2021 Canadian census

The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is slightly lower than the response rate for the 2016 census. It recorded a population of 36,991,981, a 5.2% increase from 2016. It will be succeeded by Canada's 2026 census.

2021 Canadian census
← 2016 May 11, 2021 (2021-05-11) 2026 →
Statistics Canada's visual identifier for its 2021 Census of Population
General information
Country	Canada
Authority	Statistics Canada
Website	statcan.gc.ca/census
Results
Total population	36,991,981 ( 5.2%)
Most populous ​province/territory	Ontario (14,223,942)
Least populous ​province/territory	Nunavut (36,858)

Planning

Consultation on census program content was from September 11 to December 8, 2017. The census was conducted by Statistics Canada, and was contactless as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. The agency had considered delaying the census until 2022.

About 900 supervisors and 31,000 field enumerators were hired to conduct the door-to-door survey of individuals and households who had not completed the census questionnaire by late May or early June. Canvassing agents wore masks and maintained a physical distance to comply with COVID-19 safety regulations.

Questionnaire

In early May 2021, Statistics Canada began sending mailings to households throughout Canada containing instructions for completing the census questionnaire. The questionnaires could be completed by returning the paper questionnaire, or by phone or online by using an access code provided in the mailing. Statistics Canada expected about 80% of households to complete the questionnaire online. It was also available in large-print, braille, audio, and video formats. The questionnaire questions were available in a number of languages (Arabic, simplified and traditional Chinese, Italian, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese) and indigenous languages (Atikamekw, Denesuline, Nunavik and Nunavut Inuktitut, Mohawk, Montagnais, Naskapi, Northern Quebec Cree, Ojibwe, Oji-Cree, Plains Cree, Swampy Cree, and Tłı̨chǫ), but the questionnaire had to be completed in either English or French.

The standard short-form questionnaire was to be completed by 75% of households. The other 25% completed a long-form questionnaire to collect data about the household's economic and social state, information about the occupied dwelling, and other data in addition to age, languages spoken, marital status, religious affiliation, and other basic data collected in the short-form questionnaire.

Those who completed the census questionnaire online could listen to a number of soundtracks on Spotify and YouTube prepared by Statistics Canada.

Completing the questionnaire is a legal requirement, and those who refuse to do so may be fined up to $500. It must be completed by citizens of Canada, permanent residents, refugee claimants, and those with a study or work permit.

Data release schedule

The release dates for data by release topic from the 2021 census are:

• February 9, 2022, for population and dwelling counts;
• April 27, 2022, for age, sex at birth, and gender, type of dwelling;
• July 13, 2022, for families, households, and marital status, Canadian military experience, and income;
• August 17, 2022, for language;
• September 21, 2022, for indigenous peoples, and housing;
• October 26, 2022, for immigration, place of birth, and citizenship, ethnocultural and religious diversity, and mobility and migration;
• November 30, 2022, for education, labour, language of work, commuting and instruction in the official minority language.

Data

Statistics Canada links income and related information obtained from the Canada Revenue Agency, and immigration status obtained from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, to the census responses.

The 2021 Canadian census included new questions "critical to measuring equity, diversity and inclusivity". For the first time, questions were asked about commuting methods and the census counted transgender people and people of non-binary gender. Canada has been noted in this instance to be the first country to provide census data on transgender and non-binary people.

Results

The 2021 census recorded a total federal population of 36,991,981, living in 14,978,941 of its 16,284,235 private dwellings. With a land area of 8,788,702.80 km² (3,393,337.12 sq mi), its population density was 4.21/km² (10.90/sq mi). Canada's most- and least-populated provinces were Ontario and Prince Edward Island, respectively. Amongst the three territories, the Northwest Territories was the largest in terms of population, while Nunavut once again became the smallest territory after briefly overtaking Yukon in 2016.

The population of Canada rose by 5.2 per cent federally since the 2016 census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. Three provinces' and one territory's population grew faster than Canada's overall population increase: Yukon – a 12.1 per cent increase, Prince Edward Island – an 8 per cent increase, British Columbia – a 7.6 per cent increase, and Ontario – a 5.8 per cent increase. The rapid growth in Yukon is largely credited to immigration and migration from within Canada. At the other end of the spectrum, only one province and one territory saw a decrease in population since 2016: Newfoundland and Labrador – a 1.8 per cent decrease, and the Northwest Territories — a 1.7 per cent decrease.

The majority of Canadians identified as female at 50.73%, while 49.27% of the population identified as male. The median age overall was 41.6 years – 40.4 years for males and 42.8 years for females.

59,460 Canadians identify as transgender and 41,355 identify as non-binary.

Population

Province or territory	Population as of 2021 census	Population as of 2016 census	Change	Percent change
Ontario	14,223,942	13,448,494	775,448	5.8
Quebec	8,501,833	8,164,361	337,472	4.1
British Columbia	5,000,879	4,648,055	352,824	7.6
Alberta	4,262,635	4,067,175	195,460	4.8
Manitoba	1,342,153	1,278,365	63,788	5.0
Saskatchewan	1,132,505	1,098,352	34,153	3.1
Nova Scotia	969,383	923,598	45,785	5.0
New Brunswick	775,610	747,101	28,509	3.8
Newfoundland and Labrador	510,550	519,716	−9,166	−1.8
Prince Edward Island	154,331	142,907	11,424	8.0
Northwest Territories	41,070	41,786	−716	−1.7
Yukon	40,232	35,874	4,358	12.1
Nunavut	36,858	35,944	914	2.5
Canada	36,991,981	35,151,728	1,840,253	5.2

Age, sex at birth, and gender

Province or Territory	Age			Gender		Sex at birth
	0–14	15–64	65+	Men+	Women+	Male	Female
Alberta	809,640	2,823,771	629,225	2,127,935	2,134,700	2,126,925	2,135,710
British Columbia	716,900	3,267,615	1,016,360	2,457,515	2,543,365	2,456,420	2,544,455
Manitoba	252,935	860,165	229,050	666,495	675,660	666,000	676,155
New Brunswick	111,130	487,320	177,160	381,460	394,150	381,260	394,350
Newfoundland and Labrador	68,190	321,750	120,610	250,075	260,475	249,985	260,560
Northwest Territories	8,475	28,485	4,105	20,845	20,225	20,845	20,220
Nova Scotia	136,710	617,345	215,325	471,735	497,650	471,180	498,200
Nunavut	12,085	23,170	1,605	18,765	18,095	18,755	18,105
Ontario	2,251,795	9,334,440	2,637,710	6,970,850	7,253,090	6,968,425	7,255,515
Prince Edward Island	23,640	97,985	32,710	75,385	78,945	75,370	78,965
Quebec	1,391,360	5,356,940	1,753,530	4,201,960	4,299,875	4,201,360	4,300,475
Saskatchewan	223,110	711,410	197,985	563,125	569,380	562,905	569,600
Yukon	6,825	27,360	6,050	20,105	20,130	20,085	20,150
Canada	6,012,795	23,957,755	7,021,430	18,226,240	18,765,745	18,219,520	18,772,465
Source: Statistics Canada

Ethnic origins

Group		Population	% of total population
Not a visible minority		26,689,275	73.4
	White	24,493,090	67.4
	Indigenous	2,196,185	6.0
Visible minority		9,639,205	26.6
	South Asian	2,571,400	7.1
	Chinese	1,715,770	4.7
	Black	1,547,870	4.3
	Filipino	957,355	2.6
	Arab	694,015	1.9
	Latin American	580,235	1.6
	Southeast Asian	390,340	1.1
	West Asian	360,495	1.0
	Korean	218,140	0.6
	Japanese	98,890	0.3
	Multiple visible minorities	331,805	0.9
	Visible minority, n.i.e.	172,885	0.5
Total		36,328,480	100.0
Source: Statistics Canada

See also

• Demographics of Canada
• Statistics Act
• 2022 Canadian federal electoral redistribution

Notes

1. This category includes men and boys, as well as some non-binary persons.
2. This category includes women and girls, as well as some non-binary persons.

References

1. Jones, Ryan (April 4, 2021). "StatsCan says it's ready to conduct census despite pandemic's resurgence". CBC News. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
2. "Census Profile, 2016 Census: Canada". Statistics Canada. August 25, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
3. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (November 17, 2021). "2021 Census of Population collection response rates". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
4. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (February 9, 2022). "Download". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
5. "2021 Census of Population Content Consultation". Statistics Canada. September 6, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
6. Rabson, Mia (July 17, 2020). "StatsCan plans 'contactless' census for 2021 in response to COVID-19". CBC News. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
7. Press, Jordan (March 8, 2021). "Statistics Canada considered delaying 2021 census over pandemic concerns". Global News. The Canadian Press. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
8. "2021 census arriving amid pandemic". CBC News. May 4, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
9. Sandri, Emma (April 29, 2021). "'A sense of civic pride': People across Canada look forward to the 2021 census". National Post. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
10. "Frequently asked questions—Accessibility, alternate formats and non-official languages". Statistics Canada. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
11. Desjardins, Lynn (May 3, 2021). "In pandemic, Canadians urged to complete census online". Radio Canada International. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
12. "2021 Census Program release schedule". Statistics Canada. February 23, 2016. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
13. Feagan, Sean (February 4, 2021). "2021 census a few months away". Toronto Star. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
14. "Canada is the first country to provide census data on transgender and non-binary people". Statistics Canada. April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
15. "Table 98-10-0001-01 — Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
16. Canadian Press, The (February 9, 2022). "Census 2021: A snapshot of the North's population and dwelling data". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
17. "Table 98-10-0020-01 — Age (in single years), average age and median age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts". Statistics Canada. April 27, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
18. "Table 98-10-0023-01 — Age (in single years), average age and median age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions, census subdivisions and dissemination areas". Statistics Canada. April 27, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
19. "Table 98-10-0034-01 — Broad age groups and sex: Canada, provinces and territories". Statistics Canada. April 27, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
20. "Census Profile". Statistics Canada. March 29, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2023.

External links

• The 2021 Census at Statistics Canada
• Census of Agriculture