By Canadian Press

New census data offers snapshot of Canada’s transgender population for first time

Apr 27, 2022 | 5:58 AM

TORONTO — Newly released census data shows 0.33 per cent of Canadians aged 15 or older — or about 100,815 people — identify as transgender or non-binary.

The new information from Statistics Canada gives an unprecedented snapshot into Canada’s transgender and non-binary population, which some advocates say is long overdue.

Last year’s national household survey included a revamped section on gender, differentiating for the first time between the sex a person was assigned at birth and their gender. 

Gemma Hickey, a transmasculine non-binary author and activist, says it’s “about time” the census acknowledged people who exist outside the gender binary. 

Hickey became one of the first Canadians to receive a gender-neutral birth certificate in 2017.

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They hope the census will spark a broader conversation by acknowledging that the sex a person was assigned at birth is not necessarily the same as gender.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2022.

The Canadian Press