election voters—the 18-to-29-year-olds—we also observed a swing toward the Conservatives, driven largely by cost-of-living concerns.
But there are important differences too.
Students overall were more supportive of smaller parties than older voters. The Green Party, for example, captured 7.5% of the student vote—well above their performance in the general electorate. Similarly, the NDP’s popular vote share among students, while down sharply from 2021, still remained higher than it did among older voters.
In other words, while students are showing a shift towards the Conservatives, they are still more willing than older Canadians to support a broader range of political options.
The Upshot
The 2025 Student Vote results suggest that Canada’s next generation of voters is not locked into traditional ideological alignments. They are issue-driven, economically anxious, and increasingly open to change. If the progressive parties hope to regain their footing among young Canadians, they cannot rely on past goodwill or assumptions about youth liberalism. They will need to show a clear, credible plan to make life more affordable and opportunities more attainable.
Meanwhile, for the Conservative Party, the results are a signal that their economic message is resonating with young Canadians in ways it hasn’t for years. But the challenge will be sustaining that support—especially if younger Canadians perceive that promises made are not promises kept.
For Prime Minister Mark Carney and his government, these results should be a wake-up call. They reveal a generation that is restless, pragmatic, and hungry for tangible change. If the government’s agenda is not seen as directly addressing the cost pressures, housing barriers, and mental health needs facing young Canadians, it risks further alienating the very generation that will soon enter the electorate in full force. Policies that feel distant or incremental won't be enough. The Carney government would be wise to think carefully about whether its priorities are sufficiently youth-focused—and whether it is doing enough to give young Canadians a reason to feel hopeful about their future.
The Student Vote is more than a symbolic exercise. It’s a window into what’s coming next. And if 2025 is any indication, the political future will be shaped by a generation that expects more—and is increasingly willing to look elsewhere if they don't see it.
For more information about CIVIX, visit their website. I’m a huge fan of the organization and the work they do.