Census of Population: Public Use Microdata Files
Census Public Use Microdata Files (PUMFs) provide access to non-aggregated data covering a sample of the Canadian population. It is a comprehensive social, demographic and economic database about Canada, its people, and contains a wealth of characteristics on the population. These files enable the study of individuals, families and households. Geographic identifiers have been restricted to ensure respondents’ anonymity. This comprehensive file is an excellent tool for policy analysts, pollsters, social researchers and anyone interested in modeling and performing statistical regression analysis using Census microdata.
These products contain the data file, user documentation and license agreements. It is important to note that users will require knowledge of data manipulation packages (or software) such as SAS, SPSS or Stata to use this product.
2021
2016
2011
2006
2001
- Individuals file, 2001 Census of Population
- Families file, 2001 Census of Population
- Households and housing file, 2001 Census of Population
1996
- Individuals file, 1996 Census of Population
- Families file, 1996 Census of Population
- Households and housing file, 1996 Census of Population
1991
Start of text box
About PUMFs
Downloading a Public Use Microdata File (PUMF) allows you to conduct your own analysis. The microdata file is in CSV or TXT format.
The zip file contains the data file and the associated documentation such as user guides, codebooks, layout cards or syntax files.
PUMFs consist of sets of records containing information on individuals or households (microdata). They are non-aggregated data that are carefully modified, then reviewed to ensure that no individual or business is directly or indirectly identified.
PUMFs are microdata files that require specialized statistical software in order to read, manipulate, and analyze the dataset. The software is used to combine the microdata and metadata to create a file for analysis.
Statistics Canada Open Licence governs the use of PUMFs.
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca).
End of text box
- Date modified: