Why do the Census figures differ from the estimates of the population presented
in the population pages of this web site?
The objective of every Census is to provide detailed information at a
single point in time on the demographic, social and economic conditions
of the population. One of its goals is to enumerate the entire
population on Census Day. Inevitably, however, some people are not
counted, either because their household did not receive a Census
questionnaire (for example, a household living in a separate apartment
in a house) or because they were not included in the questionnaire
completed by the household (for example, a boarder or lodger). Some
people may also be missed because they have no usual residence, and did
not spend census night in any dwelling. On the other hand, a small
number of people may also be counted twice (for example, a student
living away from home).
To determine how many individuals were missed, or counted more than
once, Statistics Canada conducts post-censal coverage studies of a
representative sample of individuals. The results of these studies
provide information that is used to adjust the Census counts for the
purpose of producing current (quarterly and annual) population
estimates, which take into account net under-enumeration in the Census.
For example, in 2001, after adjustment for net under-enumeration, the
population estimate for Canada was 2.99% higher than the population
enumerated in the Census and the population estimate for British Columbia
was 4.04% higher than the Census count. For more information, please see
the document How many people were missed in the 2001 Census?.
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