The 2026 Census is now underway only in select northern and remote communities. If you have received an invitation letter, please visit the census website to complete your census questionnaire. When you are completing your questionnaire, please use today as your reference, not May 12, 2026.
Information requested on this form will be used only for the purpose of replying to you. Personal information collected on this form is protected under the Privacy Act.
Please read our Privacy notice for more information.
Official 2026 Census website:Welcome to the 2026 Census
The 2026 Census is now underway only in select northern and remote communities. If you have received an invitation letter, please complete your census by visiting Census collection in select northern and remote communities.
Standards, data sources and methods: Surveys and statistical programs - Census of Population
Data from previous censuses:Census of Population
Statistics Act
For additional information, please refer to the Frequently asked questions—2026 Census or the census chatbot. You can learn about the chatbot terms of use on our website.
If the person passed away before May 12, 2026, they should be excluded from the questionnaire for the household. If they lived alone, a partially completed questionnaire must be submitted to notify Statistics Canada that the dwelling is unoccupied and to prevent follow-up activities.
Visit the census website, enter the 16-digit secure access code provided in the invitation letter you received and follow the instructions. You can enter "0" as the number of persons living at the address and, when prompted, choose "This dwelling is unoccupied (for rent, for sale, sold, rented, etc.) and no one lives in it."
If the person passed away on or after May 12, 2026, the questionnaire for the household should be completed as usual, including the deceased. If they lived alone, please complete the questionnaire to the best of your ability.
When you are completing the questionnaire, please use today as your reference, not May 12, 2026.
If you require additional assistance regarding the inclusion of a deceased person in the census questionnaire, please provide the required information in the "Comments" box.
Every census employee will have an identification card that features the Statistics Canada identifier, along with their name, employment number and photo.
If a follow-up phone call to a household is needed, the census employee will identify themselves clearly.
If you are contacted by phone, "GOCGDC" should be displayed on your caller ID. The acronym stands for "Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada."
If you would like to verify a census employee's identity, you can call the Census Help Line at 1-833-314-3652.
If you need further assistance, please leave us a message in the "Comments" box provided below, including all relevant information.
The 2026 Census is now underway only in select northern and remote communities. If you have received an invitation letter, please visit the census website to complete your census.
If you received an invitation letter and have questions, please call the Census Help Line at 1-833-314-3652 for assistance. Respondents with access to TTY (for persons who have a hearing or speech impairment) should call 1-833-830-3109. Video relay services (VRS) can also be used.
Those living outside the select communities will receive a census invitation letter in May.
The 2026 Census is now underway only in select northern and remote communities. If you have received an invitation letter, please visit the census website to complete your census. Enter the 16-digit secure access code printed on the letter you received and follow the instructions.
If you received an invitation letter and lost your secure access code or have questions, please call the Census Help Line at 1-833-314-3652 for assistance. Respondents with access to TTY (for persons who have a hearing or speech impairment) should call 1-833-830-3109. Video relay services (VRS) can also be used.
If your secure access code isn’t working, your browser may not be configured to accept session cookies. If your computer does not meet the minimum requirements to access the online questionnaire, a page with instructions will be displayed.
Other possible reasons the system did not accept your secure access code include the following:
For more information, please visit our page Frequently asked questions—Need help with your questionnaire?.
Although the 2026 Census questionnaire is not available in other languages, the census questions and reasons why we ask the questions are available in 28 other languages for reference purposes.
Respondents can obtain the census questions in any of these languages by visiting Census information in many languages. The census questionnaire must be completed in either English or French, online or on paper.
People who do not understand English or French can call the Census Help Line at 1-833-314-3652.
Census employees who speak languages other than English and French are available to help. It is not guaranteed that staff will be able to respond immediately in the requested language, but every effort will be made to provide timely assistance.
Family and community members who speak the respondent's requested language—in addition to English or French—are encouraged to help the respondent complete their questionnaire.
If a respondent does not return a questionnaire, a census employee will follow up and help them complete their questionnaire.
During the follow-up, if a language barrier is noticed and another household member is unable to help, a census employee who speaks the respondent's language will contact the household. Census employees carry a language card to help them assist respondents who do not speak English or French.
For more information, please visit Frequently asked questions—Accessibility, alternate formats, and non-official languages.
Although the questionnaire is not available in alternate formats, a presentation of the census questions and reasons why we ask the questions is available on Alternate formats of the census questions for reference purposes. The presentation is available in both American Sign Language and Quebec Sign Language, as well as in digital braille and audio formats.
People who are deaf or hard of hearing or have a speech impairment and need help completing their questionnaire should call the Census Help Line TTY number (1-833-830-3109) to request assistance. Video relay services (VRS) can also be used.
To request braille, audio, video and sign language interpretation material, please provide the required information in the 'Comments' box.
For more information, please visit our Frequently asked questions—Accessibility, alternate formats and non-official languages.
In northern and remote communities, during the delivery of invitation letters, census employees will complete a paper questionnaire with respondents if they cannot complete the questionnaire online.
Respondents without reliable Internet access can also call the Census Help Line at 1-833-314-3652 to complete their census questionnaire over the phone. Respondents with access to a teletypewriter (TTY) (for persons who have a hearing or speech impairment) should call 1-833-830-3109. Video relay services (VRS) can also be used.
If you have your secure access code, you can complete your census questionnaire online on the census website.
If someone else is currently at your home, that person can complete the questionnaire for your household and include you.
If you live alone or do not have a secure access code and are travelling within Canada or the United States, you can contact us at 1-833-314-3652 to complete your questionnaire over the phone with one of our agents. Respondents with access to TTY (for persons who have a hearing or speech impairment) should call 1-833-830-3109. Video relay services (VRS) can also be used.
If you are travelling overseas, you may be able to complete your census questionnaire when you get home.
If you require a secure access code, please provide the required information in the "Comments" box.
If you moved on or before Census Day, complete your census questionnaire at your current address.
If you moved after Census Day, you should complete your census questionnaire for the address where you were staying on the night of May 11 to May 12, 2026.
Visit the census website, enter the 16-digit secure access code provided in the invitation letter you received and follow the instructions.
If you require additional help with your census participation, please provide the required information in the "Comments" box.
The questionnaire for your second residence must be partially completed and submitted.
To complete the questionnaire for your secondary residence, visit the census website and press the Start questionnaire button. Enter the 16-digit secure access code printed on the invitation letter for that residence. Answer the first few questions regarding contact information.
Enter "0" as the number of persons living at the address where the invitation letter was received, and, when prompted, choose the appropriate description of the address from one of the radio buttons, and enter your name and telephone number. You can then submit the questionnaire.
If you received an invitation letter at both your second residence and your main one, please complete a questionnaire for each location.
If you require additional assistance regarding your census participation, please provide the required information in the "Comments" box.
A questionnaire still needs to be submitted for nonexistent dwellings or addresses.
Please visit the census website and log in using the secure access code. Then begin the questionnaire and enter "0" as the number of persons living at the address. When prompted, choose a description of the address, and enter your name and telephone number. You can then submit the questionnaire.
This notifies Statistics Canada that follow-up activities are not required for the address.
If you cannot complete the questionnaire for this address and wish to notify us, please provide the required information in the "Comments" box.
A questionnaire still needs to be submitted for unoccupied dwellings or addresses.
Participation in the 2026 Census is mandatory.
By law, all Canadian households are required to complete a Census of Population questionnaire. Answers are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act and are kept strictly confidential.
Statistics Canada is bound by law to protect the confidentiality of the information respondents provide in the census. The agency places the highest priority on maintaining the confidentiality of Canadians' information. Only Statistics Canada employees who have taken the oath of secrecy have access to census questionnaires.
For additional information on this topic, you can consult the Statistics Act.
For additional information, please refer to the Frequently asked questions—General information or the census chatbot. You can learn about the chatbot terms of use on our website.
Data from previous censuses are available on this web page: Census of Population.
For any data enquiries, please communicate with the Statistics Canada "Contact Us" team. Agents are available Monday to Friday (except holidays) from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Eastern time.
Online form
Emailinfostats@statcan.gc.ca
Telephone Toll free: 1-800-263-1136 International: 1-514-283-8300 If you use an operator-assisted relay service, you can call us during regular business hours. You do not need to authorize the operator to contact us.
Fax1-514-496-4879
TTY1-800-363-7629
Mail Statistics Canada 150 Tunney’s Pasture Driveway Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0T6
