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Description

Target group profiles (TGP) provide Census Profile variables for a subset, or target group, of the population. This TGP provides a profile for the following visible minority populations:

  • Total - Visible minority status
  •   Total visible minority population
  •     South Asian
  •     Chinese
  •     Black
  •     Filipino
  •     Latin American
  •     Arab
  •     Southeast Asian
  •     West Asian
  •     Korean
  •     Japanese
  •     Visible minority, n.i.e.
  •     Multiple visible minorities
  •   Not a visible minority

The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as 'persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.'

Click here for a list geographies included in the custom geographies file package.

Notes

For more information on the Visible minority variable, including information on its classification, the questions from which it is derived, data quality and its comparability with other sources of data, please refer to the Visible Minority and Population Group Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2016.

Target group profiles (TGPs) provide data for a specific group of persons (a "target group"). All variables in the target group profile relate to these persons: their age, their gender, their family status (e.g. are they in a census family), the languages they speak, and so on.  Because TGPs deal with the universe of persons, they do not contain any family- or household-specific variables. For example, the number of census families in private households does not relate to a person, but to a family, and so it is not included in TGPs.

Target Group Profile Totals

The labels used for the Target Group Profiles are the same as the labels used for the Census Profile. If you are viewing a Target Group Profile table, then the "Total population in private households" or "Total - Generation status for the population in private households" is the total for that particular target group.  

For example, if you use the Target Group Profile for recent immigrants, then the "Total population" is equal to the total population of recent immigrants. Please be aware that for some 2016 Target Group Profiles, the target group (e.g., Aboriginal and visible minority groups or age groups) is split out into categories in a separate dimension (e.g., Total, Aboriginal identity, First Nations, Métis, Inuk), so will also include a Total population variable. In these cases, the Total population variables are for the entire population.

25% vs 100% samples

The 2016 short form Census questionnaire was sent out to 100% of all households. The 2016 long form Census questionnaire was sent out to 25% of all households. Target Group Profiles are produced using the 25% sample.

When calculating the prevalence of certain target group variables in the total population, it is better to use total population values taken from this Census Profile, which was produced entirely using the 25% sample, as opposed to the standard Census Profile which uses the 100% sample for numerous variables.

Years within data
2016
File format
File Size
222.7 MB
Variable terms
StatCan Type
Date released
Full title
Target group profile of the visible minority population, Census, 2016
Geographies