2011 Canadian census

2011 Canadian census
Name	2011 Canadian census
Country	Canada
Conducted by	Statistics Canada
Date	2011
Population	33,476,688
Percent change	5.9%
Previous census	2006 Canadian census
Next census	2016 Canadian census

2011 Canadian census was a nationwide population and dwelling enumeration conducted by Statistics Canada in 2011. The census produced comprehensive national data used by federal ministries, provincial agencies, municipal administrations, and research institutions such as the University of Toronto, Université de Montréal, University of British Columbia, McGill University, and McMaster University. Results informed planning by bodies including Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, Health Canada, Canada Revenue Agency, and international organizations like the United Nations and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Background and legislative framework

The census operation was enabled by the Statistics Act (Canada), which set statutory requirements for collection and confidentiality enforced by the Privacy Act (Canada). Historical precedents trace to early enumerations overseen by the Province of Canada and later by Dominion of Canada administration; previous decennial and quinquennial counts include the 2006 Canadian census and the 2001 Canadian census. Legal safeguards were scrutinized by the Supreme Court of Canada and debated in the House of Commons of Canada during discussions about mandatory versus voluntary questioning. Parliamentary committees such as the Standing Committee on Finance and the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology examined proposals affecting the census' scope.

Census methodology and data collection

Field operations were coordinated from regional centres in cities like Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary. Enumerators used mail-out mail-back strategies, with follow-up by telephone centres in collaboration with private contractors and unionized staff represented by organizations including the Public Service Alliance of Canada. Data collection instruments built on classification standards from the North American Industry Classification System and the National Occupational Classification, and questions mapped to frameworks used by the United Nations Statistics Division and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development for international comparability. Quality assurance included post-enumeration surveys and imputation methods aligned with practices from the United States Census Bureau and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Population and demographic results

The census reported a population of 33,476,688, marking growth from the 2006 Canadian census. Major urban centres such as Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton showed significant increases; demographic shifts were analyzed by institutions like the Conference Board of Canada and think tanks including the Fraser Institute and the Institute for Research on Public Policy. Age structure revealed trends similar to projections by the Canadian Institute for Health Information and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, with implications for programs administered by Veterans Affairs Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada.

Geographic and provincial/territorial breakdowns

Provincial and territorial counts were reported for Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Metropolitan area analyses covered Greater Toronto Area, Montréal Metropolitan Community, Metro Vancouver, Calgary Metropolitan Region, and Edmonton Metropolitan Region. Rural and remote patterns were examined with attention to areas served by agencies such as Transport Canada and regional development agencies like FedDev Ontario and PrairiesCan.

Language, immigration, and ethnic-origin findings

Language profiles recorded counts for English language in Canada and French language in Canada speakers, as well as numerous immigrant languages tied to communities from India, China, Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, Syria, and United Kingdom. Immigration statistics reflected flows monitored by Citizenship and Immigration Canada and linked to settlement services funded through organizations including the Canadian Council for Refugees and provincial ministries. Ethnic-origin responses highlighted communities tracing ancestry to United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Ireland, China, India, Philippines, Portugal, and Ukraine, informing cultural policy at institutions like the Canada Council for the Arts.

Housing, families, and socioeconomic indicators

Housing data covered owned and rented dwellings, private household counts, and structural types relevant to programs of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and municipal planning departments. Family composition, lone-parent households, and multi-generational living arrangements were analyzed by social researchers at the Canadian Institute for Health Information and policy analysts at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Socioeconomic variables included labour force participation aligned with Labour Force Survey (Canada), income distributions used by the Canada Revenue Agency, education attainment compared across reports from Statistics Canada and universities, and commuting patterns affecting planning by Metrolinx and local transit authorities.

Controversies and legal challenges

The census faced controversy when the federal cabinet changed the long-form mandatory questionnaire to a voluntary National Household Survey, prompting litigation and review by advocacy groups such as the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and civil liberties organizations including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. Critiques reached the Supreme Court of Canada in public debate and were the subject of reports commissioned by parliamentary committees. Subsequent policy reversals and legal settlements involved actors like Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Privy Council Office, and provincial privacy commissioners.

Category:Censuses in Canada Category:2011 in Canada