# How Many Electoral Districts Does Canada Have? 343
Canada has 343 federal electoral districts — also called ridings or constituencies — since the electoral map was redrawn for the 2025 federal election.
If you see 338 in older material, that was the 2015-2021 map. If you see 308, you are looking at the 2004-2011 map. The number grows almost every redistribution because seats roughly track population.
What a riding actually is
A riding is the geographic area that elects one Member of Parliament. Whoever gets the most votes in a district — a simple plurality, not a majority — wins its seat. This is Canada's first-past-the-post system, the same basic idea as the UK's and the US House's.
Every Canadian voter belongs to exactly one federal riding, and the same 343 districts are what the House of Commons' seat counts refer to. (The Senate is completely different — appointed senators represent regions, not ridings.)
How the 343 seats are divided
Seats are not assigned purely by population. The Constitution sets a formula that protects smaller provinces:
- Quebec's 78 seats are treated as the benchmark, and other provinces get seats in proportion to it
- The senatorial clause guarantees no province fewer Commons seats than it has senators — this is what keeps PEI at 4 seats when pure population math would give it fewer
- The grandfather clause prevents provinces from losing seats below their historical floor
The result, roughly: Ontario ~122, Quebec 78, BC ~43, Alberta ~37, the other provinces and territories in single or low double digits, and each territory exactly 1.
Who draws the lines
Not the government — and that is deliberate. Ten independent electoral boundaries commissions (one per province, each chaired by a judge) redraw the maps after every census. MPs get consulted but cannot gerrymander the outcome, which is one of the quieter strengths of the Canadian system.
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What the test actually asks
The test does not ask for the current count — it dates too fast. It does ask:
- Canada's Parliament has two chambers: the House of Commons and the Senate
- MPs are elected; senators are appointed
- Each MP represents one electoral district / riding
- Federal elections happen at least every four years (fixed-date law, with exceptions)
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Frequently Asked Questions
1What is the difference between a riding, an electoral district and a constituency?
Nothing — they are three names for the same thing. 'Electoral district' is the legal term, 'riding' is the common Canadian word, and 'constituency' is used too. Each one elects one MP.
2Why does the number of ridings keep changing?
After every 10-year census, independent commissions redraw the map to keep districts roughly equal in population. The 2021 census triggered the redistribution that produced 343 seats for the 2025 election — Quebec gained one, Alberta three, Ontario one; British Columbia stayed at 43 after adjustments.
3Which province has the most electoral districts?
Ontario, with about 122 ridings — roughly a third of the Commons — because seat count follows population.
4Do the territories get electoral districts?
Yes — Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are each guaranteed exactly one riding by law, regardless of their small populations.