Statistics provide a concise descriptive summary of data. Said another way, statistics are processed data that have been organized for display in tables and graphs.

Searching for statistics can be a lengthy, multi-step process. Use this
decision tree as a guide. Visit the Library for help if you don't find what you are looking for using the options below.

Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada produces statistics that help Canadians better understand their country — its population, resources, economy, society and culture. There are many ways to access these statistics; the following are key entry points to the website.

The Daily
Announces new product releases each weekday.

• Many releases include CANSIM table numbers.
• Find these tables for free using E-STAT.

Summary Tables
Provide an overview of Canada’s people, economy, land, and governments.

• Search the tables by keyword, subject, province, territory, metropolitan area, or by an alphabetical list.
• Once on the site, click the Overview button on the left sidebar to see brief articles on each category.

Publications
The results of surveys conducted on a variety of subjects such as: health; education, training and learning; retail and wholesale; crime and justice; travel and tourism.

• Search by keyword, subject or date. Publications are available in PDF or HTML formats.

Census of Canada
The Census is conducted every five years, most recently in 2006. 80% of Canadian households complete the short form of eight questions, while 20% complete a more detailed questionnaire.

• Use the census to find Canadian demographic information, such as age and income within a certain geographical area.
• Search by topic (such as education, language, families and households) or geography. Go to the list of data sources all census topics.

When searching for census statistics, it helps to know what level of census geography you are interested in (a province or smaller area?).

• Statistics Canada uses different terms and boundaries to facilitate their work. See our definitions chart for details.
• Read the Statistics Canada geography hierarchy chart to see how everything fits together.

2006 Community Profiles
Contain information on more than 5,600 Canadian cities, towns, villages and Aboriginal communities. Data are provided for major census topics such as families and households, earnings and income, education, language and population.

• Search by place name or browse through listings for each province and territory. Data can be compared to another community or with provincial-level data.

Census Tract Profiles
Wondering where to locate a business? Want demographic information on a small population based in a particular place? Then Census Tracts are for you.

• Census tracts are small relatively stable geographic areas. The population usually ranges from 2,500 to 8,000. Each census tract has a number.
• Search the profiles by postal code, GeoSearch2006, or by providing a census metropolitan area (CMA) or census agglomeration (CA) code and a census tract name.
• Census tract numbers are useful because you can use them to look up information on a tract (Ex: population and income). GeoSearch2006, an interactive mapping system, is one way to find census tract numbers.
  1. Start at the GeoSearch page.
  2. See our GeoSearch2006 guide for step-by-step instructions.
  3. Return to the Census Tract Profiles page for comparative statistics in your area of interest.

Didn't find what you wanted? Try searching the census using E-STAT.

• Whereas the census represents information about Canadians at a particular point in time, CANSIM provides data at regular time intervals.

E-STAT
E-STAT is an interactive tool that you can use to look at census information and to search CANSIM. Rather than using statistics that have already been compiled, E-STAT allows you to customize your results and create graphs.

• E-STAT files are produced in a variety of formats: Beyond 20/20, Excel, SPSS, SAS.
• Beyond 20/20 (software that presents data in a table view) is loaded on the library computers but SPSS and SAS are only available in the computer labs.

Search CANSIM in E-STAT

• See our CANSIM in E-STAT guide for step-by-step instructions.

Search the Census in E-STAT

• Use this option if you didn't find the census information you wanted from the links above or if you are looking to access older censuses.
• See our Census in E-STAT guide for step-by-step instructions.

Content adapted from Sandra McIntyre, Statistics Canada trainer. Used with permission.