Statistically speaking, there have been a lot of dramatic ups and downs since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of these is response rates.
Response rates for virtually all of our surveys have been impacted since the onset of the pandemic, and we would like to raise those rates to ensure that we continue to deliver high-quality data you can trust.
This phenomenon is not specific to Canada; it is happening around the world.
Statisticians don’t like making waves. We make every effort to gather the best data we can, at the lowest cost and at minimal inconvenience to Canadians, all while ensuring confidentiality.
For economic surveys, we rely upon administrative data, sales figures and the goodwill of companies and external agencies to supply the data we need to accurately measure the overall health of an industry. These surveys are the building blocks we use to calculate gross domestic product each month, and give Canadians timely and accurate information about the economy.
For other surveys, we rely on public participation.
For example, since the onset of the pandemic, we have invited Canadians to share their experiences through crowdsourcing platforms, and hundreds of thousands voluntarily replied.
However, outside of the census—an endeavour taken once every five years to count every Canadian—most of our surveys are based on a representative sample of several thousand. Over the course of a year, we contact tens of thousands of Canadians through one of our 350 surveys. The responses help paint an accurate picture of the country as a whole. The Labour Force Survey, for example, interviews approximately 40,000 Canadians per month. Their responses help us provide an accurate portrait of the 20 million people in the Canadian labour market overall.
The information you provide is kept strictly confidential but your voice will be heard through our data. The time you take to answer a call or complete a questionnaire is paid back in the form of data that you can trust and that benefits your community.
The statistics we produce are discussed on the radio, read online and seen on the evening news. These numbers help businesses thrive, governments plan and medical professionals better understand and tend to our physical and mental well-being. Unlike some other players in the data sphere, the data we collect is secure, reliable and equally accessible to all for free on our website.
While we remain strictly neutral when reporting our data, the trend of falling response rates is one we aim to reverse.
But we need your support.
Please help us tell the story of our country and our communities by filling out or answering a survey when we call.
Contact information
For more information contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).