The Act also requires Statistics Canada to publish the data on population. Statistics Canada acts independently to establish the methods used in data estimation as well as the timing and content of all data releases. Under the Act, Statistics Canada cannot publish, or otherwise make available to any individual or organization, statistics that would enable the identification of data for any individual person or entity. There is no internal government access to the data prior to their release. No ministerial commentary is released with the data.
Population estimates can be preliminary, revised, or final, depending on the source data used.
Quinquennial census data are available within 12 months of Census Day. Census counts adjusted for net census undercoverage used for population estimates are available within 24 months. Methods are adopted after extensive consultation with Advisory Committees of Statistics Canada and provincial and territorial statistical agencies. The publications listed in the cell above include measures of data quality, which are based on comparisons with census counts.