Census Methodology
Where our numbers come from, how we process them, and how we attribute Statistics Canada data.
Primary source
Canadian Data Insights is built from the official Statistics Canada Census of Population, 2021. We do not invent estimates or mix in third-party extrapolations for the demographic figures shown on location profiles.
Profiles cover provinces, territories, and municipalities with a population of at least 5,000, drawn from census geography identifiers and published characteristic tables.
What we process
Raw census extracts are cleaned and reshaped into location-level profiles. For each place we surface categories such as population and growth, households, income, languages, education, labour and industry, dwelling types, and related rankings within the same geography level.
Charts, comparisons, and rankings on this site are derived from those processed tables. Presentation choices (layout, labels, rankings) are ours; the underlying counts and rates remain Statistics Canada's published census data.
Open Government Licence - Canada
Statistics Canada data is used under the Open Government Licence - Canada. That licence lets anyone copy, modify, publish, translate, adapt, and distribute the information, provided Statistics Canada is acknowledged as the source and the licence terms are followed.
Suggested attribution for reuse of figures shown here:
Adapted from Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
Accuracy and limitations
Census values can be affected by suppression, rounding, and geography definitions. We aim for faithful parsing and clear visualization, but we do not warrant absolute completeness for every derived chart or ranking.
For official definitions, methodology notes, and downloads, visit Statistics Canada.
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