2026 Census Content Fact Sheets - Content changes for the 2026 Census of Population: Ethnic or cultural origins, religion, immigration, citizenship and place of birth

Sep 18, 2026

2026 Census Content Fact Sheets explain content changes for the 2026 Census of Population across key areas: ethnic or cultural origins, religion, immigration, citizenship, and place of birth. It outlines how Statistics Canada evaluates and reviews questionnaire content through consultative engagement, testing, and data evaluation, including insights from the 2024 Census Test. The fact sheet details why questions are asked, how instructions and examples were adjusted, and the approach planned for 2026.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Ethnic or cultural origins

Changes evaluated in the 2024 Census Test

Resulting approach for the 2026 Census of Population

Why are these questions asked?

Current trends and data gaps for this topic

2026 Census Content Fact Sheets Content changes for the 2026 Census of Population: Ethnic or cultural origins, religion, immigration, citizenship and place of birth 2026 Census of Population Release date: July 4, 2025 How to obtain more information For information about this product or the wide range of services and data available from Statistics Canada, visit our website, [www.statcan.gc.ca](www.statcan.gc.ca). You can also contact us by Email at infostats@statcan.gc.ca Telephone, from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. , at the following numbers: • Statistical Information Service 1-800-263-1136 • National telecommunications device for the hearing impaired 1-800-363-7629 • Fax line 1-514-283-9350 Standards of service to the public Statistics Canada is committed to serving its clients in a prompt, reliable and courteous manner. To this end, the Agency has developed standards of service which its employees observe in serving its clients. To obtain a copy of these service standards, please contact Statistics Canada toll-free at 1-800-263-1136. The service standards are also published on [www.statcan.gc.ca](www.statcan.gc.ca)[ ](www.statcan.gc.ca)[under](under) “Contact us” > “Standards of service to the public.” 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. 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, 2025 Use of this publication is governed by the Statistics Canada Open Licence Agreement. An HTML version is also available. Cette publication est aussi disponible en français. Release date: July 4, 2025 Catalogue number 98-20-0004, issue 2026003 ISBN 978-0-660-77882-2 2026 Census Content Fact Sheets Content changes for the 2026 Census of Population: Ethnic or cultural origins, religion, immigration, citizenship and place of birth Introduction The next Census of Population will take place in May 2026. To maintain the relevance of the census, Statistics Canada evaluates and reviews the questionnaire content in preparation for each census cycle. This includes several stages of consultative engagement, as well as testing and data evaluation, to recommend questionnaire content for the census. Approximately 222,000 households from communities across the country were selected to participate in the 2024 Census Test. The test helped to determine whether new or modified questions under consideration could be easily understood and answered by Canadians. Testing census content ensures that high-quality data will be available from the 2026 Census of Population to support a wide variety of programs and services in communities across the country. A series of fact sheets provides an overview of the content changes for the 2026 Census of Population because the census process is always evolving to reflect changes in the Canadian population and its demographic characteristics. This fact sheet offers a summary of content changes for the 2026 Census specific to the following topics: ethnic or cultural origins, religion, immigration, citizenship and place of birth. The tested changes for each topic are explained below, along with the resulting approach for 2026. 2026 Census Content Fact Sheets Ethnic or cultural origins | Changes evaluated in the
2024 Census Test | | Resulting approach for the
2026 Census of Population | | --- | --- | --- | | • | Modifications were made to the instructions | • The instructions for the question have | | | for the question. | been modified to help respondents better | | • | The list of examples linked in the questionnaire was reviewed to ensure relevance for the

FAQs

What is the purpose of the 2026 Census Content Fact Sheets?

They provide an overview and summary of content changes for the 2026 Census of Population, focused on specific topics including ethnic or cultural origins, religion, immigration, citizenship, and place of birth.

How does Statistics Canada decide what questionnaire content to use for the 2026 Census?

Statistics Canada evaluates and reviews questionnaire content through consultative engagement, testing, and data evaluation, using results to recommend question content for the census cycle.

What results from the 2024 Census Test are used for the 2026 Census of Population questions on ethnic or cultural origins?

The sheet describes modifications such as changes to question instructions and revisions to the list and display of examples to improve understanding and support high-quality responses.

Sep 18, 2026

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