The 1931 Census of Canada offers a glimpse into one of the most significant periods of Canadian history. This was a time when hundreds of thousands of people were on the move, when immigration from overseas was at a tipping point, and when the ancestors of millions of modern Canadians were forming into families. The 1931 Canada Census records are also highly relevant to the millions of U.S. citizens who can trace part of their heritage through Canada, because the early 1930s were peak years for Canadian migration to the United States.

Do you have family members who may have lived in Canada around this time? The Seventh Census of Canada (1931), documents the vital statistics of millions of people living at the start of the Great Depression—schoolteachers in the Prairies, loggers in the Maritimes, shopkeepers of Ontario, and students living at home. Looking through this archive, you might find records that tie together your family story, fill in gaps of information, reveal new ancestors, or point you toward new avenues of research.

Why Is the 1931 Canadian Census So Important?

Canada gained self-rule in 1931 when the Statute of Westminster granted Dominions like Canada the opportunity to chart its own political course. But this new status came with great challenges. The stock market had crashed less than two years before, creating unparalleled economic disruption for people around the world, including Canada. Northern wheat prices were crashing, Canadian exports were falling, and record numbers of unemployed people were looking for work, prompting many to migrate. The 1931 Canada Census recorded the nation during this pivotal moment in history.

The 1931 Canada Census was also remarkable for several other reasons. It was the first time the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) assisted the government in collecting information. Using airplanes and over-the-horizon radio communications, RCMP officers managed to gather information about citizens living in the Northwest Territories (part of which is now the territory of Nunavut) and the Yukon. This allowed many remote communities and First Nations settlements to be recorded for the first time.

What Was Recorded in the 1931 Canada Census

The 1931 Census of Canada enumerated more than 10.3 million people as well as details about personal property. The census form used for most of the country recorded extensive details about each person, although an abbreviated form was used for the Northwest Territories.

Beyond common details, such as name, age, location, and marital status, information recorded on most of the census forms included fields for:

• “Racial or tribal origin”
• Languages spoken (e.g., English, French, or other “mother” tongue)
• If someone could read and write (or if they were in school)
• Year of immigration and/or naturalization
• Religion, denomination, or other community
• Whether the family had a radio
• Work or unemployment status, as well as the reason they were out of work and how long they had been unemployed

Research Tips for Exploring the 1931 Canada Census

When you’re exploring Canadian census records, it can help to know how and when the enumerations took place.

Canadian censuses use the de jure method of enumeration, which means that a person's records are included with their district of permanent residence rather than the place they’re living at the time of the census. This differs from the U.S. census method, which enumerates individuals based on their current location. This is especially helpful to know given how many Canadians were internally displaced by the Depression.

The 1931 Canada Census records a large number of unemployed and transient workers, which isn't surprising, considering the state of the economy at the time. It does, however, make tracking an individual of limited means somewhat more difficult. Keep in mind how the de jure method of gathering information could impact people who answered the census-takers' questions while working as migrant labor, living as students, or temporarily housed in a hostel. Tip: If you find an ancestor who was unemployed in 1931, you may be able to find details on unemployment relief they received from the government.

Because of the de jure enumeration method, it can be beneficial to your research if you are able to gather your ancestor’s potential 1931 address before you dive into the 1931 records. If you’ve already been researching your Canadian ancestors and you’ve found them in the 1921 Census of Canada, you might try using that address when you search the 1931 records. You may also want to check other record sets like birth, marriage, and death, or immigration records, to see what address is recorded around the 1931 timeframe.

Still can’t find your Canadian relative in the 1931 census? Keep in mind their birth or death date. If the family member you're looking for was born or died in 1931, the census might have skipped them. Since June 1 is the cutoff for record collection, the documents include babies born before but not after that date.

Uncovering Your Canadian Roots

If an ancestor happened to be living in the Great White North during the first decades of the 20th century, there's a good chance that you may find them recorded in the 1931 Canadian census record collection on Ancestry^®. Searching the 1931 census for family members’ names can be a great start—or continuation of—the journey into your family history.

Whether you're just starting to explore that history for yourself or you've been searching on behalf of a family member, joining Ancestry with a free trial can open doors to research resources that you never knew were waiting for you.

References

“1931 Census of Canada to be released on June 1, 2023.” Library and Archives Canada, Government of Canada. March 14, 2023. https://www.canada.ca/en/library-archives/news/2023/03/1931-census-of-canada-to-be-released-on-june-1-2023.html.

About Newfoundland And Labrador. CanadaVisa. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://www.canadavisa.com/about-newfoundland-and-labrador.html.

“Seventh Census of Canada, 1931; Population of Canada, by Racial Origins.” Dominion Bureau of Statistics, Government of Canada. 1933. https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2017/statcan/CS98-1931B-22.pdf.

Struthers, James. “The Great Depression in Canada.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. August 13, 2021. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/great-depression.

“Why, in 1931, Canada chose not to exercise its full autonomy as provided for under the Statute of Westminster.” Government of Canada. October 5, 2021. https://www.canada.ca/en/intergovernmental-affairs/services/federation/statute-westminster.html.

“Migration Between the United States and Canada.” U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census and Supply and Services Canada, Statistics Canada. February 1990. https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/1990/demographics/p23-161.pdf.