People with children were less likely to vote, especially single parents with a child under the age of five, Statistics Canada says.
Only 36 per cent of single parents with a child of that age voted in the May 2, 2011 federal election, compared to 60 per cent of couples with children of the same age, the study released Friday found.
Also, the percentage of people who cast a ballot was higher based on age and education, especially among younger voters. The higher the level of education, the more likely younger people will vote, it found.
In fact, there was a 42 percentage point difference in voting rates among those aged 25 to 34 who hold a bachelor's degree compared to people with less than a high school education.
That gap dropped to 10 percentage points among people aged 55 and over.
Immigrants who arrived in Canada since 2001 were less likely to vote than people born in Canada. The voting rate for immigrants was higher among those who have been in the country longer, the report says.
The employed were also more likely to vote than the unemployed, particularly those in the public sector or in high-skilled occupations.
Home owners had significantly higher turnout rates than those who rent, the survey found.
The data was collected from three questions added to the Labour Force Survey in the same month commissioned by Elections Canada to learn why some Canadians didn't vote.
Voter turnout was about 62.4 per cent in the last federal election, up from 59.1 per cent in 2008.
The highest voter turnout in Canadian history was in 1958 when 79.4 per cent of registered voters cast a ballot and elected John Diefenbaker to a majority government.
