Statistics Canada conducts a national census of population and census of agriculture every five years and releases the data with a two-year lag.
The Census of Population provides demographic and statistical data that is used to plan public services such as health care, education, and transportation; determine federal transfer payments; [1] and determine the number of Members of Parliament for each province and territory. The Census of Population is the primary source of sociodemographic data for specific population groups, such as lone-parent families, Indigenous peoples, immigrants, seniors and language groups. [2] Data from the census is also used to assess the economic state of the country, including the economic conditions of immigrants over time, and labour market activity of communities and specific populations. Census data are also leveraged to develop socioeconomic status indicators in support of analysis of various impacts on education achievement and outcomes. [3] At a sub-national level, two provinces (Alberta and Saskatchewan) and two territories (Nunavut and Yukon) have legislation that allows local governments to conduct their own municipal censuses. [4]
The Census of Population gathers important data on a variety of topics, including:
There have been questions about religion in Canada in the national census since 1871. In 1951, when the frequency of conducting the national census changed from being collected every 10 years to every 5 years, questions about religion were still asked only every 10 years. [5] [6]
Questions on religion were included in the last census, which occurred in 2021, but it will not be included in the 2026 census as questions on religion are included in census years that end in “1”. [7]
The census typically undercounts the population by ~2–4% because people are not at home, have trouble understanding the census, or census enumerators are unable to find the people. [8]
The first census in what is now Canada took place in New France in 1666, under the direction of Intendant Jean Talon. [9] The census noted the age, sex, marital status and occupation of 3,215 inhabitants. [10]
French-controlled Acadia also took their own census from 1671 to 1755. [11]
It is notable that section 8 of the Constitution Act, 1867 mandates that a national census must be done every 10 years, on years ending in 1 (1871, 1881, 1891, etc.). However, the section has been interpreted to mean that a census cannot be conducted beyond that 10-year period, but this does not indicate that a census cannot be conducted more regularly—such as every 5 years, as is now required of Statistics Canada by the Statistics Act. [12]
The first national census of Canada was taken in 1871, as required by section 8 of the then British North America Act, 1867 (now the Constitution Act, 1867 ). [13] Parliament implemented the requirements of the constitution through the Census Act of May 12, 1870. All inhabitants of Canada were surveyed, including Indigenous peoples. While this was the first national census, only the four provinces that were part of the Dominion of Canada at the time—Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia—were included in the census. Other areas that would later become part of Canada continued to be enumerated with their own separate censuses. The results of the 1871 census were reported in a five-volume set in 1873, in both English and French.
In 1881, the governing legislation was amended to require census takers to take an oath of secrecy. [14] By this time, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, and British Columbia were part of Canada and included in the national census, as was the Northwest Territories.
Beginning in 1906, the Prairie provinces of Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan began to take separate censuses of population and agriculture every five years to monitor growth in the West. After becoming part of Canada in 1949, Newfoundland (including Labrador) has been included in the Canadian census since 1951. [15] Since 1956, the Census of Agriculture and the Census of Population have been taken together every five years across the entire country. [16]
In 1912, the federal government transferred responsibility for conducting the census from the Ministry of Agriculture to the Ministry of Trade and Commerce. [14] In 1918, the government established the Dominion Bureau of Statistics, which was renamed Statistics Canada in 1971. Statistics Canada continues to be responsible for the census. [14]
All census records prior to and including the 1926 census are publicly available at Library and Archives Canada (LAC). [17] Bill S-18, An Act to Amend the Statistics Act, received Royal Assent on June 18, 2005. The act creates section 18.1 of the Statistics Act, which releases personal census records to LAC for censuses taken between 1910 and 2005, inclusive, 92 years after the taking of a census. In the 2006 census, Canadians were asked for the first time whether they consent to the release of their personal census information after 92 years. This means that 2006 census records will be released to LAC in 2098 only for those respondents who consented to the release of their records. Census returns taken after 1926 are in the custody of Statistics Canada and disclosure of personal information from these records is not permitted. The only exception is for individuals who require information about themselves.
Statistics Canada has implemented stringent procedures to protect the confidentiality of census information per the Statistics Act, such as requiring employees be sworn to secrecy when they are hired, and limiting access to personal and confidential information to those with a need to know to complete their work. [18] Questionnaires completed online are protected through a number of measures, including a secure login process and encryption between the user's browser and Statistics Canada's servers. Census data are processed and stored on a highly restricted internal network.
The Census of Population Program enables the production and publication of many free resources to the public, including, but not limited to, data products, reference materials, geographical information and data visualization tools released within two years after a census is conducted. [19]
Highlights of the census history in Canada include: [20]
• 1666 – The first Canadian census was taken in New France by Intendant Jean Talon. The recorded population (excluding Indigenous peoples and royal troops) was 3,215. Information was collected on age, sex, marital status and locality. In addition, the census identified professions and trades for 763 people.[ citation needed ]
• 1666 to 1867 – Numerous censuses were taken at irregular intervals in the colonies of France and Britain that became parts of Canada. Extant records held by Library and Archives Canada and commonly used for research include 1825, 1831, 1842, 1852, and 1861. [21]
• 1867 – The Constitution Act, 1867 (formerly the British North America Act, 1867) included the requirement that a census must be taken every 10 years (decennially) to determine representation by population in the new parliament.
• 1871 – The first decennial census was taken in this year. The census enumerated the population of the four original provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario). Manitoba and British Columbia, which had also joined Confederation, were surveyed separately. For the first time, questions on religion and birthplace were asked in the census.[ citation needed ]
The 1871 census was the first to use the de jure method of enumeration rather than the de facto method used in Europe both then and now. The de facto method enumerates people where they are found on Census Day. The de jure method enumerates people according to their usual place of residence.[ citation needed ]
• 1881 – All census enumerators were required to take an oath of secrecy—a pledge still required today. The census was extended to include British Columbia, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island.[ citation needed ]
• 1891 – The population was prepared for the census enumerator's visit through announcements in newspapers and from pulpits.[ citation needed ]
• 1896 – A mid-decade census was held in Manitoba beginning in 1896 and then in Saskatchewan and Alberta beginning in 1906. These censuses were needed to measure the rapid growth taking place in the West.[ citation needed ]
• 1901 – Census content was expanded to include citizenship and period of immigration.[ citation needed ]
• 1905 – The census office became a permanent bureau of the federal government.[ citation needed ]
• 1906 – Beginning in 1906, the federal government took separate census of population and agriculture in the three prairie provinces of Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan every five years to monitor the growth of the West.[ citation needed ]
• 1912 – Responsibility for conducting the census was transferred from the former Ministry of Agriculture to the former Ministry of Trade and Commerce.[ citation needed ]
• 1918 – The Dominion Bureau of Statistics was created.[ citation needed ]
• 1931 – Even though compilation and tabulation for the 1931 census were still carried out with mechanical equipment, a new sorter-tabulator developed by an employee of the Dominion Bureau of Statistics made production 50 times faster by allowing a whole data card to be read at once, rather than one column at a time.[ citation needed ]
• 1941 – Sample information was collected for the first time, meaning that 1 in 10 households were asked additional content about their dwelling (type, number of rooms, cooking fuel used, etc.).[ citation needed ]
• 1951 –The 1951 census, held two years after Newfoundland (including Labrador) became part of Canada, marked Canada's first census as a nation of 10 provinces and 2 territories. [22] The 1951 census used “mark-sense.” This technology allowed punch cards to be generated, greatly reducing processing time and costs.
• 1956 – A quinquennial (every five years) Census of Population and Census of Agriculture was held in all provinces across the country, replacing the mid-decade censuses of the Prairie provinces.[ citation needed ]
• 1971 – Under the Statistics Act of 1971, the Dominion Bureau of Statistics was renamed Statistics Canada. The act also confirmed that a Census of Population and a Census of Agriculture would be taken every five years (quinquennially).[ citation needed ]
Self-enumeration was first introduced in 1971. With the exception of Indigenous reserves and remote areas where canvassing was deemed necessary due to logistical reasons and other limitations, census questionnaires and completion instructions were dropped off at private homes and respondents were asked to complete their own questionnaires. In population centres of 10,000 people or more, respondents were asked to mail their completed questionnaires back in a pre-addressed envelope. In other areas, questionnaires were picked up by census enumerators.[ citation needed ]
• 1991 – All respondents in self-enumeration areas (over 98% of the population) were asked to return their completed census questionnaires by mail. The final return rate was 85%, and 27 million people in over 10 million households were counted. Information on common-law partners was also collected for the first time.
• 2001 – For the first time, data were collected on same-sex couples.
• 2006 – Census questionnaires were delivered by Canada Post to about 70% of households. The remaining 30% received the questionnaire from an enumerator, as in previous censuses. For the first time, all Canadians could answer the census questionnaire online. This was received positively by Canadians. Nationally, 18.5% of Canadian households completed their questionnaire online. This was also the first time people were asked if they agreed to have their personal information released in 92 years for the purposes of research and education. Respondents were also asked whether they would give Statistics Canada permission to access their tax files. This permission was sought in an effort to reduce response burden. The definition of spouse was expanded to include same-sex married couples.
• 2011 – The response to the online option in 2006 prompted a major change in methodology for the 2011 census. In May, a letter was delivered to 60% of Canadian dwellings. This letter replaced the traditional paper questionnaire and explained how respondents could complete the questionnaire online. About 20% of dwellings received a questionnaire package by mail. For the remaining 20%, questionnaires were dropped off by enumerators. Information previously collected by the mandatory long-form census questionnaire was collected as part of the new voluntary National Household Survey (NHS). The 2011 Census of Population questionnaire (short form) consisted of the same content as the 2006 census short-form questionnaire, with the addition of two questions on language.
• 2016 – In November 2015, the government reinstated the long-form census questionnaire, replacing the NHS. Most households (75%) received the short-form census questionnaire, while one in four households (25%) received the long-form questionnaire. The overall response at the end of collection for the 2016 census was 98.4%, including 68.4% of responses received online, placing Canada at the forefront internationally for internet collection on a census. [23]
Statistics Canada conducts a country-wide census that collects demographic data every five years on the first and sixth year of each decade. The 2021 Canadian census enumerated a total population of 36,991,981, an increase of around 5.2 percent over the 2016 figure, Between 1990 and 2008, the population increased by 5.6 million, equivalent to 20.4 percent overall growth. The main driver of population growth is immigration. Between 2011 and May 2016, Canada's population grew by 1.7 million people, with immigrants accounting for two-thirds of the increase.
According to the 2021 Canadian census, over 450 "ethnic or cultural origins" were self-reported by Canadians. The major panethnic origin groups in Canada are: European (52.5%), North American (22.9%), Asian (19.3%), North American Indigenous (6.1%), African (3.8%), Latin, Central and South American (2.5%), Caribbean (2.1%), Oceanian (0.3%), and Other (6%). Statistics Canada reports that 35.5% of the population reported multiple ethnic origins, thus the overall total is greater than 100%.
Swedish Canadians are Canadian citizens of Swedish ancestry or Swedes who emigrated to and reside in Canada. The Swedish Canadian community in Canada numbered 349,640 in the 2016 population census. The vast majority of them reside west of Lake Superior, primarily in Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Toronto is the most popular settlement spot for newcomers. Despite having an influential presence and distinctive cultural bond, only 14,000 Canadian persons of Swedish descent speak Swedish.
Danish Canadians are Canadian citizens of Danish ancestry. According to the 2006 Census, there were 200,035 Canadians with Danish background, 17,650 of whom were born in Denmark.
The demographics of Metro Vancouver indicate a multicultural and multiracial region. Metro Vancouver is a metropolitan area, with its major urban centre being Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Vancouver census metropolitan area, as defined by Statistics Canada, encompasses roughly the same territory as the Metro Vancouver Regional District, a regional district in British Columbia. The regional district includes 23 local authorities. Figures provided here are for the Vancouver census metropolitan area and not for the City of Vancouver.
British Columbia is a Canadian province with a population of about 5.5 million people. The province represents about 13.2% of the population of the Canadian population. Most of the population is between the ages of 15 and 49. About 60 percent of British Columbians have European descent with significant Asian and Aboriginal minorities and just under 30% of British Columbians are immigrants. Over half of the population is irreligious, with Christianity and Sikhism being the most followed religions.
Ontario, one of the 13 provinces and territories of Canada, is located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province by a large margin, accounting for nearly 40 percent of all Canadians, and is the second-largest province in total area. Ontario is fourth-largest in total area when the territories of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are included. It is home to the nation's capital city, Ottawa, and the nation's most populous city, Toronto.
Alberta has experienced a relatively high rate of growth in recent years, due in large part to its economy. Between 2003 and 2004, the province saw high birthrates, relatively high immigration, and a high rate of interprovincial migration when compared to other provinces. Approximately 81% of the population live in urban areas and only about 19% live in rural areas. The Calgary–Edmonton Corridor is the most urbanized area in Alberta and is one of Canada's four most urban regions. Many of Alberta's cities and towns have also experienced high rates of growth in recent history. From a population of 73,022 in 1901, Alberta has grown to 4,262,635 in 2021 and in the process has gone from less than 1.5% of Canada's population to 11.5%. It is the fourth most populated province in Canada. Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, the Alberta population grew by 4.8%.
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province. According to the 2011 National Household Survey, the largest ethnic group consists of people of Scottish descent (39.2%), followed by English (31.1%), Irish (30.4%), French (21.1%), German (5.2%), and Dutch (3.1%) descent. Prince Edward Island is mostly a white community and there are few visible minorities. Chinese people are the largest visible minority group of Prince Edward Island, comprising 1.3% of the province's population. Almost half of respondents identified their ethnicity as "Canadian." Prince Edward Island is by a strong margin the most Celtic and specifically the most Scottish province in Canada and perhaps the most Scottish place (ethnically) in the world, outside Scotland. 38% of islanders claim Scottish ancestry, but this is an underestimate and it is thought that almost 50% of islanders have Scottish roots. When combined with Irish and Welsh, almost 80% of islanders are of some Celtic stock, albeit most families have resided in PEI for at least two centuries. Few places outside Europe can claim such a homogeneous Celtic ethnic background. The only other jurisdiction in North America with such a high percentage of British Isles heritage is Newfoundland.
Saskatchewan is the middle province of Canada's three Prairie provinces. It has an area of 651,900 km² (251,700 mi²) and a population of 1,132,505 (Saskatchewanians) as of 2021. Saskatchewan's population is made of 50.3% women and 49.7% men. Most of its population lives in the Southern half of the province.
Newfoundland and Labrador is a province of Canada on the country's Atlantic coast in northeastern North America. The province has an area of 405,212 square kilometres and a population in 2023 of 533,710, with approximately 95% of the provincial population residing on the Island of Newfoundland, with more than half of the population residing on the Avalon Peninsula. People from Newfoundland and Labrador are called "Newfoundlanders," "Labradorians", or "Newfoundlanders and Labradorians".
Nova Scotia is a Canadian province located on the country's southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada, and its capital, Halifax, is a major economic centre of the region. Geographically, Nova Scotia is the second smallest province in Canada, with an area of 52,824.71 km2 (20,395.73 sq mi). As of 2021, it has a population of 969,383 people.
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and the only officially bilingual province in the country. The provincial Department of Finance estimates that the province's population in 2006 was 729,997 of which the majority is English-speaking but with a substantial French-speaking minority of mostly Acadian origin.
The Northwest Territories is a territory of Canada. It has an area of 1,171,918 square kilometres and a population of 41,786 as of the 2016 Canadian census.
Yukon is the westernmost of Canada's three northern territories. Its capital is Whitehorse. People from Yukon are known as Yukoners. Unlike in other Canadian provinces and territories, Statistics Canada uses the entire territory as a single at-large census division.
British Canadians primarily refers to Canadians who were either born in or can trace their ancestry to the British Isles, which includes the nations of England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Nordic and Scandinavian Canadians are Canadian citizens with ancestral roots in the Nordic countries and/or Scandinavia
The demographics of Winnipeg reveal the city to be a typically Canadian one: multicultural and multilingual. Winnipeg is also prominent in the size and ratio of its First Nations population, which plays an important part in the city's makeup. About 12.4% of Winnipeggers are of Indigenous descent, which vastly exceeds the national average of 5.0%.
Austrian Canadians are Canadian citizens who are of Austrian ancestry or Austrian-born people who reside in Canada. According to the 2021 Census, there were 189,535 Canadians who claimed either full or partial Austrian ancestry.
Placentia West-Bellevue is a provincial electoral district in Newfoundland and Labrador, which is represented by one member in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly. It was contested for the first time in the 2015 provincial election.
