Faced with the magnitude of the roaming crisis, Statistics Canada has decided to add two questions to the next census. The federal agency will also probe the Canadian population on sexual orientation, state of health and religion. This is what will change.
Sexual orientation
For the first time, the detailed questionnaire of the Canadian census will include a question on sexual orientation. This will only relate to people aged 15 and over. The absence of such a question was “a gap often mentioned” by federal partners, academics and statistical Canada organizations, which notably supports its decision by affirming that “data from the census on sexual orientation can be used to support laws” affecting this subject.
“It doesn’t surprise me. I am happy, and it is good that organizations in Canada are concerned, ”reacts the sociologist of sexuality Michel Dorais, professor emeritus at Laval University. “Asking the question shows that it exists and that it is legitimate, sexual diversity. It also shows that these things are part of normal life. »»
In 2021, Canada had already been one of the first countries to include a question on gender identity (including trans or non -binary people) in its national census.
“In the United States, there will no longer be any questions about the census. All American institutions that had sexual diversity statistics delete them. We pretend that it does not exist. It’s good news not to follow the US government on this, ”comments Michel Dorais.
Homelessness
In the May 2026 census, the questionnaire will include two new questions. The first aims to determine whether people experienced a homelessness situation (in a refuge or excluding refuge) in the previous 12 months.
The second question aims to determine if at the time of the census or in the previous 12 months, people experienced a roaming situation by remaining with friends, family members or other people “because they had nowhere else where to live”.
“It’s quite great compared to the housing crisis. Questions like this will make it possible to enlighten these major challenges a little better such as the lack of housing, “said Richard Marcoux, full professor at Laval University and director of the Demographic and Statistical Observatory of the French -speaking Space (ODSEF).
A clarification is essential: these two questions do not aim to join people in homelessness, in view of the considerable logistical challenge that would constitute the information harvest with this group.
With these two questions, Statistics Canada hopes to “contribute to shedding light on people who may be confronted with important social challenges and significant difficulties related to housing”.
State of health
During the next census, Statistics Canada will implement a measure of “perceived health”. By health, we first hear the absence of illness or injury, but also physical, mental and social well-being. The question aspires to encompass all these aspects and ask each individual if he generally considers himself as healthy. His health can be “excellent”, “very good”, “good”, “passable” or “bad”.
According to Richard Marcoux, this is a “test” of Statistics Canada, which regularly experiences with various questions in his census.
Generally, we will prioritize factual information. We try to avoid questions of opinion, because perceptions, it is wide and it must be contextualized.
Richard Marcoux, full professor at Laval University and director of ODSEF
“But it can be interesting to combine this perception of health with other information, for example ethnic origin or questions about housing, to identify trends,” adds Marcoux.
For the Federal Agency, the question “offers an opportunity to predict and model future needs for health care and social programs”.
Religion
After being questioned about this in 2021, the Canadian population was supposed to have to wait 10 years to answer them again, the usual scheduled time. But Statistics Canada has decided to include the question on religion from each census, so every five years.
“I find it excellent. Quebec society and Canadian society are transformed. Every 10 years, we lost a big piece of information. I never understood why we asked this question every 10 years. It was illogical, ”said Richard Marcoux. “We grow up because of immigration, and it is important to know the linguistic, cultural and religious background of these people who come to us. »»
222 000
This is the number of households from communities from across the country that participated in the 2024 census test, leading to the creation of the questionnaire for the official census of May 2026. This represents almost half a million people.
Source: Statistics Canada
