How the Census counts Indigenous people in urban areas

Release date: September 23, 2022 Correction date: February 16, 2024
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Correction Notice

Corrections have been made to this product. Please take note of the following changes:
The infographic has been changed to include census metropolitan areas (CMAs) and census agglomerations in Canada in the context of urban areas. The previous version included only CMAs. “Net” has been added to indicate that estimates are of net undercoverage.

Infographic: How the Census counts Indigenous people in urban areas
Description: How the Census counts Indigenous people in urban areas

In 2021, 1,090,240 Indigenous people were living in urban areasNote 1 in Canada.

This number has increased by 11.5%Note 2 since 2016.


Data table
Table summary
This table displays the results of Data table. The information is grouped by CMA (appearing as row headers), Indigenous people (appearing as column headers).
Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) Indigenous population
Winnipeg 102,080
Edmonton 87,600
Vancouver 63,345
Calgary 48,625
Ottawa–Gatineau 46,545
Montréal 46,090
Toronto 44,635
Saskatoon 34,890

The Census tries to reach everyone

Before collection

List of dwellings created
Communications and advertising campaign

During collection

Reminders are sent in waves to non-respondents
Checks are done to make sure non-responding residences are occupied
Follow-up calls and visits are made to complete the questionnaire
Special outreach in areas of high non-response

Counting people in their usual place of residence

One reason why people are not enumerated in some areas is because the census counts people based on their usual place of residence on Census Day.

Therefore, some census respondents may be counted in one place rather than another because they spend part of the year in that place and the rest of the year elsewhere.

For example, many students relocate to Thunder Bay from remote First Nations communities to pursue higher education. Similarly, many Inuit relocate temporarily to Ottawa to access medical services.

After every census, studies are done to measure netNote 3 undercoverage

Census coverage studies evaluate the net impact of some people not being enumerated and others being counted more than once.

In 2016, netNote 3 undercoverage was 2.4%.

The 2021 Census netNote 3 undercoverage estimates for the Indigenous population will be available in 2023.

Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021, and Guide to the Census of Population, 2021.

More information

Note of appreciation

Canada owes the success of its statistical system to a long-standing partnership between Statistics Canada, the citizens of Canada, its businesses, governments and other institutions. Accurate and timely statistical information could not be produced without their continued co-operation and goodwill.

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Copyright

Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2022

Use of this publication is governed by the Statistics Canada Open Licence Agreement.

Catalogue no. 11-627-M

Frequency: Occasional

Ottawa

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