About us

Message from the Chief Statistician of Canada

Welcome to the Statistics Canada Web site.

I would like to thank the many individuals, businesses and institutions who have contributed their time and effort in responding to our surveys. Without their goodwill, it would not be possible to provide the reliable information we need to plan for our future.

Organized information has always been important in understanding problems, in aiding intelligent decision making, and in providing a means of learning from our experience.

During the post-war period, the importance of Canadian statistical information increased as government became more complex. Statistics provided objective information for the government, for the opposition, and for Canadians in all walks of life. Such information was used to design, evaluate and improve specific programs and policies. Even more important, it served and continues to serve as a measure of the evolution of our society, economy, and environment.

Not only did the information serve all levels of government (federal, provincial, and municipal), it also served other sectors of society. For example, statistics were used by the private sector in assessing local market and labour conditions, by unions in negotiating collective agreements, by advocacy groups from all sectors of society, and by academics in shedding light on emerging developments. But, first and foremost, statistics helped the Canadian public in understanding their country and in assessing the performance of their governments.

In recent years, statistical information has become increasingly important. With the downsizing of governments and their withdrawal from direct program delivery in many areas, it has become even more important to have good information to be able to target limited expenditures to areas of greatest need. It is also vital to monitor the impact of the tremendous changes happening in our country and indeed in the world on different groups of Canadians.

Statistics Canada's reputation for high-quality, objective and timely information has gained the confidence of the public both at home and abroad. Statistics Canada is constantly expanding its efforts to make more and more of this information available freely through its Web site. Whether you are looking for statistical information on a particular topic or analysis of our latest surveys, I am sure you will find your visit interesting and informative.

Ivan P. Fellegi
Chief Statistician