Articles and newsletter content about census data

Take a closer look at your community using the results of the 2021 Census

The Census of Population provides high-quality information on key socioeconomic trends and analyses that help Canadians plan services and make informed decisions that affect our families, our neighbourhoods and our businesses. Thanks to the steadfast support of all Canadians, Statistics Canada is proud to reveal our many rich stories and present "Your census, your stories: Canada's portrait."

Data from the 2021 Census of Population are now available!

The latest release focuses on the age, sex at birth and gender distribution of the Canadian population and on the types of dwellings at the national, provincial, territorial and subprovincial levels. The 2021 Census is the first census to provide data on transgender and non-binary people.

The new data will fill important information gaps on cisgender, transgender and non-binary persons that are vital to understanding Canada's shifting demographic profile. These data will provide a detailed portrait of the lives of Canadians and their communities.
You can benefit immensely from community-level census data when making important life decisions.

• Demographics: Population counts can help you understand the people that make up your community.
• Services: Population data, the number of dwellings and their occupancy status can help communities plan services and programs for residents.

To take a closer look at your community, visit the Census of Population website for data from the 2021 Census.

How you and your community benefit from census data

For over 150 years, Canadians have relied on census data to see how the country is changing and focus on the issues that matter to them.

The most recent census completed in 2021 will provide a treasure trove of data about the Canadian population, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how our country has evolved in the past five years. These data can be used by businesses, non-profit organizations, governments and individuals to understand their communities and make informed decisions.

Are you wondering how you and your community can benefit from census data? Here are some traditional and innovative ways:

• Business planning—census data may serve as the foundation for creating a viable business plan, analysing target markets, and pivoting businesses during the pandemic. It can be used to conduct an environmental analysis and help understand the local market.
• Choosing the community to live in—home listing services rely on census data to provide perspective home buyers with important demographic information about their communities and help them make the right choice that will accommodate their specific lifestyle.
• Academic research—thousands of academics, educators and students rely on census data to conduct research, data analysis and develop recommendations.
• Government program and service planning—thanks to census data, municipal, provincial and federal governments are able to offer support services and programs that are tailored to their residents, such as child care, schools, family services, housing, skills training for employment centres and retirement residences.
• Infrastructure—with census data, community organizations and local authorities can propose evidence-based planning and infrastructure projects that meet your neighbourhood's needs.
• Public transportation—the census collects information about commute times and public transit use, which can be used to create new bus/train/subway routes and active transportation trails, bike or pedestrian lanes, as well as recreational paths near you.

On February 9, 2022, Statistics Canada started releasing census data. Releases throughout 2022 focus on Canada's shifting demographic profile; families and households; military experience; income; linguistic diversity; First Nations people, Métis and Inuit; housing; citizenship and immigration; the ethnocultural and religious composition of the population; education; and the labour force.

Statistics Canada strives to make census data and analyses user-friendly and accessible to all Canadians. For more information about data release topics and timelines, please visit the 2021 Census dissemination planning web page. Looking for a new way to access census data? Try our newest mobile app! StatsCAN is now available for download in the Apple and Google app stores.

Find more information on census data on the Census of Population web page of the Statistics Canada website.

Data from the 2021 Census are here! Find out how Canada's population has changed since 2016

2021 Census of Population data are now available! Thanks to the steadfast support of all Canadians, Statistics Canada is proud to reveal our many rich stories and present "Your census, your stories: Canada's portrait." The Census of Population provides high-quality information on key socioeconomic trends and analysis that help Canadians plan services and make informed decisions that affect our families, neighbourhoods and businesses. To take a closer look at your community, visit the Statistics Canada website for data from the 2021 Census.

Over the coming months, Statistics Canada will continue to release results from the 2021 Census of Population and provide an even more comprehensive picture of the Canadian population. For more information about data release topics and timelines, visit the 2021 Census dissemination planning web page.

Statistics Canada created a Census Community Supporter Toolkit that brings together web images, email templates, social media content, articles and newsletter content in one convenient location to help you share information about the upcoming data releases with your networks. Learn more about the census on the Census of Population page of the Statistics Canada website.