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Step 1: Visit the electronic questionnaire portal and select Start my survey.
Step 2: Enter your secure access code (you will find this code in the invitation letter or email you previously received from Statistics Canada).
Step 3: Complete the survey.
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(TTY: 1-800-363-7629)
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Statistics Canada is conducting a test to evaluate new and modified questions on the census questionnaire, in preparation for the 2026 Census of Population.
The census paints a portrait of Canada's population and the places we live. It provides high-quality information for communities across the country and is used to plan programs and services that support employment, schools, public transportation, hospitals, and more.
Participation in the 2024 Census Test is required by law for each selected household, facility or establishment.
Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.
Collection period:
September 3, 2024 to October 13, 2024.
Collection methods:
Electronic Questionnaire and telephone interview.
Survey participation:
Mandatory
Confidentiality
Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19. Your information will be kept strictly confidential.
By law, Statistics Canada is prohibited from releasing any information it collects that could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent, or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada will use the information from this survey test for research purposes only.
Data sharing agreements and record linkage
Record linkage
To enhance the data from this survey and to reduce the response burden, Statistics Canada will combine the information you provide with data from immigration, income tax and benefits data. Statistics Canada may also combine the information you provide with data from other surveys or administrative sources.
Topics covered in the survey
The survey asks questions about
- Commuting to work
- Education, training and learning
- Families, households and housing
- Health
- Immigration and ethnocultural diversity (formerly Ethnic diversity and immigration)
- Income, pensions, spending and wealth
- Indigenous peoples (formerly Aboriginal peoples)
- Industries
- Labour
- Languages
- Occupations
- Population and demography
- Population estimates and projections
- Society and community
Published data
The information collected as part of the 2024 Census Test is only used to prepare for the 2026 Census. Data, results, and analyses will not be released or published.
Survey-specific questions
- What is a census test?
- Is the 2024 Census Test mandatory and why?
- How many households are selected?
- Who should complete the census test questionnaire?
- What kinds of questions are asked on the 2024 Census Test questionnaire?
- How will new or modified questions asked in the 2024 Census Test benefit Canadians?
- Why does Statistics Canada use administrative data as part of the 2024 Census Test?
- What administrative data sources will be used for the 2024 Census Test?
- How are the administrative data used?
- Do the departments and agencies that provide the administrative data have access to individual census test data?
- How will you safeguard the confidentiality of my information?
- When will the results of the 2024 Census Test be available?
1. What is a census test?
Statistics Canada conducts a census test to evaluate new and modified questions in the questionnaires and collection procedures and tools in preparation for the 2026 Census of Population.
Testing ensures that high-quality data are available in 2026 to support a wide variety of programs. From questionnaire design to data collection, we are conducting most of the activities that will be done for the 2026 Census.
2. Is the 2024 Census Test mandatory and why?
Participation in the 2024 Census Test is mandatory.
Since accuracy depends on complete information, each household selected to participate in this test must, by law, provide the information.
Answers are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act and are kept strictly confidential.
3. How many households are selected?
A sample of approximately 24,000 dwellings has been selected to participate in this census test.
4. Who should complete the census test questionnaire?
If your household has been selected, the questionnaire can be completed by any knowledgeable person, aged 15 or older, who lives at the selected address.
5. What kinds of questions are asked on the 2024 Census Test questionnaire?
The census test questionnaires have questions on demographics such as age, sex at birth and gender, sexual orientation, household composition, languages, military experience, and language of instruction.
They also include questions on topics including, but not limited to, activities of daily living, immigration, ethnic or cultural origins, racialized groups, Indigenous peoples, mobility, education, labour, commuting, expenditures, and housing.
Please note that multiple versions of the 2024 Census Test questionnaire are being tested, and not all dwellings will be asked all the questions.
6. How will new or modified questions asked in the 2024 Census Test benefit Canadians?
The 2024 Census Test questionnaire includes new and modified content to address emerging trends and issues.
The test helps us determine whether the new proposed questions and the modified questions are clear and provide more value. We do this because the data that will be collected through the 2026 Census will help decision-makers across the country to plan for services and programs that matter most to you, in areas such as
- employment
- education
- public transportation
- health care.
7. Why does Statistics Canada use administrative data as part of the 2024 Census Test?
Statistics Canada has a long tradition of using data from administrative sources to fulfill its mission and to meet its mandate.
Using administrative data reduces response burden on households and saves time and money in data collection. It also helps to improve data quality and ensures that the census remains accurate, relevant and efficient.
In some cases, using administrative sources may be the only feasible way to collect important statistical information that helps Canadians make timely, evidence-based decisions.
8. What administrative data sources will be used for the 2024 Census Test?
Statistics Canada uses information from Canada Revenue Agency tax and benefits files to collect data on employment income, income from government transfers, and the amount of income tax paid.
Information on immigrant admission category (e.g., economic immigrant, refugee, immigrant sponsored by family) and applicant type is drawn from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada records. Statistics Canada also uses administrative data to replace census test questions on immigrant status and year of immigration.
9. How are the administrative data used?
Administrative data are used to supplement or replace information collected by the census test, as an alternative to asking additional questions. Some administrative data sources are also used to validate data collected by the census test or to complete analytical projects.
10. Do the departments and agencies that provide the administrative data have access to individual census test data?
No one outside Statistics Canada has access to any individual's information obtained through the census test. The work associated with linking census test data to administrative data is conducted entirely within Statistics Canada, which retains control of all information collected. No information that could be used to identify respondents will ever be provided to other departments or agencies.
Under the Statistics Act, all personal information collected from respondents or drawn from administrative files must be kept confidential. Strict security measures safeguard the collection, processing, and storage of all data.
11. How will you safeguard the confidentiality of my information?
As with all Statistics Canada surveys, any information provided will remain confidential pursuant to the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada takes the privacy of Canadians very seriously. Published data can never identify you or your household.
To find out more about the measures in place to safeguard the confidentiality of your information, visit Statistics Canada's Trust Centre.
12. When will the results of the 2024 Census Test be available?
Census test data are not collected for publication; they are collected to prepare for the 2026 Census. As such, they are not released in any form, including as historical records 92 years after the census test.