Using administrative data in the Canadian Census: Experiences and plans

Abstract

Canada conducts a census every five years using a conventional collection methodology, where enumerators list all the dwellings in their Enumeration Area on a visitation record and drop-off Census questionnaires at each one. Every fifth dwelling receives a long questionnaire which asks questions additional to the basic demographic characteristics collected on the short questionnaire.

An alternative to the conventional collection method is a register-based census. Redfern [6,7] has discussed the use and experiences of these register-based censuses, most notably in the four Nordic countries. These countries have accurate population registers from which population statistics can be reliably derived for small areas. They also, in varying degrees using file linkages, make use of additional administrative data to compile information that would otherwise be collected during a Census, such as education, employment or housing data. Essentially, in order to utilize a register-based census, a country must have an up-to-date population register which associates each person with a unique personal number and a unique address. Other administrative sources are linked to the register by these personal numbers.

Canada has no such register. However, this is not to say that there is no use of administrative data in the Census. Section 1 of this paper presents a brief description of administrative records in Canada. In Section 2, we briefly describe the current uses of administrative data in the Canadian Census. A discussion of some potential future uses follows in Section 3. Some of the issues involved in the use of administrative data with the Census are given in Section 4.