Symbols, abbreviations and acronyms

Symbols

The standard table symbols apply to all data published by Statistics Canada.

The following symbols may be found in 2021 Census products.

Symbols found in 2021 Census products
Symbol Description
.. not available for a specific reference period
... not applicable
0 true zero or a value rounded to zero
r revised
x suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act
E use with caution
F too unreliable to be published
Yellow triangle with the letter C in the middle high-level correction

Abbreviations and acronyms

Below is a list of abbreviations and acronyms found within various census products.

Provinces and territories

PR or Prov.
Province
Terr.
Territory
N.L.
Newfoundland and Labrador
P.E.I.
Prince Edward Island
N.S.
Nova Scotia
N.B.
New Brunswick
Que.
Quebec
Ont.
Ontario
Man.
Manitoba
Sask.
Saskatchewan
Alta.
Alberta
B.C.
British Columbia
Y.T.
Yukon
N.W.T.
Northwest Territories
Nvt.
Nunavut

Census geographic areas

ADA
Aggregate dissemination area
CA
Census agglomeration
CAR
Census agricultural region
CCS
Census consolidated subdivision
CD
Census division
CMA
Census metropolitan area
CSD
Census subdivision
CT
Census tract
DA
Dissemination area
DB
Dissemination block
DPL
Designated place
ER
Economic region
FED
Federal electoral district
FSA©
Forward sortation area©
MIZ
Census metropolitan area influenced zone
POPCTR
Population centre
PR or Prov.
Province
Terr.
Territory

Census division types

CDR
Census division / Division de recensement
CT
County / Comté
CTY
County
DIS
District
DM
District municipality
MRC
Municipalité régionale de comté
RD
Regional district
REG
Region
RM
Regional municipality
Territoire équivalent
TER
Territory / Territoire
UC
United counties

Census subdivision types

C
City / Cité
CC
Chartered community
CG
Community government
CN
Crown colony / Colonie de la couronne
CT
Canton (municipalité de)
CU
Cantons unis (municipalité de)
CV
City / Ville
CY
City
DM
District municipality
FD
Fire district
GR
Gouvernement régional
HAM
Hamlet
ID
Improvement district
IGD
Indian government district
IM
Island municipality
IRI
Indian reserve / Réserve indienne
LGD
Local government district
M
Municipality / Municipalité
MD
Municipal district
Municipalité
MRM
Regional municipality / Municipalité regionale
MU
Municipality
NH
Northern hamlet
NL
Nisga'a land
NO
Unorganized / Non organisé
NV
Northern village
P
Parish / Paroisse (municipalité de)
PE
Paroisse (municipalité de)
RCR
Rural community / Communauté rurale
RDA
Regional district electoral area
RGM
Regional municipality
RM
Rural municipality
RMU
Resort municipality
RV
Resort village
S-É
Indian settlement / Établissement indien
SA
Special area
SC
Subdivision of county municipality / Subdivision municipalité de comté
Settlement / Établissement
SET
Settlement
SG
Self-government / Autonomie gouvernementale
SM
Specialized municipality
SNO
Subdivision of unorganized / Subdivision non organisée
SV
Summer village
T
Town
TAL
Tla'amin Lands
TC
Terres réservées aux Cris
TI
Terre inuite
TK
Terres réservées aux Naskapis
TL
Teslin land
TP
Township
TV
Town / Ville
TWL
Tsawwassen Lands
V
Ville
VC
Village cri
VK
Village naskapi
VL
Village
VN
Village nordique

Designated place types

CFA
Class IV area (Nova Scotia)
CS
Cluster subdivision (Saskatchewan)
DMU
Dissolved municipality (Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta)
DPL
Designated place (Newfoundland and Labrador)
FLG
Former local government / Ancien gouvernement local (New Brunswick)
IPL
Interim Protected Land (Yukon)
IRI
Indian reserve / Réserve indienne (British Columbia)
IST
Island trust (British Columbia)
LNC
Localité non constituée (Quebec)
LSB
Local service board (Ontario)
LSD
Local service district / District de services locaux (New Brunswick)
LUD
Local urban district (Manitoba)
MDI
Municipalité dissoute (Quebec)
MDP
Municipal defined places (Ontario)
MET
Métis settlement (Alberta)
NCM
Northern community (Manitoba)
NS
Northern settlement (Saskatchewan)
NVL
Nisga'a village (British Columbia)
OHM
Organized hamlet (Saskatchewan)
RPC
Retired population centre / Centre de population retiré (Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Nunavut)
RS
Resort subdivision (Saskatchewan)
SE
Aboriginal settlement (Yukon)
UNP
Unincorporated place (Alberta, British Columbia)
UUC
Unincorporated urban centre (Manitoba)

Others

%
Percentage
AMF
Area master file
APS
Aboriginal Peoples Survey
BFDF
Block-face data file
CANCEIS
Canadian Census Edit and Imputation System
CARTLIB
Cartographic library
CBF
Cartographic boundary file
CMHC
Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation
CIRNAC
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
DBF
Digital boundary file
DCF
Digital cartographic file
DCW
Digital chart of the world
Diff.
Difference
E & I
Edit and imputation
GIS
Geographic information system
GNBC
Geographical Names Board of Canada
GRS
Geodetic reference system
ISC
Indigenous Services Canada
km2
Square kilometre
m
Metre
MP
Member of Parliament
n.e.c.
Not elsewhere classified
n.i.e.
Not included elsewhere
n.o.s.
Not otherwise specified
NAD
North American Datum
NGB
National Geographic Base
NGD
National Geographic Database
NRCan
Natural Resources Canada
NTDB
National Topographic Database
PCCF
Postal code conversion file
PCFRF
Postal codes by federal riding file
QC
Quality control
RNF
Road network file
RO
Representation Order
SAC
Statistical Area Classification
SDI
Spatial Data Infrastructure
SGC
Standard Geographical Classification
TNR
Total non-response
UN
United Nations
UTM
Universal transverse mercator
vs
Versus
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