Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate minister: The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, P.C., M.P.

Institutional head: Anil Arora

Ministerial portfolio: Innovation, Science and Economic Development

Enabling instrument[s]:

• Statistics Act
• Corporations Returns Act
• Corporations Returns Regulations

Year of incorporation / commencement: The Dominion Bureau of Statistics was established in 1918. In 1971, with the revision of the Statistics Act, the agency became Statistics Canada.

Other: Under the Statistics Act, Statistics Canada is required to collect, compile, analyze, abstract and publish statistical information relating to the commercial, industrial, financial, social, economic and general activities and condition of the people of Canada.

Statistics Canada has two primary objectives:

• to provide statistical information and analysis on the economic and social structure and functioning of Canadian society, as a basis for developing, operating and evaluating public policies and programs; for public and private decision making; and for the general benefit of all Canadians
• to promote the quality, coherence and international comparability of Canada's statistics through collaboration with other federal departments and agencies, with the provinces and territories, and in accordance with sound scientific standards and practices.

Statistics Canada's head office is located in Ottawa. There are regional offices across the country in Halifax, Sherbrooke, Montréal, Toronto, Sturgeon Falls, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver. There are also 35 research data centres located throughout the country in academic institutions. In addition, there are five secure rooms available for access by employees of federal departments and selected provincial ministries. These centres provide researchers with access to microdata from population and household survey programs in a secure setting. Canadians can follow the agency on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, feeds and YouTube.

Raison d'être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do

"Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do" is available on Statistics Canada's website.

For more information on the department’s organizational mandate letter commitments, see the Minister Mandate letter.

Operating context

Information on the operating context is available on Statistics Canada's website.

Reporting framework

Statistics Canada's departmental results framework and program inventory of record for 2022–23 are shown below.