General Social Survey – Well-being and Unpaid Care

Start your survey

Have you been invited to participate in this survey via email or mail? To log in to the survey, complete the following steps.

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.

Are you missing your secure access code, or do you need help?

Phone:

1-877-949-9492
(TTY: 1-800-363-7629)
Monday to Friday (except holidays) from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern time

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.

Email:

infostats@statcan.gc.ca

The 2026 General Social Survey on Well-being and Unpaid Care collects data on key aspects of well-being, as well as social trends and current issues affecting Canadians. In addition to gathering information on the quality of life and social conditions of Canadians, this survey will also focus on the experiences of those who provide unpaid care to family and friends, including children and persons with long-term health conditions, disabilities, or problems related to aging.

Results from the survey will be used by researchers, all levels of government and organizations to help inform program development and services to better support the needs of Canadians, including those who provide unpaid care.

Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.

Collection period:

From April 1 to December 31, 2026

Collection methods:

Electronic questionnaire and telephone interview

Survey participation:

Voluntary

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 for statistical 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 information from administrative data sources such as personal and household tax data and immigration records. Statistics Canada may also combine the information you provide with other survey or administrative data sources.

Topics covered in the survey

Topics covered in the survey:

  • Care and social support
  • Children and youth
  • Crime and justice
  • Culture and leisure
  • Disability
  • Families, households and housing
  • Health
  • Immigration and ethnocultural diversity
  • Labour
  • Languages
  • Mental health and well-being
  • Older adults and population aging (formerly Seniors)
  • Society and community

Published data

Statistics Canada publishes the results of its surveys in many formats. To find all the documents related to this survey, follow the links below and type the name of the survey in the search engine located at the left of your screen to filter the results.

Data: You will find tables, profiles of a community or region, thematic maps, public use microdata files, and data visualization tools.

Analysis: You will have direct access to Stats in brief (e.g., releases from The Daily, fact sheets), articles and reports, and journals and periodicals.

Survey-specific questions

What is the General Social Survey?

The General Social Survey (GSS) is an annual survey that provides policy makers and analysts with statistical information on the quality of life and social conditions of people living in Canada. The 2026 General Social Survey on Well-being and Unpaid Care collects data on key aspects of well-being, social trends and current issues affecting Canadians, including those who provide unpaid care to family and friends, including children and persons with long-term health conditions, disabilities, or problems related to aging.

I just did a similar survey. Why are you contacting me again?

There are a number of surveys being conducted by marketing companies or provincial bureaus or agencies, as well as by Statistics Canada. At Statistics Canada, every effort is made to reduce the number of surveys that each person will be asked to answer, but it is possible that you were selected for more than one. Each survey relates to different aspects of Canadian life.

Am I obligated to take part in the survey?

While your participation is voluntary, you have been selected to represent other individuals with similar characteristics. Your participation is very important to ensure the results of the survey accurately represent the Canadian population as a whole.

Why should I complete this survey?

Through your participation, Statistics Canada can deliver a more accurate picture of the social conditions and well-being of all Canadians. Your information will influence the funding of programs and policies related to a number of issues such as care for aging family members or children, and support for caregivers.

How many people will be contacted to participate in the survey?

Approximately 69,000 people, 15 years of age and older, living in the 10 provinces will be invited to complete the questionnaire.

How is this survey funded?

The General Social Survey (GSS) is funded by Statistics Canada.

What do I do if I need to stop in the middle of the survey? Will my responses be saved? Can I complete the survey at a later time?

Yes, your responses will be saved. If you are completing the survey online, you can save your answers with a password and resume later. If you are completing the survey by telephone, you can make an appointment with the interviewer and resume later.

How do you protect my information?

Statistics Canada takes your confidentiality very seriously. Under the Statistics Act, all information provided to Statistics Canada will be kept confidential and used only for statistical purposes. We do not release any information that could identify individuals, businesses, or households.

All employees of Statistics Canada are under oath and are liable to prosecution and/or severe penalties if they do not safeguard that confidentiality.

Stringent precautions are taken during the collection and processing of survey information to ensure that no unauthorized person will be allowed access to the data and that no identifiable information is released.

Why should I answer questions that I feel are too personal or an invasion of my privacy?

We realize that some questions are personal, but keep in mind that we get many answers from many people. These answers are grouped together and used to produce overall statistics. It will not be possible to identify any of your responses from materials released to the public.

Why do you ask for a postal code?

Your postal code tells us in which part of a city or rural area you live. Statistics Canada uses this information to calculate the number of people with specific characteristics that you represent in your area. Your postal code will not be shared with any other organization.

Will you use my name? Or will my name be put on a mailing list?

No. All personal information such as names and addresses will be separated from survey answers. Names and addresses are only used by Statistics Canada to contact people for the survey. No information will be published that could allow an individual to be identified. Statistics Canada will keep personal identifiers for internal linkage purposes, and they will be removed once data linkage is done.

Why do you ask if I am an Indigenous person?

Published survey results are used by Indigenous communities, businesses and organizations to explore a wide variety of demographic and socio-economic issues. It also contributes to a complete picture of the situation of Indigenous peoples in Canada.

When will the results from the survey be available?

Results will be available in spring 2027.

    Resources for respondents

    Some of the content of this survey may bring up upsetting memories of stressful events, which could cause distress. Should you need any support, the following resources may be helpful.

    For more information about this survey

    Date modified: