Census information is used to make decisions for your community, your province or territory, and the country as a whole. A census aims to count the entire population of a country, and the location where each person usually lives.
The census asks questions of people in homes and group living situations, including how many people live or stay in each home, and the sex, age and race of each person. The goal is to count everyone once, only once, and in the right place.
It's time to complete your Census questionnaire
Do you still have questions about the Census. Click here to get all your answers.
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Statistics Canada is hiring in your community!
- Schools, housing and health and emergency services are all planned using census data.
- They are hiring approximately 32,000 census employees to count every person in Canada.
- In the current contest of COVID-19, they are committed to ensuring the safety of their employees at all times.
- Help your community to plan for the future - apply now!
The Census Program has adapted to the COVID-19 situation to ensure that the 2021 Census of Population is conducted throughout the country in the best possible way, using a safe and secure approach.
Whenever follow-up activities are required, Statistics Canada will be using practices aligned with the strictest health and safety directives from public health authorities. No enumeration activities will take place inside the dwellings of respondents, and all interviews will be physically distanced. In addition, personal safety equipment will be provided to field employees to ensure the health and safety of employees and the public.
Statistics Canada is proud of its ability to rethink and rework all of the key aspects of this country's largest peacetime activity—while ensuring at all times the safety of Canadians, including our employees.
The online 2021 Census
Starting on May 3, 2021, you can complete your census questionnaire online. It is an easy, secure and convenient option that can be used anywhere, anytime. No pre-registration or lengthy download processes are required.
In the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic, responding online is the best way to stay home and stay safe while fulfilling your census obligation and contributing the information needed to ensure health, employment and other services are provided efficiently in your area.
Participating in the census is part of our heritage and civic duty, but many of us do it without knowing why certain information is collected or how it is used. To help you get a better understanding, check out these answers to common questions.
- Will my
personal information be secure?
Statistics Canada has stringent measures in place to ensure the confidentiality of respondents. When questionnaires are completed online, the information is protected through a secure login process and strong bidirectional encryption between the participant's browser and official servers. - Are the questions available
in languages other than English and French?
The 2021 Census questions will be available in 24 languages, in addition to English and French. When the census collection starts, you will be able to get a copy of the census questions in any of these languages on the census website. - Why are some, and not all,
areas visited by an enumerator?
About 1% of dwellings are visited by a census enumerator. Most of these households are located in remote and Northern communities, where it is difficult for census employees to make repeat visits to conduct follow-up activities to obtain completed questionnaires. - Why does Statistics Canada
require names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses?
This information helps ensure that every person in each household is counted and is counted only once. Phone numbers and emails allow an enumerator to follow up if a questionnaire hasn't been answered completely. - How do I know if a caller or
in-person visit is really from the census and not a scam?
All enumerators who call respondents will clearly identify themselves and explain the purpose of their call. Enumerators at the door will always present their official identification. You can always verify their identity by contacting the Census Help Line.
Find more information on the Frequently asked questions page of the census website.
The census is an important part of Canadian identity,
dating back to 1666, when Jean Talon, the first Intendant of New France,
conducted the first Canadian Census. The census has become our country’s
primary source of sociodemographic data and the information collected is used
to support programs and communities across the country.
The census is an important part of our heritage that allows us to better understand our country, provinces, towns and neighbourhoods. It also helps governments make more informed decisions and policies. But how does it benefit you and your community specifically? And how does your contribution make a difference? In addition to doing your civic duty, there are many other advantages of participating in the census.
- Infrastructure. Communities are constantly evolving, with residents aging, starting families and new members moving in, and there is no better way to track and document these demographic characteristics than through the census. Once data is gathered, community organizations and local authorities can make stronger arguments for planning and infrastructure that meet your neighbourhood’s needs.
- Growing. Plan new roads, transit, water infrastructure and emergency services
- Young. Predict where new schools or daycare spaces are needed
- Aging. Estimate the need for health services and programs for seniors
The next census is coming up in May 2021. Help Town of Battleford community get the most out of it by participating—you can do it online or on paper. Find more information on the census website.
If your child is attending postsecondary schooling, you know that every bit of support makes a difference. Whether that's help to choose the right career path or financial assistance in the form of grants or student loans, it all contributes to a more rewarding education.
Information collected in the national census helps support these kinds of initiatives to find out exactly what students need and what would be most beneficial. Here are just some of the ways Statistics Canada data are used:
- Determining eligibility. Student loan funding is often a combination of federal and provincial money, and household income information helps determine who qualifies. Generally, a student with a household income under $140,000 qualifies for support.
- Bolstering funding. Governments use occupation data to see which professions are most in need and therefore qualify for more financial assistance in order to encourage enrollment. For example, occupations related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and computer science are in great demand and there aren't enough skilled workers in the field, so more funding will be allocated to those programs.
- Obtaining direct feedback. Beyond the census, Statistics Canada also conducts a survey of students to inform policy and enable planning of postsecondary education. This online survey is an opportunity for students to have their say on what matters most to them.
Find more information on census data on the Census Program page of the Statistics Canada website.
Photo courtesy of Census.gc.ca
