Census divisions of Canada

The census geographic units of Canada are the census subdivisions defined and used by Canada's federal government statistics bureau Statistics Canada to conduct the country's quinquennial census. These areas exist solely for the purposes of statistical analysis and presentation; they have no government of their own. They exist on four levels: the top-level (first-level) divisions are Canada's provinces and territories; these are divided into second-level census divisions, which in turn are divided into third-level census subdivisions (often corresponding to municipalities) and fourth-level dissemination areas.

BC

AB

SK

MB

ON

QC

NB

PE

NS

NL

YT

NT

NU

Census divisions by province and territory

In some provinces, census divisions correspond to the province's second-level administrative divisions such as a county or another similar unit of political organization. In the prairie provinces, census divisions do not correspond to the province's administrative divisions, but rather group multiple administrative divisions together. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the boundaries are chosen arbitrarily as no such level of government exists. Two of Canada's three territories are also divided into census divisions.

Census divisions

Nature of Canada's census divisions by province or territory

Province/Territory	Second-level divisions	Census divisions correspond to second-level administrative subdivisions?
Alberta	Rural municipalities	No	Census divisions consist of groups of municipalities, specialized municipalities, and rural municipalities (these include municipal districts, special areas, and improvement districts).
British Columbia	Regional districts	Yes	Census divisions correspond to regional districts.
Manitoba	Rural municipalities	No	Census divisions consist of groups of urban and rural municipalities.
New Brunswick	Rural Districts	No	Since 2023, New Brunswick is using a new municipal format. The new "rural districts" boundaries were roughly based on historical counties, although there is quite considerable differences in the final format.
Newfoundland and Labrador	None	No	Newfoundland and Labrador is not subdivided into second-level administrative divisions.
Northwest Territories	Regions (Administrative regions)	No	Census divisions mostly correspond to the administrative regions of the Northwest Territories, except for North Slave Admin Region which is split into two census divisions. In addition, the remaining census divisions bear slightly different borders than their territorial counterparts.
Nova Scotia	Counties	Yes	Census divisions correspond to historical counties.
Nunavut	Regions	Yes	Census divisions correspond to the administrative regions of Nunavut.
Ontario	Upper-tier municipalities	Yes	Census divisions consist of "upper-tier" municipalities (counties, districts, regional municipalities, single-tier cities).
Prince Edward Island	Counties	Yes	Census divisions correspond to historical counties.
Quebec	Counties Regional county municipalities	Yes	Census divisions mostly correspond to regional county municipalities or equivalent territories.
Saskatchewan	Urban municipalities Rural municipalities	No	Census divisions consist of groups of urban and rural municipalities.
Yukon	None	Yes	Yukon is not subdivided into second-level administrative divisions; thus, Statistics Canada uses the entire territory as a single census division.

In most cases, a census division corresponds to a single unit of the appropriate type listed above. However, in a few cases, Statistics Canada groups two or more units into a single statistical division:

• In Ontario, Haldimand County and Norfolk County are grouped as a single census division, as are Brant and Brantford. Additionally, in 2023 the government of Ontario expected to change a few district boundaries. One of which is Peel Region, which will be split by 2025, although it is unclear if the census division boundary will remain.
• In Quebec, 93 of 98 census divisions correspond precisely to the territory of one regional county municipality (with the addition of Indian reserves, which do not legally belong to RCMs) or a "territory equivalent to an RCM" (which usually corresponds to a single independent city). However, there are five census divisions consisting of two or three RCMs or equivalent territories each. See List of census divisions of Quebec.
  • These are the five census divisions:
    • • The CD of Francheville (37) consists of the TE of Trois-Rivières (371) and the RCM of Les Chenaux (372). These two divisions formerly constituted the single RCM of Francheville, which was dissolved in 2002.
      • The CD of Le Saguenay-et-son-Fjord (94) consists of the TE of Saguenay (941) and the RCM of Le Fjord-du-Saguenay (942). Le Fjord-du-Saguenay formerly included the smaller cities which were amalgamated to create the new city of Saguenay in 2002.
      • The CD of Sept-Rivières—Caniapiscau (97) consists of the RCMs of Sept-Rivières (971) and Caniapiscau (972).
      • The CD of Minganie–Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent (98) consists of the RCMs of Minganie (981) and Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent (982). The latter superseded Basse-Côte-Nord in 2010; Basse-Côte-Nord itself was part of Minganie until 2002.
      • The CD of Nord-du-Québec (99) is coextensive with the administrative region of Nord-du-Québec and consists of the TEs of Jamésie (991), Kativik (992) and Eeyou Istchee (993).

In almost all such cases, the division in question was formerly a single unit of the standard type, which was divided into multiple units by its province after the 2001 Canadian census.

Census consolidated subdivisions

A census consolidated subdivision is a geographic unit between census division and census subdivision. It is a combination of adjacent census subdivisions typically consisting of larger, more rural census subdivisions and smaller, more densely populated census subdivisions.

Census subdivisions

Census subdivisions generally correspond to the municipalities of Canada, as determined by provincial and territorial legislation. They can also correspond to area which are deemed to be equivalents to municipalities for statistical reporting purposes, such as Indian reserves, Indian settlements, and unorganized territories where municipal level government may not exist. Statistics Canada has created census subdivisions in cooperation with the provinces of British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia as equivalents for municipalities. The Indian reserve and Indian settlement census subdivisions are determined according to criteria established by Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.

Dissemination areas

Dissemination areas are the smallest standard geographic unit in Canada and cover the entire country. As small areas, they comprise one or more dissemination blocks and have a population between 400 and 700 people.

Specially-defined geographic units

Census metropolitan areas

See template below for links to census metropolitan areas by size.

A "census metropolitan area" (CMA) is a grouping of census subdivisions comprising a large urban area (the "urban core") and those surrounding "urban fringes" with which it is closely integrated. To become a CMA, an area must register an urban core population of at least 100,000 at the previous census. CMA status is retained even if this core population later drops below 100,000.

CMAs may cross census division and provincial boundaries, although the Ottawa-Gatineau metropolitan area in Ontario and Quebec is the only one that currently crosses a provincial border.

The methodology used by Statistics Canada does not allow for CMA-CMA mergers into larger statistical areas; consequently, there is no Canadian equivalent to the combined statistical areas of the United States. Statistics Canada has stated that Toronto, Oshawa and Hamilton could be merged into a single CSA were such an approach utilized. Statistics Canada has described the Greater Golden Horseshoe as the country's largest urban area.

Census agglomerations

A "census agglomeration" (CA) is a smaller version of a CMA in which the urban core population at the previous census was greater than 10,000 but less than 100,000. If the population of an urban core is less than 50,000, it is the starting point for the construction of a 'census agglomeration'.

Census tracts

CMAs and CAs with a population greater than 50,000 are subdivided into census tracts which have populations ranging from 2,500 to 8,000.

Population centres

A population centre (PC), formerly known as an urban area (UA), is any grouping of contiguous dissemination areas that has a minimum population of 1,000 and an average population density of 400 persons per square kilometre or greater. For the 2011 census, urban area was renamed "population centre". In 2011, Statistics Canada identified 942 population centres in Canada. Some population centres cross municipal boundaries and not all municipalities contain a population centre while others have more than one.

The population centre level of geography is further divided into the following three groupings based on population:

• "small population centre" – 1,000 to 29,999
• "medium population centre" – 30,000 to 99,999
• "large urban population centre" – 100,000 and greater

Designated places

A "designated place" (DPL) is usually a small community that does not meet the criteria used to define incorporated municipalities or urban areas (areas with a population of at least 1,000 and no fewer than 400 persons per square kilometre), but for which Statistics Canada or a provincial government has requested that similar demographic data be compiled.

Localities

A "locality" (LOC) is a historical named location or place. The named location may be a former census subdivision, a former urban area, or a former designated place. It may also refer to neighbourhoods, post offices, communities and unincorporated places among other entities.

Electoral districts

Statistics Canada also aggregates data by federal electoral districts, one purpose for which is the (redrawing of district boundaries) every ten years. Federal electoral districts are numerically indexed; each district receives a unique five-digit code, with the first two digits being the Standard Geographical Classification code for the province or territory in which the district is located.

See also

• Census division statistics of Canada
• Census divisions of Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Saskatchewan
• Counties of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island
• Regions of Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut
• Regional county municipalities of Quebec
• Regional districts of British Columbia
• Standard Geographical Classification code
• County (United States)
• Municipalities of Mexico

Notes

1. While officially designated as a "municipal district", several municipal districts in Alberta have branded themselves as "counties".
2. New Brunswick's county governments were abolished in 1966. Following administrative reforms in 2023, rural districts were created for the province to provide important local services to residents who had no local government.
3. Approximately 70% of Prince Edward Island's land mass, home to 30% of its residents, is rural and unincorporated, with no local government services.

References

1. Statistics Canada. "Illustrated Glossary: Census Geography". Archived from the original on 2011-05-14. Retrieved 2006-10-11.
2. "2024 Municipal Codes" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. June 3, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
3. Municipalities Act. SNB 1966(1), c 20. Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick. 22 June 1966. 194. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
4. "Rural Districts: New Brunswick's reformed local governance system" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. 4 August 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
5. Baglole, Harry; Griffin, Diane; MacDonald, Wendy (June 2007). A Study on Prince Edward Island Local Governance (PDF) (Report). p. 1.
6. "Census consolidated subdivision (CCS)". Statistics Canada. 2012-01-31. Archived from the original on 2013-02-07. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
7. "Census subdivision (CSD)". Statistics Canada. 2010-06-14. Archived from the original on 2012-07-29. Retrieved 2011-08-29.
8. "Interim List of Changes to Municipal Boundaries, Status, and Names" (PDF). Statistics Canada. April 2011. p. 7&8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-12-11. Retrieved 2011-08-29.
9. "More information on Census subdivision (CSD)". Statistics Canada. 2011-04-04. Archived from the original on 2012-01-24. Retrieved 2011-08-29.
10. "2016 Census Dictionary: Dissemination area (DA)". Statistics Canada. 2016-11-16. Archived from the original on 2019-07-10. Retrieved 2019-07-10.
11. "Defining and Measuring Metropolitan Areas: A Comparison between Canada and the United States". Statistics Canada. 2008-11-17. Archived from the original on 2014-05-20. Retrieved 2014-05-19. ...application of the American combination criteria could result in the consolidation (combining) of the CMAs of Oshawa and Hamilton with the Toronto CMA.
12. "2006 Census: Portrait of the Canadian Population in 2006: Subprovincial population dynamics". Statistics Canada. Archived from the original on 2015-06-10. Retrieved 2014-07-11. In 2006, nearly half of all Canadians, 13.9 million people, were living in the country's three largest urban areas: the Montréal census metropolitan area, the Vancouver census metropolitan area, and the Greater Golden Horseshoe in southern Ontario.
13. Sancton, Andrew. "Canadian Local Government: An Urban Perspective" Pp. 74. Oxford University Press, 2011.
14. "Population centre (POPCTR)". Statistics Canada. 2011-05-05. Archived from the original on 2013-05-22. Retrieved 2011-09-21.
15. "Preview of Census Products and Services: Highlight tables". Statistics Canada. 2012-04-12. Archived from the original on 2013-07-30. Retrieved 2013-08-08.
16. Sancton, Andrew (2011). Canadian Local Government: An Urban Perspective. Canada: Oxford University Press. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-19-542756-1.
17. "2006 Census Dictionary: Designated place (DPL)". Statistics Canada. 2009-11-20. Archived from the original on 2012-05-11. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
18. "2006 Census Dictionary: Locality (LOC)". Statistics Canada. 2009-11-20. Archived from the original on 2012-06-16. Retrieved 2011-12-23.

External links

• Reference maps for census divisions at Statistics Canada.
• Hierarchy of census geography
• Table of geographic areas by province and territory