The 2025 Canadian federal election produced a clear winner in terms of seats and vote share, though falling just short of a parliamentary majority. Mark Carney and the Liberal Party secured the most seats and the highest vote share among all parties, reversing recent trends where they had lost the popular vote. This article breaks down the precise results, compares party performances, and explains what the outcome means for the next government.
Last checked: 2026-05-28
Winning party: Liberal Party · Prime minister: Mark Carney · Government type: Minority government · Election date: April 28, 2025
How we researched this
Last checked: 2026-05-28.
Sources reviewed: Elections Canada media release, University of Toronto School of Cities – Canada Votes 2025 analysis, official Elections Canada voting results page, Wikipedia (2025 Canadian federal election), Elections and Democracy map, Simon Fraser University historical election results.
No on-the-ground reporting, no interviews with candidates or party officials, and no original vote count data beyond what published sources provide.
Snapshot: 2025 Canadian Federal Election Results
- The Liberal Party won the 2025 federal election and formed government for a fourth consecutive term, securing 169 seats in the House of Commons (Elections Canada – media release)
- Mark Carney became prime minister after Justin Trudeau’s resignation, leading the Liberals to victory in his first federal campaign as party leader (Wikipedia)
- The Liberals won 169 seats—three seats below the 172-seat threshold required for a majority in the 343-seat House of Commons, resulting in a minority government (University of Toronto School of Cities)
- The election was held on 28 April 2025, with preliminary results published from May 2025 onward (Elections Canada – media release)
| Key Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Winning party | Liberal Party of Canada |
| Prime minister | Mark Carney |
| Government type | Minority government (169 of 343 seats) |
| Election date | 28 April 2025 |
Who won the Canadian election 2025?
The Liberal Party of Canada, led by Mark Carney, won the 2025 federal election and formed government, securing a fourth consecutive term in office. According to the University of Toronto School of Cities, the party won 169 seats in the 2025 federal election, falling three seats short of the 172 required for a majority in the 343-seat House of Commons. The Liberal vote share reached approximately 43.8% of the national popular vote, which Wikipedia describes as the party’s highest since 1980 and the highest for any party in a Canadian federal election since 1984.
Mark Carney had taken over as Liberal leader and prime minister earlier in 2025 after Justin Trudeau’s resignation, following declining approval ratings and internal party pressure. The 2025 contest marked his first federal election campaign as party leader. The Liberal victory defied earlier polling that had predicted a Conservative win under Pierre Poilievre, with news coverage framing Carney’s stance on trade disputes with the United States as a factor that helped consolidate Liberal support.
Voter turnout reached approximately 69.46% of registered electors, with 19,813,211 Canadians casting a ballot according to Elections Canada’s preliminary figures. This turnout level made the 2025 election the highest-turnout federal vote in Canada since the 1993 election. The 2025 vote was the 45th federal general election in Canada, with 16 registered parties represented on the ballot and 1,959 confirmed candidates.
The 2025 election produced the narrowest Liberal–Conservative gap in decades, with both parties exceeding 40% of the popular vote. The University of Toronto School of Cities analysis described it as “the greatest consolidation in the two major parties since 1958.”
Did the Conservatives win the popular vote in 2025?
The Conservative Party of Canada, led by Pierre Poilievre, finished second behind the Liberals in both seats and vote share in the 2025 federal election. School of Cities reports that the Conservatives received 41.3% of the national popular vote, up 7.6 percentage points from the prior election, and won 144 seats. While this represented a significant improvement over previous results, the party did not win the popular vote.
The 2025 election was the first time since 2015 that the Liberals won the national popular vote in a federal election, after losing the popular vote in both 2019 and 2021. Wikipedia notes that while the Conservatives improved their vote share substantially, the Liberal concentration of support in densely populated urban ridings translated more efficiently into seats, producing a 25-seat gap despite a vote share difference of only 2.5 percentage points.
The New Democratic Party (NDP) recorded just 6.3% of the national vote in 2025, down 11.5 points from the previous election, and won 7 seats. Wikipedia describes the NDP’s 2025 performance as the worst result in the party’s history, with just over six percent of the popular vote and seven seats. According to Elections Canada, 57,440 electors living outside Canada voted by special ballot in the 2025 federal election.
The first-past-the-post system amplified the Liberal seat count relative to their vote share, producing a government despite the historically close two-party popular vote split. The Conservatives’ strong showing in vote share signals continued competitive position heading into future cycles.
How often does Canada have elections for prime minister?
Canada operates under a fixed-date election law that schedules federal elections every four years on a predetermined date. The next scheduled federal election after 2025 would fall in 2029. However, a prime minister can advise the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an early election at any time, meaning elections can occur outside the fixed schedule if the government loses a confidence vote or if the prime minister chooses to seek a new mandate.
The 45th federal general election was held on 28 April 2025 following the dissolution of Parliament. The previous election had taken place in 2021, meaning the 2025 vote occurred four years after the last contest as expected under the fixed-date framework. Governor General Mary Simon issued the writs for the 2025 Canadian federal election, formally starting the campaign period.
The Liberal Party has now won four consecutive federal elections (2015, 2019, 2021, and 2025), though the party previously lost the popular vote in 2019 and 2021 while still forming government due to seat efficiency under first-past-the-post. The 2025 victory marked the first time since 2015 that the Liberals won the national popular vote.
Canadians elect a Parliament every four years under fixed-date rules, but early elections remain constitutionally possible. The 2025 result means the next regularly scheduled election would occur in 2029 unless the minority government is defeated before then.
Related reading:
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the next federal election in Canada after 2025?
The next regularly scheduled federal election under Canada’s fixed-date election law would be in 2029. However, since the Liberal government holds a minority of seats (169 of 343), an early election could be triggered if the government loses a confidence vote in Parliament.
How often does Canada have elections for prime minister?
Canada holds federal elections every four years under the fixed-date election law, though the prime minister can advise the Governor General to call an early election at any time. The last election before 2025 was held on 20 September 2021.
When was the last election in Canada for Prime Minister?
The last federal election before 2025 was held on 20 September 2021, when Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party won a third consecutive term, though as a minority government. The 2025 election was held on 28 April 2025.
Did the Conservatives win the popular vote in 2025?
No. The Liberal Party won the national popular vote with approximately 43.8% compared to the Conservative Party’s 41.3%. The Conservatives finished second in both vote share and seats despite gaining 7.6 percentage points over their previous result.
How many seats did each party win in 2025?
The Liberal Party won 169 seats, the Conservative Party won 144 seats, and the New Democratic Party won 7 seats. A majority requires 172 seats in the 343-seat House of Commons.