ST JOHN’S, NL – Newfoundland and Labrador is a province shaped by a stark demographic imbalance. Older residents make up a clear majority of the population, outnumbering younger people by a wide margin and shifting the political landscape in the process.
More than half (66 per cent) of the population is 35 or older, leaving young people accounting for only one-third of residents — a gap with deep implications for how political parties craft their platforms and who ultimately holds influence at the ballot box.
According to the province’s September 2025 census, people aged 60 to 64 represent one of the largest age groups, with 43,645 residents.
Of the province’s 549,911 residents, just 121,019 falls within the youth (15 to 30 years old) age range.
Opposition Leader John Hogan said the province’s aging demographic was a major reason he committed to creating a standalone minister for seniors during his premiership.
“To have one minister responsible for issues related solely to seniors was an important thing that I wanted to do, and I felt was necessary,” Hogan said.
He said it is essential for government to maintain a focused approach to supporting seniors, noting they “worked hard, they’ve lived here in this province, and now they are facing some struggles and some issues.”
This shows how substantial the influence the majority of a population holds on politics says Dr. Russell Williams, a political science professor at Memorial University.
“I think generally it’s wise for political parties, if they’re aiming to win electoral victories, to focus on issues that are of particular concern to those older residents. But of course, that has downsides and consequences,” Williams said.
Narrow focus
Experts warn that building platforms or policy too narrowly around one age group can deepen political polarization. Research by Eric Merkley for the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy links affective polarization (negative feelings toward opposing political groups) to increased partisanship, discrimination, bias and the spread of misinformation.
The province’s demographic imbalance is only part of the challenge. Newfoundland and Labrador has faced decades of youth out-migration, a trend documented in provincial demographic reports and in Statistics Canada analyses.
Studies on rural and Atlantic Canadian demographics, including research from Statistics Canada and the Canadian government, have similarly pointed to limited job growth and declining rural industries as major reasons young adults continue to leave the province, often permanently.
These reports point to young people leaving for larger economic centres that offer more jobs, higher wages and a wider range of industries.
Opposition Leader John Hogan said this is one reason he sees the memorandum of understanding with Quebec as a big opportunity, calling it “the biggest opportunity in the province’s history.”
“It would have offered not only the 10,000 jobs to work on that project, but all sorts of money for this province to invest, not only in our seniors, but in the future of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, including my two kids, they’re eight and three years old,” Hogan said.
“I still see that memorandum as an opportunity for their future here in our province.”
Nathan Gillingham, director of external affairs for the Memorial University Students’ Union (MUNSU), said economics remain the strongest factor pushing young people out of the province.
He said many students leave the province after finishing their degrees because they are drawn to cities like Toronto and Montreal, where job prospects are broader and industries are more diverse.
“It is true that there’s just not a whole lot of opportunity that people see here in Newfoundland and Labrador,” he said. “What we really need to be focusing on is just these broader incentives to make people want to stay.”
Gillingham adds that the government is not doing enough to keep young people from flying out. He adds that the Progressive Conservative’s plan to reimburse tuition might be a policy that can retain young people.
“I think the PC’s platform on tuition reimbursement is a good starting point,” Gillingham said.
For addressing both the under-representation of youth and the out-migration trend, Williams says it’s a “chicken and egg.” It’s difficult to tell which causes the low youth population.
Youth disengagement and apathy can contribute to their dissatisfaction with political platforms, which in turn may deepen frustration with the province’s economy and push many to leave in search of better opportunities.
“Some people would say the problem is platforms don’t really take the interests of young people seriously, that’s why young people aren’t interested,” said Williams. “Some people say it’s the other way around. It’s because young people aren’t interested that platforms don’t reflect their interests.” “Perhaps if political parties were offering things that were of more importance to young people, they might be more engaged in politics,”
Meanwhile, Gillingham is sure that low disengagement and voter turnout is because of apathy.
“Why would students turn out to the same old political parties that haven’t really transformed the province to begin with?” He said.
Gillingham feels that because of this imbalanced demographic, political parties would focus on the bigger part of the population.
“It is true that young people don’t vote as high in percentage as the older generation. So I would think, for the most part, the platforms are to speak to a much older generation,” said Gillingham.
“Perhaps if political parties were offering things that were of more importance to young people, they might be more engaged in politics,”
… Dr. Russell Williams.
Engaging youth in politics is beneficial because it brings fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to governance. Political engagement is also an important factor in youth development, according to a study by Statistics Canada.
“We don’t really have anyone rallying young people and inspiring the next generation and that’s definitely a gap in our politics,” said Gillingham about how politics can trigger a disinterest and disengagement in young voters.
Hogan says the Liberal party will talk to youth in the province over the next number of months.
“If there was a disconnect between our plan and them not hearing it, that’s something that we should certainly look at,” said Hogan.
While most, if not all, students and young people agree that housing and affordability are the top issues facing the country, Gillingham doesn’t see actions taken by the government to address it.
“There’s a big gap in what students say they want and do want, and what politicians are willing to actually give,” said Gillingham.
“The provincial liberals, over their time in office, massively increased the cost of going to school for young people, tuition fees more than doubled in this province,” said Williams. “That sounds great if you’re a senior citizen and you’re not going to school anymore.”
Williams says that the province is entering a new political terrain.
“I don’t know that there’s ever been a jurisdiction in North America that has had such a large percentage of its voters, essentially, being over 65,” Williams said. “I think we’re all going to see how that affects the politics and how that affects the kind of policies that governments offer in the future.”
Max Baco is a journalist working studying in St John’s, Newfoundland.
If you would like to learn more about the history of Newfoundland’s labour migration visit The Exit Zero Project, On the Road With Newfoundland’s Migrant Workers. A documentary by Greg Locke
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