The Census and Canada’s Youth
The national census provides a unique source of information about Canada and its population—3.4% of whom were aged 15 to 24 years in 2001. The census provides detailed information about economic, social and demographic conditions and trends in Canada. For example, the census has documented a doubling of the full-time attendance rate of young adults aged 20 to 24 years, from 19% attending school on a full-time basis in 1981 to 39.6% in 2001. The 2001 Census also indicated a growing trend among young adults to remain in their parents’ home. About 41% of the 3.8 million young adults aged 20 to 29 years lived with their parents in 2001, up from 27% in 1981.
The information on your census questionnaire will be combined with information from more than 32.5 million other people to provide a comprehensive portrait of Canada and its people. The results of the census are used in making decisions important to young people in Canada. For example, census data will be used to:
- identify future employment needs and plan education and training programs
- set up job programs for young people
- identify the needs for schools, day-care centres, public transit and roads.
If you are still in school, you can use census data to upgrade your research with “hard facts” that are often unavailable from any other source. Go to the Statistics Canada Web site at www.statcan.ca and follow the links for education to learn how to collect and use data for your homework or research project.
If you are looking for work, census data can provide historical and comparative information about a multitude of industries and occupations from across Canada. Census data can also provide an overview of communities including data such as average income, and housing costs to help determine which community best suits your needs.
By law, every household in Canada must provide the information requested in the census and by the same law, Statistics Canada must protect the confidentiality of the personal information provided by respondents. This means that only Statistics Canada employees who have taken an oath of secrecy and who work directly with census data will see the completed questionnaires.
Help make Canada’s 2006 Census a success. “Count yourself in” on Census Day, Tuesday, May 16!
