Country Canada Total population 3,485,761 | Date taken April 2, 1871 Most populous province Ontario (1,620,851) | |
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Least populous province New Brunswick (285,594) | ||
The Canada 1871 Census marked the first regularly scheduled collection of national statistics of the Canadian population on April 2, 1871 as required by section 8 of the then-British North America Act (now the Constitution Act of 1867). The constitution required a census to be taken in 1871 and every tenth year thereafter. Parliament implemented the requirements of the constitution through the Census Act of May 12, 1870. In the first census, the population of Canada was enumerated to be 3,485,761.
Contents
All inhabitants of Canada were included, including aboriginals. While this was the first national census of Canada, only four provinces existed at the time: Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Other areas of what later became part of Canada continued to be enumerated in their own separate censuses. The results of the 1871 census, in both English and French, were reported in a five volume set.
The following census was the 1881 Census.
Questionnaire
The questionnaire was on a variety of subjects and asked 211 questions including area, land holdings, vital statistics, religion, education, administration, the military, justice, agriculture, commerce, industry and finance. Information was collected in tabular form on population, houses and other buildings, lands, industries and institutions. The population section included the age, sex, religion, education, race and occupation of each person, although not every household answered all 211 questions.
Data products
As the data were compiled, Statistics Canada released various census data products.
Population and dwelling counts
Population of the provinces and territories:
Origins
The figures for 1871 are for the four original provinces (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia) only.