Last updated 2022.08.29
In Canada, Statistics Canada conducts a national census of population and the census of agriculture every five years, with the most recent census being conducted in 2021.. The census of population provides population and dwelling counts for communities across Canada. It is also the main source of socio-demographic data in Canada, and the data are used to develop policy, programs, and services.
This webpage lists sources related the Census of Population in Canada only; those wishing to find Census of Agriculture data should consult the Agriculture and Food page; those wishing to find census data for other countries should consult the Population and demographics page, or the United Nations list of links to national statistical offices of member countries.
The Canadian Census Analyser provides access to Canadian census profile data at various levels of geography, as well as individual microdata files. It includes:
Last updated 2024.10.31
A number of assignments in different courses require students to find information about specific census tracts; this page will help you do that.
Read on for:
Census tracts (CTs), first reported for the 1941 census, are defined in the 2016 Census Dictionary as
"... small, relatively stable geographic areas that usually have a population of less than 10,000 persons, based on data from the previous Census of Population Program. They are located in census metropolitan areas and in census agglomerations that had a core population of 50,000 or more in the previous census."
Colloquially, they are often referred to as "neighbourhoods", but they do not necessarily correspond to "neighbourhoods" as we commonly understand the term.
Each census tract has a number (or CT name); for example, the census tract in which York University is located is known as 311.06 (sometimes written with a leading 0, i.e., 0311.06). The CT name is not unique all by itself; it must be combined with the code of the census metropolitan area (CMA) or census agglomeration (CA) in which it is located. The CMA/CA code for the Toronto CMA is 535; therefore, a unique identifier for York's CT would be 5350311.06. Depending on how you look the information up, you will need to know at least one and possibly both numbers.
There are a variety of ways in which you can locate a census tract (if you already have the number), or identify a census tract (if you know the location).
A common question that comes up is to find census information on a specific Toronto neighbourhood, usually designated by a name of some sort. Use one or more of the following links to get the street boundaries of the neighbourhood in question (if you don't already know where it is) and then use Geoportal to find the census tracts in that area (NOTE: instructions can be found below under "Online maps").
Print sources -- You can find your census tract on a printed index map. All available census tract maps are found in the Map Collection on the first floor of the Scott Library building. At times of peak use during assignments, copies of the CT index maps may be found on reserve in the Scott Library (check the reserve list for your course to get the call number), as well as at the Scott Reference desk.
Once you know which census tract(s) you're after, where is the information? Once again, you can find this in a variety of places:
Contact the Data Librarian if you have any questions or need help finding the information you need.
