Site MenuTurnout by Gender – Estimation of Voter Turnout by Age Group and Gender at the 2021 General Election
In 2021, the Census of Population asked Canadians about their sex at birth, and for the first time, gender. This new information enabled Elections Canada to estimate the eligible population by gender.
In this report, we follow Statistics Canada's convention for publishing data on gender at two levelsfootnote 5. The "non-binary persons" definition from Statistics Canada corresponds to Elections Canada's "Another gender" option given to electors when registering for an election or performing an update of their personal record. Those electors who identify as another gender are split 50/50 across the two binary gender options. This procedure is used to protect the confidentiality of the electors.
We use the terms "Men+" and "Women+" throughout this report to reflect the fact that our totals for men and women include some non-binary people.
Another Gender (Gender X)
In September 2018, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and the Department of Justice Canada presented a report to the Clerk of the Privy Council with recommendations on ways to modernize how the Government of Canada handles information on sex and gender. One of the recommendations was allowing Canadian citizens to identify with a third, non-binary gender other than "male" or "female". Beginning in 2019, Elections Canada began offering a third gender option that electors could choose when registering or updating their registration. Following the recommendations of the Policy Direction to Modernize the Government of Canada's Sex and Gender Information Practices, Elections Canada uses the designation "Another gender" when collecting gender information from individuals, while the term "Gender X" is used for reporting purposes.
In Canada and abroad, 3,910 Canadians self-identified as gender X at the 2021 general election—in 2019 the number was 1,317. Given the recent implementation and the limited number of individuals, gender X electors are grouped by broad geographic location; using finer groupings could create disclosure risks. Table 1 below shows the geographic breakdown of gender X electors, and Table 2 the age structure of the gender X electors.
| Region | Registered Electors | Voters | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic | 315 | 245 | 77.8% |
| Quebec | 300 | 240 | 80.0% |
| Ontario | 1,455 | 1,180 | 81.1% |
| Prairies | 1,115 | 875 | 78.5% |
| British Columbia | 665 | 555 | 83.5% |
| Territoriesfootnote 7 | ― | ― | ― |
| Canada | 3,850 | 3,095 | 80.4% |
| Abroadfootnote 8 | 60 | 60 | 100% |
| Age | Registered Electors | Voters | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st time | 540 | 465 | 86.1% |
| not 1st time | 995 | 785 | 78.9% |
| Total 18–24 | 1,535 | 1,250 | 81.4% |
| 25–34 | 1,465 | 1,185 | 80.9% |
| 35–44 | 555 | 460 | 82.9% |
| 45–54 | 165 | 135 | 81.8% |
| 55–64 | 125 | 105 | 84.0% |
| 65–74 | 55 | 40 | 72.7% |
| 75+footnote 10 | ― | ― | ― |
Men+ and Women+
Figure 6 shows the age and gender structure of the eligible electoral population in 2021. The most populous age cohorts for both genders are in the range 55–64. About two thirds of the eligible population is between the ages of 25 and 64; the corresponding age cohorts have the largest impact on the overall national turnout.
Text version of "Figure 6: Age and Gender Structure of the Eligible Electoral Population in 2021"
| Age Group | Turnout | Minimum | Maximum | Year of Minimum | Year of Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st time | 44.7% | 35.6% | 58.3% | 40th GE, 2008 | 42nd GE, 2015 |
| not 1st time | 47.4% | 34.6% | 55.1% | 38th GE, 2004 | 42nd GE, 2015 |
| 18–24 | 46.7% | 37.3% | 57.1% | 38th GE, 2004 | 42nd GE, 2015 |
| 25–34 | 52.8% | 44.3% | 58.4% | 38th GE, 2004 | 43rd GE, 2019 |
| 35–44 | 59.0% | 53.9% | 64.6% | 40th GE, 2008 | 43rd GE, 2019 |
| 45–54 | 63.8% | 59.7% | 70.2% | 40th GE, 2008 | 39th GE, 2006 |
| 55–64 | 68.3% | 65.6% | 75.5% | 40th GE, 2008 | 39th GE, 2006 |
| 65–74 | 74.9% | 68.4% | 79.1% | 40th GE, 2008 | 43rd GE, 2019 |
| 75+ | 65.9% | 60.3% | 68.6% | 41st GE, 2011 | 43rd GE, 2019 |
Figure 7 shows turnout rates for the 2021 general election broken down by both age group and gender. The participation rate across all age groups was 60.6% for men+ and 63.8% for women+ (see Table 4). Women+ voted at higher rates than men in all age groups up to age group 65–74, after which the trend reversed.
Text version of "Figure 7: Voter Turnout by Age Group and Gender, 2021 General Election"
| Age Group | Men+ | Women+ |
|---|---|---|
| 1st time | 41.3% | 48.3% |
| not 1st time | 43.7% | 51.3% |
| 18–24 | 43.1% | 50.5% |
| 25–34 | 49.9% | 55.8% |
| 35–44 | 57.5% | 60.5% |
| 45–54 | 62.5% | 65.0% |
| 55–64 | 66.7% | 69.8% |
| 65–74 | 74.3% | 75.6% |
| 75+ | 67.7% | 64.3% |
Figures 8 and 9 show how turnout by age group and gender compares with the range of turnout rates for all elections since 2008.
- The grey line indicates the average turnout for elections from 2008 to 2021, inclusive
- The upward pointing triangle indicates the highest turnout rate for a given age group in the same timeframe
- The downward pointing triangle indicates the lowest turnout rate for a given age group
- The circle and the numeric label indicate the results for the 44th general election; when the circle overlaps with a triangle, the result reached a high or low point in the 2008-2021 period
Text version of "Figure 8: Men+ Voter Turnout by Age Group, General Elections 2008 to 2021"
| Age Group | Turnout | Minimum | Maximum | Year of Minimum | Year of Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st time | 41.3% | 35.2% | 54.9% | 40th GE, 2008 | 42nd GE, 2015 |
| not 1st time | 43.7% | 36.0% | 52.0% | 41st GE, 2011 | 42nd GE, 2015 |
| 18–24 | 43.1% | 36.3% | 53.8% | 40th GE, 2008 | 42nd GE, 2015 |
| 25–34 | 49.9% | 42.5% | 55.5% | 41st GE, 2011 | 43rd GE, 2019 |
| 35–44 | 57.5% | 51.5% | 62.7% | 41st GE, 2011 | 43rd GE, 2019 |
| 45–54 | 62.5% | 58.2% | 66.7% | 40th GE, 2008 | 43rd GE, 2019 |
| 55–64 | 66.7% | 65.7% | 71.9% | 40th GE, 2008 | 43rd GE, 2019 |
| 65–74 | 74.3% | 68.8% | 79.0% | 40th GE, 2008 | 42nd GE, 2015 |
We can observe that the turnout for the 44th general election is average for all age groups and both genders, with a few notable exceptions:
The participation rate for men+ aged 65–74 and 75+ is respectively close to, and equal to, the historical minimum for these age groups since 2008.
The participation rate for women+ aged 75+ is close to the historical maximum.
Text version of "Figure 9: Women+ Voter Turnout by Age Group, General Elections 2008 to 2021"
| Age Group | Turnout | Minimum | Maximum | Year of Minimum | Year of Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st time | 48.3% | 36.0% | 61.9% | 40th GE, 2008 | 42nd GE, 2015 |
| not 1st time | 51.3% | 39.8% | 58.4% | 41st GE, 2011 | 43rd GE, 2019 |
| 18–24 | 50.5% | 38.5% | 60.5% | 40th GE, 2008 | 42nd GE, 2015 |
| 25–34 | 55.8% | 47.7% | 61.3% | 41st GE, 2011 | 43rd GE, 2019 |
| 35–44 | 60.5% | 55.6% | 66.4% | 40th GE, 2008 | 43rd GE, 2019 |
| 45–54 | 65.0% | 61.2% | 69.6% | 40th GE, 2008 | 42nd GE, 2015 |
| 55–64 | 69.8% | 65.5% | 76.0% | 40th GE, 2008 | 42nd GE, 2015 |
| 65–74 | 75.6% | 68.1% | 79.2% | 40th GE, 2008 | 43rd GE, 2019 |
| 75+ | 64.3% | 54.2% | 65.7% | 41st GE, 2011 | 43rd GE, 2019 |
Footnote
Return to footnote 5 Source: Statistics Canada; Filling the gaps: Information on gender in the 2021 Census; https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/ref/98-20-0001/982000012021001-eng.cfm
Return to footnote 6 Elector and voter counts are randomly rounded for reasons of confidentiality. For this reason, subtotals may not always add up.
Return to footnote 7 Data for the Territories has been removed for reasons of confidentiality.
Return to footnote 8 Elections Canada does not keep a permanent register of Canadian electors abroad. International voters can indicate their gender when they request a ballot.
Return to footnote 9 Elector and voter counts are randomly rounded for reasons of confidentiality.
Return to footnote 10 Data for electors aged 75+ has been removed for reasons of confidentiality.