Notes on terminology: 

Due to the nature of some of the data sources in this guide, terminology on this webpage  includes language that is problematic and/or offensive to researchers. Certain vocabulary used to refer to racial, ethnic, religious and cultural groups is specific to the time period when the data were collected.

The following table provides keywords and related terms, populations, and themes to help search for data and statistics about racialized data. Search terms have changed over time so if you are searching for historical data, you may have to look to the vocabulary of the time to find keywords needed. Included in the table are the dates that a term was first used in the Canadian Census. This is provided as a general reference as to when the term was commonly in use. Not all terms have census dates associated with them. It is important to note that the term ‘Aboriginal’ or ‘Indigenous’ used on the Statistics Canada website refers to individuals identifying themselves as ‘First Nations people, Métis or Inuit’. See Statistics on Indigenous Peoples for more information..