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Introduction to the population universe
The population universe includes variables that provide information about individuals, covering demographic, ethnocultural, language, mobility, education, income, journey to work and labour force characteristics. A complete list of these variables is found in the Table of Contents.
Some variables within this universe are collected for the entire population of Canada; others are collected for a 20% sample of the population only. See Figure 1 on the following page.
Figure 1 Population universe and subuniverses
The population universe of the 2006 Census includes the following groups:
- Canadian citizens (by birth or by naturalization) and landed immigrants with a usual place of residence in Canada;
- Canadian citizens (by birth or by naturalization) and landed immigrants who are abroad, either on a military base or attached to a diplomatic mission;
- Canadian citizens (by birth or by naturalization) and landed immigrants at sea or in port aboard merchant vessels under Canadian registry;
- persons with a usual place of residence in Canada who are claiming refugee status and members of their families living with them;
- persons with a usual place of residence in Canada who hold Study Permits and members of their families living with them;
- persons with a usual place of residence in Canada who hold Work Permits and members of their families living with them.
For census purposes, the last three groups in this list are referred to as 'non-permanent residents'. For further information, refer to the variable Immigration: Non-permanent resident.
The population universe of the 2006 Census does not include foreign residents because they have not been enumerated since 1991. Foreign residents are persons who belong to the following groups:
- government representatives of another country attached to the embassy, high commission or other diplomatic body of that country in Canada, and members of their families living with them;
- members of the Armed Forces of another country who are stationed in Canada, and members of their families living with them;
- residents of another country visiting Canada temporarily (for example, a foreign visitor on vacation or on business, with or without a visitor's permit).
