National statistical standards: Tested and trusted
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Description: National statistical standards: Tested and trusted
National statistical standards: Tested and trusted
What are statistical standards?
Statistical standards are a set of rules that set out how data are collected and how statistics are produced and published. They provide information about the data collected on a particular topic to help individuals understand and interpret those data.
Statistics Canada: Tested and trusted statistical standards for Canadians
- Ensure quality statistical information
- Create a meaningful statistical portrait of people, society, economy and the environment
- Reduce costs through harmonization
- Improve transparency
- Improve comparability over time
- Advance innovation
- Facilitate data sharing
How are statistical standards used?
- At Statistics Canada to ensure that the quality of the data we produce is consistent over time and across collections
- By public, private and academic sectors that produce and manage data to help them integrate data from various sources
- By partners and to comply with international reporting obligations and encourage data comparability between countries
Some of our statistical standards
Statistics Canada has many national statistical standards used for collecting and publishing more detailed data.
Here are just some examples:
- Ethnic origin of person
- Gender of person
- Indigenous identity of person
- National Occupational Classification (NOC)
- North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
- Population group (groups designated as visible minorities)
- Sex of a person assigned at birth
Statistical standards in action
Statistical standards are used to provide data insights on specific topics.
- Depict diversity within Canada’s Black population using the immigrant, ethnic origin, language and population group (groups designated as visible minorities) standards
- Determine the proportion of transgender individuals in the Canadian population using the sex assigned at birth and gender standards
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