The Canadian Social Survey (CSS) is a quarterly survey conducted by Statistics Canada. The goal is to understand social issues more rapidly by conducting surveys on different topics every three months. In doing so, we can release data at a more detailed level by pooling the quarterly data over the course of a year.
The Canadian Social Survey (CSS) collects information on a variety of social topics such as health, well-being, quality of life, confidence in institutions, activities, time-use, and emergency preparedness. The CSS provides data at the national level (excluding the territories). To date, this ongoing series has consisted of the following surveys:
- COVID-19 and Well-being (from April 23 to June 9, 2021)
- Well-being, Activities and Perception of Time (from August 6 to September 18, 2021)
- Well-being, Unpaid Work and Family Time (from October 26 to December 7, 2021)
- Well-being, and Family Relationships (from January 28 to March 13, 2022)
- Well-being, Shared Values and Trust (from April 22 to June 5, 2022)
- Well-being and Caregiving (from July 15 to August 28, 2022)
- Quality of Life and Cost of Living (from October 21 to December 4, 2022)
- Quality of Life and Energy Use (from April 21 to June 4, 2023)
- Quality of Life, Virtual Health Care and Trust (from July 14 to August 27, 2023)
- Quality of Life, Renter Experiences and Trust (from October 20 to December 3, 2023)
- Quality of Life, Health and Compassionate Communities (from January 26 to March 10, 2024)
- Quality of Life, Health and Impacts of Rising Prices (from April 19 to June 2, 2024)
- Quality of Life, Health, and Housing Costs (from August 2 to September 15, 2024)
- Quality of Life, Housing and Trust (from October 18 to December 2, 2024)
- Quality of Life and Energy Consumption Behaviours
- Quality of Life, Climate Change and Trust
The information you provide may be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes. In addition, information from partially completed or unsaved questionnaires may be retained and used.
Collection period:
April 23, 2021 - present
Collection methods:
An electronic questionnaire with telephone interview follow-up for non-response for each survey
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.
Data sharing agreements and record linkage
Data sharing agreements
No data sharing agreements.
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 the Statistical Building Register, Census, health data, personal tax data and the Longitudinal Immigration Database.
Statistics Canada may also combine the information you provide with other survey or administrative data sources.
Topics covered in the survey
The surveys in this series ask questions on topics such as:
- impacts of COVID-19
- health
- well-being
- delivery of virtual health care
- time-use and leisure activities
- paid and unpaid work and caregiving
- intentions to have children
- trust in people and media
- confidence in Canadian institutions
- shared values
- impacts of rising prices
- housing costs and affordability
- evictions
- emergency preparedness
- energy behaviours and use
- electric vehicles
- climate change.
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.
To see results from the Canadian Social Survey (CSS), please check out the following:
- Canadian Social Survey: COVID-19 and well-being
- Canadian Social Survey: Loneliness in Canada
- Canadian Social Survey: Well-being, Unpaid Work and Family Time
- Hopefulness is declining in Canada
- Almost half of Canadians report a strong sense of belonging to their local community
- More than half of women provide care to children and care-dependent adults in Canada
- One in four Canadians are unable to cover an unexpected expense of $500
- Canadian Social Survey: Quality of Life and Energy Use, second quarter 2023
- Canadian Social Survey: Energy use
- Canadian Social Survey – Quality of Life, Virtual Health Care and Trust, 2023
- Confidence in institutions and the media, 2023
- Half of racialized people have experienced discrimination or unfair treatment in the past five years
- Nearly half of Canadians report that rising prices are greatly impacting their ability to meet day-to-day expenses
- Housing challenges related to affordability, adequacy, condition and discrimination, August 2 to September 15, 2024
- Being satisfied with family relationships is related to positive well-being, 2024
Survey-specific questions
- What is the Canadian Social Survey?
- How was I selected to participate?
- Why are you collecting this information and what will it be used for?
- How long does it take to participate in a Canadian Social Survey?
- What are the benefits of participating in a Canadian Social Survey?
- I do not want to participate because I don't have time. Is my participation mandatory?
- How will you safeguard the confidentiality of my information?
What is the Canadian Social Survey?
The Canadian Social Survey is a Statistics Canada initiative that involves conducting surveys on different topics every three months. By pooling the quarterly data over the course of a year, we can release data at a more detailed level.
This is an experimental project and part of a larger effort to modernize our data collection methods and activities. The goal is to collect important data on Canadian society more efficiently, more rapidly, and at a lower cost compared to traditional survey methods. Thank you for your participation.
How was I selected to participate?
Households across Canada were selected randomly. The invitation letter includes instructions on how to identify the person within the household who has been selected to participate.
Why are you collecting this information and what will it be used for?
The purpose of the Canadian Social Survey is to rapidly gain a better understanding of a variety of social topics and provide data to Canadians, at the national level (excluding the territories). The data will be used by government departments and organizations to inform a variety of sources such as research, analyses, and policy making related to the topics covered in the Canadian Social Survey.
How long does it take to participate in a Canadian Social Survey?
The survey takes a maximum of twenty minutes to complete. It can be completed online, which means you can participate at any time that is convenient for you throughout the collection period.
What are the benefits of participating in a Canadian Social Survey?
Participating in this survey helps us to implement a new method of data collection that will provide information on Canadian society more quickly and cost-effectively.
I do not want to participate because I don't have time. Is my participation mandatory?
While we would greatly appreciate your support, participation is not mandatory. Please note, however, that each survey only takes a maximum of twenty minutes of your time, and you can do it online whenever it is convenient for you.
How will you safeguard the confidentiality of my information?
As with all Statistics Canada surveys, any information you provide 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.